The Lead Data Architect is responsible for defining and governing the enterprise data architecture strategy and standards for mission-critical Financial Services platforms. This role combines deep technical expertise, architectural leadership, and regulatory understanding to deliver secure, scalable, and MAS-compliant data ecosystems that power analytics, AI, and compliance across the enterprise.
Key Responsibilities
- Define and maintain enterprise data architecture blueprints across Core Banking, Payments, Risk, and Compliance domains.
- Architect modern data platforms (data lakes, warehouses, data mesh/fabric) on cloud native platforms Azure, AWS, or GCP.
- Design real-time streaming architectures leveraging Kafka, Flink, Debezium, and KSQL.
- Govern enterprise data models, metadata management, lineage tracking, and Master Data Management (MDM) frameworks.
- Establish data governance frameworks using Collibra, Purview, or Apache Atlas, integrated with automated data quality metrics.
- Define data zoning (bronze/silver/gold) and implement secure data separation aligned with MAS TRM, PDPA, and PCI-DSS standards.
- Collaborate with AI and platform engineering teams to design AI-ready architectures, including feature stores and vector databases.
- Lead data migration and modernization initiatives (on-prem to cloud) ensuring full lineage, compliance, and traceability.
- Provide architectural oversight for regulatory data programs (MAS 610/649/1003, Basel III/IV, BCBS 239).
- Mentor data engineers and participate in architecture governance forums to ensure scalability, resilience, and compliance of data solutions.
Experience & Qualifications
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related discipline.
- 12+ years of experience in data architecture and engineering, with at least 5 years in the BFSI domain.
- Proven track record leading enterprise-scale data modernization programs across multi-cloud environments.
- Deep expertise in data modeling, governance, lineage, and metadata frameworks.
- Hands-on experience with real-time, event-driven architectures and AI/ML data enablement.
- Strong understanding of financial services regulations (MAS TRM, PDPA, BCBS 239).
- Strong proficiency in Spark, Databricks, Kafka, Flink, or Beam for batch and streaming data processing.
- Hands-on experience with metadata management and data catalog tools (Collibra, Purview, Apache Atlas).
- Deep understanding of data quality frameworks and implementation best practices.
- Strong Knowledge of data security, encryption, and key management techniques.
- Deep understanding with financial regulations such as MAS TRM, PDPA, Basel III/IV, IFRS 9/17, and BCBS 239.
- Proficiency in Python, SQL, and API integration.
- Excellent communication skills and ability to work across data, compliance, and infrastructure teams.
- Preferred Certifications:
- Azure Solutions Architect Expert
- AWS Data Analytics Specialty
- TOGAF Certified Architect
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills across business and technology domains.
- Deep understanding of financial systems, data flows, and compliance frameworks.
- Ability to balance strategic architecture vision with hands-on technical leadership.
- Demonstrated success in mentoring teams and driving data engineering excellence aligned to organizational objectives.
