Director, Data Governance

Director, Data Governance Permanent Full Time Canada Life has an ambition to be data driven and apply human‑led AI to innovate, elevate customer service, and accelerate growth across the organization. To succeed, we believe there is a need to have strong processes to adequately manage our risk, protect & govern our data, while also focusing on accelerating AI adoption across the enterprise to enable business strategy. Overview Our Digital Technology team is a strategic partner in our business – with an ambition to be a forward‑thinking, agile technology organization delivering secure, resilient, and leading solutions that support Canada Life and the well‑being of millions of Canadians. The role is accountable for defining and operating Data Governance across our Canadian operations, including defining and maintaining policies & standards, meeting regulatory requirements, operationalizing data quality assurances, identifying key data assets, cataloguing, metadata management, monitoring and measuring data controls adoption. What you will do Oversee the development and execution of a forward‑looking vision and Data Governance strategy in alignment with the organization’s long‑term goals including developing roadmaps to ensure objectives are met Lead Canada Data – Data Governance operations, including people leadership, management of annual budgets, corporate documents, centre of excellence, data metrics reporting, and data compliance Strong leadership in supporting business teams; lead standing Data Governance meetings, bringing together leaders from across CL to implement Data governance best practices at scale Foster strong engagement with leadership, business and technology stakeholders; ensure clear communication of Data Guidelines and Procedures in alignment with the Data Policy and Standard that will help shape direction across the organization Identify and standardize the use and governance of data in support of the business strategy, including leadership of regulatory and governance programs Provide and champion centre of excellence services in specialized areas across the data lifecycle such as data governance, metadata management, data quality, data access management, data retention & destruction Partner with the Data enablement teams to provide the governance lens and ensure bottlenecks are addressed in a timely manner Coach and mentor team members to achieve and surpass personal and team objectives and help them in their career plans What you will bring You hold a University degree in Software Engineering, Data Science, Business or equivalent Proven track record and experience of at least 7 years in leading Data Governance initiatives and programs Excellent communication skills, business acumen and the capability to align Data Governance initiatives with the organization’s broader strategic goals Expertise in data governance concepts and methodologies, ethical considerations in AI, as well as knowledge of AI legal and regulatory aspects, Data Maturity Model, Records Management, Data Access methodologies You have a track record of collaboration and influence when working in cross‑functional teams in a highly complex organization, ability to lead and foster collaborative relationships, engage, and inspire the right through partnerships and mutual respect You are excited to develop high‑performing teams, and can lead, mentor, and influence junior talent and help in their career paths You have previous experience in a large enterprise environment in a regulated industry Continuous learning mindset to stay updated with the latest Data and AI trends and emerging technologies as well as the regulatory landscape around data and AI Knowledge of data privacy and security practices relevant to the Financial Services industry Previous experience using industry‑leading Data Governance tools and capabilities execution Experience in the financial services industry, particularly in insurance and wealth management Knowledge of cloud‑based data platforms and technologies (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) Familiarity with agile methodologies and DevOps practices in a data‑driven environment; compliance, risk, and audit methodologies to apply controls, monitoring, and adherence to regulations The base salary for this position is between $120,000.00 – $170,000.00 annually. This represents base salary only and does not represent other variable compensation components of our total compensation (i.e. annual bonus, commission etc.). If you are selected to move forward in our recruitment process, your recruiter will be able to discuss additional details of our total rewards program with you. Career opportunities will be open a minimum of 5 business days from the date of posting; closing dates will vary depending on the search activity. All applications received will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Canada Life serves the financial security needs of more than 13 million people across Canada, with additional operations in Europe and the United States. As members of the Power Financial Corporation group of companies, we’re one of Canada’s leading insurers with interests in life insurance, health insurance, investment and retirement savings. We offer a broad portfolio of financial and benefit plan solutions for individuals, families, businesses and organizations. We are committed to providing an inclusive, accessible environment, where all employees and customers feel valued, respected and supported. We are dedicated to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities in which we live, and to creating an environment where every employee has the opportunity to reach their potential. It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Canada Life policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact talentacquisitioncanada@canadalife.com. Canada Life would like to thank all applicants, however only those who qualify for an interview will be contacted. #J-18808-Ljbffr