Data Architect

The Office of the CIO (OCIO) has an extensive list of investment requests for IT enabled projects from across the University. The execution of these projects extends out over the next five years and longer. OCIO is seeking Data Architecture services to lead development of data governance frameworks for multiple initiatives.

The scope of projects may include developing expanding or upgrading enterprise and line of business application platforms, solutions and services. The Data Architect will ensure that all proposed solutions are aligned with the business needs, project constraints, enterprise architecture and data governance standards and any project related exceptions are managed in an informed manner.

The Data Architect is responsible for guiding the research, planning, definition, refinement and implementation of the data architecture for the data and systems that are a part of IT investments. This position reports to the Chief Data Officer to ensure policies, principles, models, standards, technologies, and processes are in place to ensure data is treated as a strategic asset for UBC. The Data Architect works collaboratively with the Enterprise Data Governance team to establish the architecture and frameworks that facilitate access to and flexible sharing and exchange of enterprise data. This position, in close collaboration with business and technology leaders across the University, supports effective change by understanding business challenges and translating them into requirements/solutions.

Organizational Status

This position reports to the Chief Data Officer and works closely with data governance stakeholders, data stewards and enterprise and solution architects.

There will be extensive consultation and interactions with technical project team members; UBC IT Team members; the extended IT at UBC community; data stakeholders from across the UBC academic and administrative community.

Work Performed

Specific Duties:

• Assess the benefits and the risks of data architecture initiatives by using tools such as business capability models to identify priorities to UBC.

• Uses tools and models to provide UBC with a future-state view of the data landscape that is not limited by specific data implementation details imposed by proprietary solutions or technologies

• Coordinate change activities to ensure that the Enterprise Architecture team can consolidate multiple data sources and repositories to deliver additional business value.

• Influences data strategy by providing strategic, information-based recommendations to protect the organization from disruptions while also embracing innovation.

• Assists the CDO in the development of governance processes and strategies by providing recommendations on actions to take with what information and in what circumstances.

• Creates and manages data models all their forms, including conceptual models, logical models, relational database designs, message models and others.

• Ensure UBC data adds value by exploring the impact of business strategy changes on data management practices with the Enterprise Architecture team. Investigating ways to extract additional value from existing data assets.

• Ensuring that the architecture is used as a lens and a filter to enable the CDO to focus only on those internal and external data sources and repositories required to deliver the targeted business value.

• Analyzes data security requirements and solutions, and working with the chief information security officer (CISO) and the CDO to ensure that data (both on-premises and in the cloud) is treated as a protected asset.

• Championing efforts to improve business performance through enterprise information capabilities, such as master data management (MDM), metadata management, analytics, content management, data integration, and related data management or data infrastructure.

Core Duties:

• Provides technical expertise and oversees the expansion of innovative business solutions, programs and services.

• Creates and fosters strategic partnerships and influential relationships with within UBC IT and the IT broader community.

• Approves and monitors plans, performance targets and measures for reporting areas.

• Develops leadership strength in functional areas by coaching reporting leaders and staff in the development of critical competencies and by modeling valued leadership behaviours.

• Anticipates and analyzes trends in technology and assess the impact of emerging technologies on the business.

• Maintains appropriate professional designations and up-to-date knowledge of current information technology techniques and tools.

• Performs other related duties as required

Consequence of Error/Judgement

There will be significant consequences for errors and/or judgement.

UBC is undergoing the acquisition and renewal of several critical ERPs and Enterprise-level Integration capabilities will be an important part of enabling multiple programs to proceed in parallel. For example, this work will be critical in executing the replacement of UBC s Student Information System and its 200+ integration points.

Supervision Received
This position reports to the Chief Data Officer and is expected to work relatively independently with a large number of business and technical subject-matter-experts.

Supervision Given
Some supervision of other team members may be required. Technical recommendations and reviews of other team members work may be required.

Minimum Qualifications
Post-graduate degree. Minimum of ten years of related experience including at least four years of managerial experience plus three years of specialized experience in the design and implementation of major computer systems, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Significant experience writing policies and procedures required.

• Exceptional written and oral communication skills, including the ability to present ideas and suggestions clearly and effectively.

• Ability to educate and influence program stakeholders regarding program goals, objectives and approach.

• Superior follow-up skills; ability to organize applicable department timelines and follow up with internal and external customer needs.

• Superior organizational skills; ability to accomplish multiple tasks within the agreed upon timeframes through effective prioritization of duties and functions in a fast paced environment.

• Strong track record of building and maintaining solid relationships with internal and external customers and vendors.

• Self-motivated; able to work independently to complete tasks and respond to department requests and to collaborate with others to utilize their resources and knowledge to identify high quality solutions.

• Ability to work with functional groups and different level of employees throughout the organization to effectively and professionally achieve results

• Demonstrated ability to relate business problems to the underlying data and link to solution to solve those business problems

Collaboration:

Identifies and improves communication to bring conflict within the team into the open and facilitate resolution. Openly shares credit for team accomplishment. Monitors individual and team effectiveness and recommends improvement to facilitate collaboration. Considered a role model as a team player. Demonstrates high level of enthusiasm and commitment to team goals under difficult or adverse situations; encourages others to respond similarly. Strongly influences team strategy and processes.

Communicating for Results:

Converses with, writes strategic documents for, and creates/delivers presentations to internal business leaders as well as external groups. Leads discussions with senior leaders and external partners in ways that support strategic planning and decision-making. Seeks a consensus with business leaders. Debates opinions, tests understanding, and clarifies judgments. Identifies underlying differences and resolves conflict openly and empathetically. Explains the context of multiple, complex interrelated situations. Asks searching, probing questions, plays devil s advocate, and solicits authoritative perspectives and advice prior to approving plans and recommendations.

Problem Solving:

Anticipates problem areas and associated risk levels with objective rationale. Uses formal methodologies to forecast trends and define innovative strategic choices in response to the potential implications of multiple integrated options. Generates and solicits the approval of senior leadership prior to defining critical issues and solutions to unclear, multi-faceted problems of high risk which span across and beyond the enterprise.

Analytical Thinking:

Establishes strategic goals and enterprise-wide priorities. Uses techniques of advanced business and organizational analysis to identify and assess problem definitions and potential solutions, and compares and contrasts them against predetermined criteria. Creates framework for reviewing large volumes of unorganized data. Probes for, and points to, subtle and unclear relationships in highly complex matters and evaluates the merit of problem definitions and potential solutions. Anticipates the possible outcome of potential solutions. Systemically identifies and resolves complex enterprise-wide issues, while educating senior leaders as to their solution.

Information Systems Knowledge:

Engineers, coordinates, and submits approval for significant enterprise-wide information system solutions that align with organizational processes and long-term strategies. Recommends large-scale, best practice technological opportunities. Engages appropriate technical consultants, experts, and leaders.

Thoroughness:

Sets the vision, defines the value, and acts as role model for creating a culture that sets superior standards and delivers on time and on budget. Agrees upon service level and project expectations with senior leaders. Reviews enterprise s progress against established goals, objectives, service level targets, and project milestones. Devises strategies for delivering large-scale projects on time. Proactively conducts business review meetings for reprioritization of resources and taking corrective action to respond to strategic initiatives. Holds self and leadership team members accountable for achievements, publicly recognizing successes. Identifies areas of potential vulnerability in achieving strategic business drivers. Supports the enterprise in achieving deliverables by investing in world-class organizational processes.

Strategic Technology Planning:

Recommends long-term best-in-class policies and plans that will provide enhanced support across the enterprise. Sponsors, coordinates, and approves the enterprise strategic technology plan. Steers enterprise initiatives that support the technology strategy. Allocates and aligns resources to meet the objectives of the plan. Partners with senior enterprise leaders to integrate the strategic technology plan with the enterprise long-term plan.