Senior Data Architect

Job description

At MassMutual, we’re passionate about helping millions of people find financial freedom and this passion has driven our approach to developing highly interactive digital experiences for our customers. Workplace Solutions Technology (WPS) is undergoing a multi-million dollar transformation and we are looking for change agents who can balance innovation and pragmatism to join our team. To help us achieve our mission, we are hiring a Senior Data Architect who is equally strategic and able to roll up their sleeves to perform detailed hands on work. This person will bring industry best practices to a waterfall/iterative world that is working hard to become SAFe Agile! We need someone who is passionate about all things data, including sourcing, lifecycle, lineage, data relationships and dependencies as well as how it is processed end-to-end. The ideal candidate has experience working with the business, developing a governance framework, focusing on data quality and stewardship. This position will require a high degree of partnership between the business and IT to ensure MassMutual can achieve operational excellence and delight our customers.

What great looks like in this role

Our ideal Senior Data Architect is innovative, technically aware, and possesses exceptional partnership skills. You are passionate about data, enthusiastic, a self-starter. You’ll use your skills to interface with the internal team (our customers) to understand their requirements and recommend solutions that enable organizations to achieve its goals. You have a foundation in systems development – requirements, design and test techniques. You are able to conceptualize and influence applications and interface projects, using your influence to steer projects steer toward desirable outcomes. You ensure that the organization follows a formal data standard and that its data assets are in line with the defined data architecture and/or with the goals of the business.

You have the core skill of the data architect – depth in data modeling and database design. You have a sound track record of delivery across all phases of data modeling, from conceptualization to knowledge of database optimization, which can extend to SQL development as needed.

You have breadth in established and emerging data/reporting technologies and can remain technically neutral – focus is on delivering value to the business through the use and modeling of data regardless of the technological delivery method.

You are able to conceive and portray the big data picture, mapping the systems and interfaces used to manage data, setting standards for data management, analyzing current state, conceiving desired future state and identifying what is needed to close the gap between current state and future goals.

You understand how to successfully deploy data governance, working with the data stewards and technology to instantiate policies and continuously measure for integrity and quality. You work in concert with the business to provide a standard common business vocabulary, define strategic data requirements, outline high level integrated designs to meet these requirements, and align with enterprise strategy and related business architectures.

You are able to critically and logically evaluate the costs, risks, and benefits of alternatives before coming to a solution. You are able to probe and look past symptoms to determine the underlying causes of problems and issues. Approach problems holistically; define connections, linkages, interdependencies and develop solutions. 

You makes quick decisions in high stakes situations, crises, or conditions of uncertainty, critically and logically evaluating the consequences and implications of alternatives, actions, or decisions. 

You are an exceptional communicator. You mentor and coach directly and indirectly, leading from behind, encouraging others to set challenging goals and high standards of performance. You foster a sense of energy, ownership, and personal commitment.

Daily and monthly responsibilities

• Active member of the leadership team
• Work with the Governance teams to instantiate the practice
• Review business data requirements, logical models and detailed data architecture for current and future databases and warehouses
• Work with the business to understand their current state business, transformation to new business processes and the role of data to make them successful
• Work with the Database Architects, Applications and Services team to enhance models and data designs for peak performance and optimized, accurate delivery

Skills and qualifications

• 15+ years in data management, 5+ years in data architecture and/or data governance
• Self starter with a sense of urgency
• Change agent and data evangelist
• Communication of technical information to a non-technical audience
• Communication of business information to a technical audience
• Sound Engineering systems concepts and principles

• Improvement of business and engineering processes; Ability to formulate concepts
• Hands on experience with tools – data governance, data modeling, and ETL
• Data Analysis and modeling, Data governance framework, Data profiling; Data discovery; Root cause analysis; business process analysis, business data integration
• Information (data) mapping and business data traceability analysis and management
• Promptly escalate issues, which affect product delivery and quality that are beyond scope of influence and report same to reporting manager.
• Pay high attention to detail in all work
• Quality, on time delivery of agreed deliverables.
• Facilitates effective team interaction, good influencing skills
• Business-focused, able to start small, show value, and grow organically

• Analytical and conceptual expertise
• Story planning, documentation, analysis and business requirements management techniques

Preferred qualifications

• Good influencing skills
• Extensive latitude for independent judgment
• Strong stakeholder engagement
• Cost-benefit analysis and ROI discovery
• Complex modelling techniques

Working at MassMutual

A career at MassMutual means you will work alongside exceptional people and be empowered to reach your professional and personal goals. Our employees are the foundation of what makes MassMutual a strong, stable and ethical business. We seek and value unique and varied perspectives and experiences because we believe we are stronger when all voices are heard. We invite you to bring your bright, innovative ideas to MassMutual as we continue to help millions of Americans rely on each other.

MassMutual is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer Minority/Female/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Individual with Disability/Protected Veteran. We welcome all persons to apply. Note: Veterans are welcome to apply, regardless of their discharge status.