Data Architect

ICES is seeking a Data Architect to join our Data Quality and Information Management department (DQIM). Reporting to the Director, DQIM, the Data Architect provides expertise in data architecture, data governance, data processing, data security, and data modernization across ICES data environments. The role is responsible for developing and implementing enterprise data architecture strategies, ensuring secure and efficient data management practices, supporting analytics and AI initiatives, and enabling the effective use of data assets to support ICES' research and operational objectives.

Responsibilities of the position include, but may not be limited to:

Data Architecture Strategy, Delivery and Modernization:

• Develop and maintain ICES' data architecture strategy, roadmap, governance framework including data models, data platforms, analytic environments and AI-enabled capabilities aligned with organizational objectives;
• Provide expert architectural guidance to senior leadership, DQIM, and Technology teams;
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to craft innovative and supportable solutions by utilizing a consultative approach to identify user needs and aligning technical capabilities with organizational objectives.

Data Environment Design & Optimization:

• Design, optimize, and govern enterprise data architectures and data environments, including data models, data warehouses, data integration frameworks, metadata management, data quality standards, and security controls;
• Establish architectural principles, patterns, and technical standards that ensure scalable, secure, and efficient data solutions;
• Collaborate with data engineers, database administrators, and technology teams to translate business and analytic requirements into sustainable architecture designs that support reporting, advanced analytics, AI, and data-sharing initiatives;
• Provide architectural oversight and guidance throughout implementation to ensure adherence to established standards and future-state architecture.

Architecture Delivery & Modernization:

• Lead end-to-end data architecture modernization initiatives, including platform evaluation, technical design, implementation, testing, deployment, and continuous improvement of data solutions;
• Facilitate workshops and meetings with internal and external partners to gather feedback and ensure alignment between business objectives and technical solutions, fostering effective communication and collaboration;
• Build strong partnerships with cross-functional teams and foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, continuous learning, and accountability.

Innovation, Technology Evaluation & Data Compliance & Stewardship:

• Research, evaluate, and recommend emerging technologies, data management approaches, and architectural solutions to support innovation, scalability, analytics, and AI adoption;
• Monitor industry trends, regulatory changes, and emerging technologies to identify opportunities for continuous improvement, innovation, and modernization of the enterprise data ecosystem;
• Provide architectural guidance on data classification, retention, access controls, and secure data-sharing mechanisms to protect sensitive information and mitigate organizational risk;
• Develop and maintain architecture standards, specifications, documentation, secure data-sharing processes, and internal/external partnerships to ensure regulatory compliance and effective data stewardship.

Mentorship and Development:

• Coach and mentor team members and technical staff to strengthen organizational capability;
• Provide support to team members by developing knowledge sharing materials and conducting hands-on sessions, fostering a collaborative environment that encourages knowledge sharing and professional growth;
• Promote continuous learning and development by facilitating regular team meetings and knowledge-sharing sessions, ensuring that all team members are engaged in the solution development process and have access to the resources they need.

Other:

• Other duties as may be assigned within the scope of this position.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:  

Minimum Required Education and Years of Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or related field;
• 6 years of experience leading engagements from design to implementation of creative data solutions leveraging the latest in Big Data frameworks, supporting on-premises, cloud and hybrid architectures to enable use cases in analytics and AI;
• Relevant cloud, data architecture, or database certifications.

Preferred Education and Years of Experience:

• Master’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Computer Engineering or related field;
• Experience within healthcare, health research, or public-sector data environments;
• AWS, Azure, GCP, TOGAF, DAMA/CDMP, or equivalent certifications.

Minimum Required Position-Specific Knowledge and Technical Skills:

• Expertise in data architecture, data modeling, SQL development, database administration (such as Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, MySQL, MongoDB, NoSQL, etc.) and data lifecycle management;
• Experience with Data Lake architectures, healthcare data governance, analytics platforms, and AI-enabled data solutions;
• Familiar with Hive, Pig, Python or other big data processing languages; familiar with Hadoop, SQL, and shell programming;
• Expertise in data governance, ETL design, data security, and data quality management;
• Strong documentation, architecture modeling, systems analysis, and technical communication skills;
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex business, research, and analytic requirements into practical and sustainable architecture solutions;
• Strong interpersonal skills, with demonstrated experience in collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams;
• Ability to work independently and resourcefully, taking proactive action to identify issues and solve problems while adapting to changing priorities.

Preferred Position-Specific Knowledge and Technical Skills:

• Knowledge in providing big data solutions based on open-source technologies;
• Experience in Healthcare data governance, data management, data mining, etc. is preferred;
• Excellent project management and organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize workload and manage multiple projects within tight timelines.

This full-time opportunity is for an existing vacancy at ICES Central. The annual salary range for this role is $110,000 - $140,000. Successful candidate must reside within Ontario while working under our remote flex model and be able to come into the office when required from time to time.

Security clearance may be required.