Head of Data Management Platforms at Sanlam Group

What will you do?

The Sanlam Group has embarked on a strategic journey to become a data driven organisation, as a key enabling element of its digital transformation. You will be responsible for the engagement, establishment and growth of the Enterprise Data Management functions, architectures and platforms to deliver data fluency in operational as well as BI contexts. On the BI side, these platforms should support both traditional reporting as well as advanced analytical solutions. On the operational side, capabilities such as master data management, data quality management, reference data management and metadata management will be required in support of amongst other objectives, the business’ digital client and intermediary engagement objectives.

What will make you successful in this role?

Leadership & Change Management

• Member of the Sanlam Group Technology Data Platform and Services.

• Fulfil line management responsibility for several senior direct reports from potentially diverging backgrounds, operating across the various functional areas that make up the platform, including data architecture, data integration, data quality, governance and data services, operations and projects;

• Exhibit leadership skills including delegation, communication, influencing, coaching, building vision and taking ownership;

• Actively participate in key management and governance forums and establish additional governance as required;

• Encourage, motivate and drive team engagement and ensure adequate availability of capacity and skills;

• Enable others by managing/measuring performance and developing individual team member skills;

• Set data management practices direction and standards in the context of the SGT IT strategic pillars and actively drive adherence to these;

• Manage diversity, performance and output delivery across various teams through cross- functional delivery;

• Build a skilled internal SGT team to deliver data management platforms sustainably to the business over time;

• Communicate effectively across departments regarding the role of data in business and actively drive adoption of the modern data platforms and the decommissioning of legacy data platforms to gain the benefits of simplification of the platform environment;

• Provide relevant training and support to business BI and operational functions established over time as the business becomes more and more data driven and reliant on the data platforms as a result;

Strategic Contribution

• Actively engage with the business to understand the strategy of the Retail Affluent business, within the Life and Savings Cluster and Sanlam Groupwide;

• Provide input to the Sanlam Group Technology strategy;

• Provide input to the business’ data and digital strategy;

• Develop the Data Platform & Engineering strategy and prepare supporting tactical plans;

• Develop, drive, measure and feedback progress on the contribution of data platforms to the business strategy.

Data Platform & Engineering Management

• Actively and continuously evolve the data management platform technologies, architecture and standard patterns to enable the business portfolio teams with solutions in a changing business landscape.

• Establish the Data Platform & Engineering operating model and architecture to support traditional reporting requirements, advanced analytics requirements, as well as operational data processing to enhance business decisions, both operationally and strategically.

• Manage the transition to the modern data platforms and the decommissioning of legacy data platforms to gain the benefits of simplification of the platform environment.

• Establish and continuously improve agile ways of working in the delivery of platform related enhancements. 

• Collaborate closely with other SGT executive leaders and line managers to manage interdependencies within the technology environment.

• Establish a clear skills resourcing strategy that allows for core skills to be appointed and for burst capacity needs to be fulfilled through strategic vendor partnerships with a limited core group of vendors partners.

• Maintain healthy relationships with vendor partners and engage strategically with them to optimise the value add from these relationships.

• Establish an appropriate budgeting and cost recovery model, establish financial commitment from businesses making use of data platform services and manage the actual expenses and recoveries to budget on an ongoing basis.

Data Platform Project and Delivery Management

• Manage the delivery of data platform-related enhancements, upgrades and proofs of concept using agile ways of working;

• Establish the necessary project governance capabilities to ensure adequate governance and business engagement for platform projects.

Data Platform Operations Management

• Establish the operational team and associated operating model for running the data platform operations upon which data workloads and experiments are productionised;

• Establish the service model and relevant service level agreements with business stakeholders invested in the data platforms;

• Oversight over the data operational teams to deliver its contracted services in line with the relevant service model agreements.

• Drive the continuous improvement of the data platforms and operational capability to facilitate optimal long-term return on investment.

• Establish and maintain robust risk management policies and procedures in line with SGT policies.

• Custodian of the customer master and reference data, MDM expertise.

Implementation of MDM frameworks and Platforms

• Implementation of the operations platform and drive vision strategy, delivery, business support and governance for the platform. They will have responsibility for developing and maintaining the group’s data platform vision and strategy.

Business Support & Engagement

• Overall accountable for promoting the ways in which data platforms can enhance and/or support business goals;

• Respond to all relevant data platform expectations from business;

• Take responsibility for value generation from the investment in data in collaboration with the business;

• Provide relevant inputs to businesses in meeting information governance requirements;

• Collaborate closely with the Chief Data Officers, BI heads and Governance teams of the relevant business clusters to increase awareness of the business demand pipelines for data workloads and experiments to ensure that platform capability and capacity is in place to provide the necessary support;

• Maintain platform architecture and foundation development roadmaps in collaboration with the business cluster delivery teams.

Qualification

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Science or Information Technology

• Management qualification will be advantageious

• Data Certifications highly advantageous

Experience

• 10 years relevant operational or project related experience of technology platform management in a data/BI environment;

• 10 years in positions requiring executive level influence and personally operating at senior management level would be advantageous;

• Experience of applying Data Platform and Engineering in a Life Insurance or financial services business context would be advantageous;

• Good knowledge and understanding of interaction between data, technology and business applications for insights and improving decision-making;

• Sound knowledge of insurance products, distribution models and processes would be an advantage.

• Experience of financial Services and Insurance

• 10+ years business management of a technical data platform

Knowledge and Skills

• Data Architecture
• Data Governance
• Data Management
• Scripting Languages
• Manage problem identification and resolution within test environment

Personal Attributes

• Tech savvy - Contributing strategically
• Business insight - Contributing strategically
• Balances stakeholders - Contributing strategically
• Manages complexity - Contributing strategically

Build a successful career with us

• We’re all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future – your career, your personal development and of achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping  our employees to realise their worth. Through its four business clusters – Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment the group provides many opportunities for growth and development.

Core Competencies

• Drives results - Contributing through others
• Being resilient - Contributing strategically
• Collaborates - Contributing strategically
• Cultivates innovation - Contributing strategically
• Customer focus - Contributing strategically

Turnaround time

• The shortlisting process will only start once the application due date has been reached. The time taken to complete this process will depend on how far you progress and the availability of managers. 

Closing date: 24 September 2021

Our commitment to transformation

The Sanlam Group is committed to achieving transformation and embraces diversity.  This commitment is what drives us to achieve a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace as we believe that these are key components to ensuring a thriving and sustainable business in South Africa.  The Group's Employment Equity plan and targets will be considered as part of the selection process.