Senior Director, Data Architecture

Job Description

What is the opportunity?

The Senior Director, Data Architecture simplifies and unifies RBC's data architecture across the full lifecycle: manufacturing, distribution, discovery, consumption and governance. They own the target data architecture, the RBC Lumina reference architecture and the standards that make data machine-readable for people, applications and AI agents.

Success means fewer data stores and point-to-point feeds, one trusted source for each critical data element, and data products agents can find and use within their entitlements.

What will you do?

• Manufacturing (data sources). Name the authoritative source for every critical data element. Own the canonical data model and business glossary alignment. Set the standard for producer data contracts covering schema, semantics, quality rules and SLAs, so quality is fixed at the source.

• Distribution (RBC Lumina). Own the Lumina reference architecture and the standard ingestion patterns: batch, streaming, CDC, events and APIs. Move data once, reliably and traceably. Run the roadmap to retire point-to-point interfaces.

• Discovery and machine readability. Define what counts as a data product and the minimum metadata each must carry: meaning, owner, lineage, quality and entitlements. Build the semantic layer and ontology that lets agents interpret data, not just locate it. Set the agent-access pattern for data products, such as MCP.

• Consumption. Define the consumption archetypes (BI, operational APIs, analytics and ML, RAG, agents) with one supported pattern for each. Feed curated, entitlement-aware data products into the common RAG substrate.

• Governance by design. Act as design authority through architecture review, decision records and exceptions. Partner with the CDO, who owns policy and accountability, while this role owns how standards are built in. Support BCBS 239 lineage and jurisdiction-aware data placement for sovereignty.

• Simplification and transformation. Inventory data platforms, stores and tools across RBC's stacks and give each a disposition: tolerate, invest, migrate or eliminate. Tie the roadmap to in-flight programs such as Finance Modernization and AML Transformation, and to third-party rationalization.

What do you need to succeed?

• 15+ years in data architecture or data engineering, including 5+ years leading architects at enterprise scale.

• Depth across lakehouse and warehouse platforms, streaming and CDC, data products and mesh, catalogs and metadata, semantic layers and knowledge graphs.

• A track record of measurable simplification: platforms retired, feeds removed and costs taken out.

• Working knowledge of BCBS 239, privacy regulation and OSFI expectations for data risk.

• Clear view on making data AI-ready, including retrieval, entitlement propagation and agent access.

• Able to align the CDO, platform engineering and business data owners without direct authority over them.

What’s in it for you?

We thrive on the challenge to be our best, progressive thinking to keep growing, and working together to deliver trusted advice to help our clients thrive and communities prosper. We care about each other, reaching our potential, making a difference to our communities, and achieving success that is mutual.

• A comprehensive Total Rewards Program including bonuses and flexible benefits, competitive compensation, commissions, and stock where applicable
• Leaders who support your development through coaching and managing opportunities
• Ability to make a difference and lasting impact
• Work in a dynamic, collaborative, progressive, and high-performing team
• A world-class training program in financial services
• Flexible work/life balance options
• Opportunities to do challenging work

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Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the application deadline date above

Our Employment Opportunities

At RBC, we are guided by living shared values of Client First, Integrity, Collaboration, Respect and Excellence and winning together as One RBC. We believe an inclusive workplace that has diverse perspectives is core to our continued growth as one of the largest and most successful banks in the world. Maintaining a workplace where our employees feel supported to perform at their best, effectively collaborate, drive innovation, and grow professionally helps to bring our Purpose to life and create value for our clients and communities. RBC strives to deliver this through policies and programs intended to foster a workplace based on respect, belonging and opportunity for all.

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RBC is presently inviting candidates to apply for this existing vacancy. Applying to this posting allows you to express your interest in this current career opportunity at RBC. Qualified applicants may be contacted to review their resume in more detail.