VP, Head of Information (Data) Architect – New York Life Insurance Co

Job Description

Location Designation: Hybrid

When you join New York Life, you’re joining a company that values career development, collaboration, innovation, and inclusiveness. We want employees to feel proud about being part of a company that is committed to doing the right thing. You’ll have the opportunity to grow your career while developing personally and professionally through various resources and programs. New York Life is a relationship-based company and appreciates how both virtual and in-person interactions support our culture.

Overview: New York Life is in search of a forward-thinking, seasoned outcomes-oriented Lead Information Architect to architect the foundation of our data design. As an integral member of the Chief Data Officer’s team, this role will champion, standardize and evolve the enterprise’s information architecture for structured data, ensuring cohesion and integrity across all domains. If you are someone who thrives in a fast-paced, transformative data-driven environment, this is the opportunity for you.

Responsibilities of this role include leading a team of 8-10 information architects and providing expert-level information architecture capabilities including owning, developing and training on enterprise-wide standards, development of conceptual and logical data models for enterprise data domains, driving information architecture standards enabling function-specific domains, and engaging data engineers to communicate business data requirements and models enabling solution development.

Moreover, the successful candidate will lead the design of enterprise data domains including customer, product, other various party roles, and reference data. In addition, the successful candidate will oversee the development of data architecture via federated architects aligned to business value streams who are focused on function-specific data domains. Responsibilities also include evaluating commercial platforms for data model integrity, driving the establishment of “golden sources” of enterprise data, and owning the key business decisions throughout the lifecycle of data domains (sourcing, appropriate use, data quality goals, retention, etc.

Success in the role will be measured by the degree to which information architecture capabilities and data domains are matured and employed to support the objectives of New York Life business priorities, and enable technology solutions including transactional systems, BI analytics, data science and emerging GenAI solutions.

Key Accountabilities:
• Spearhead a team of 8-10 information architects, mentoring and providing direction.
• Establish, disseminate, and oversee the implementation of enterprise-wide information architecture standards, including the organizing taxonomy for all data domains.
• Apply information architecture standards and develop robust conceptual and logical data models for enterprise data domains and reference data enabling applications/ transactions and consumption (BI/analytics, data science, Gen AI)
• Engage Value Stream business and technology leaders, fully understand as well as help shape strategy, and align information architecture activities and outcomes aligned with business outcomes.
• Own the key business decisions throughout the lifecycle of data domains (sourcing, appropriate use, retention, etc.
• Liaise with Technology leaders and data engineers to convey business data requirements and models.
• Evaluate and ensure data model integrity across commercial platforms, fostering the establishment of trusted enterprise data sources.
• Conduct assessments of current data domain statuses and envision their desired future states, orchestrating roadmaps to bridge any existing gaps.
• Ensure alignment to the emerging Enterprise Unstructured Taxonomy and assist in its development.
• Cultivate strong relationships with key stakeholders across business and technology functions, promoting a data-driven culture.
• Champion the importance and role of data governance, ensuring data is recognized and managed as a critical asset.
• Contribute to the development of Communities of Practice – virtual organizations that meet regularly to share ideas, best practices, and promote a culture where data are managed as an asset of the company.
• Remain abreast of emerging industry trends and innovations related to data management and be opportunistic to convey these trends into strategy.

Skills and Experience required:
• Proven track record in devising and executing information architecture strategies in complex business settings.
• Proven track record in leading and developing high performance teams.
• Profound expertise in data cataloging, curation, conceptual and logical data modeling.
• Comprehensive understanding of various data management facets, including transactional data, metadata management, BI/analytics, and Gen AI.
• A fervent advocate for data governance’s role in harnessing data as an asset.
• Hands-on experience in a Data/Dev Ops role, automating data quality processes.
• Profound knowledge of the data intricacies in life insurance and financial services sectors (preferred), including working knowledge of Insurance Application Architecture (IIA) and/or ACORD Framework
• Proven experience in a Scaled Agile framework.
• Aptitude for analyzing business requirements, problem-solving, and modeling current and future business processes with clear data domain/entity links.
• Strong collaboration, communication, and influence skills, fostering connections across diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Acumen in basic project management: planning, time estimation, and resource allocation.
• Mastery of IT methodologies, functions, and services.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite. Familiarity with BI tools such as Tableau is a plus.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple simultaneous priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to think end-to-end, connect moving parts, and anticipate and manage change impacts.
• Ability to define and leverage metrics to drive performance and outcomes.
• Strong written, verbal and communication skills with the demonstrated ability to work with all levels within the organization.

Education
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, AI, or a related field.
• Master’s degree is highly desirable.

Salary range: 230,000- 290,000

Overtime eligible: Exempt

Discretionary bonus eligible: Yes

Sales bonus eligible: No

Click here to learn more about our benefits. Starting salary is dependent upon several factors including previous work experience, specific industry experience, and/or skills required.

Recognized as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies, New York Life is committed to improving local communities through a culture of employee giving and volunteerism, supported by the Foundation. We’re proud that due to our mutuality, we operate in the best interests of our policy owners. We invite you to bring your talents to New York Life, so we can continue to help families and businesses “Be Good At Life.” To learn more, please visit LinkedIn, our Newsroom and the Careers page of www.NewYorkLife.com.

Job Requisition ID: 89494