Data Architect

Manulife; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 113,000 - 163,000; Full time

Job summary

Manulife seeks a Data Architect to shape the data architecture strategy across enterprise data platforms, enabling trusted, scalable, and AI-ready capabilities. You will provide technical and architectural leadership from design to implementation, partnering with business and tech teams to translate requirements into scalable data solutions.

You will lead modernization efforts, establish governance and security patterns, and drive cloud-based data platform initiatives, including data lakes,

Qualifications

• Extensive experience architecting large-scale data solutions across analytics, reporting, ML, and AI.

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve the segment data architecture vision, principles, standards, and roadmap.
• Design scalable Data Lake, Data Warehouse, and Lakehouse architectures for analytical, operational, and AI workloads.
• Establish reusable architecture patterns for data integration, governance, quality, lineage, and data products.
• Lead data modernization, migration, and cloud transformation initiatives.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership in design and implementation of data pipelines and cloud-native data platforms.
• Design real-time and batch data processing solutions.
• Embed governance, privacy, and regulatory requirements into architecture and solutions.
• Design AI-ready architectures enabling ML and generative AI workloads.
• Lead architecture reviews and decisions with stakeholders.

Skills

Data architecture

SQL

Python

PySpark

Java

Scala

Data governance

Data modeling

Data integration

Data security

Batch processing

Streaming

Event-driven

AI/ML workloads

DataOps

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field

Tools

Microsoft Fabric

Azure Data Factory

Azure Synapse Analytics

Databricks

Spark

Job description

The Data Architect will shape and lead the data architecture strategy that enables trusted, scalable, secure, and AI-ready data capabilities across the organization.

In this role, you will provide technical and architectural leadership across the design, governance, modernization, and implementation of enterprise data solutions and platforms supporting analytics, reporting, machine learning, and AI. You will combine strategic architecture leadership with hands‑on technical expertise, contributing directly to solution design, data platform engineering, and implementation where your expertise can have the greatest impact.

You will partner with business and technology stakeholders, architects, and engineers to understand data requirements, define data domains and consumption patterns, and design scalable, secure data solutions that support business outcomes.

Position Responsibilities

• Define and evolve the segment data architecture vision, principles, standards, and roadmap.
• Design scalable Data Lake, Data Warehouse, and Lakehouse architectures supporting analytical, operational, and AI workloads.
• Establish reusable architecture patterns and standards for data integration, metadata management, data governance, data quality, and data products.
• Lead data modernization, migration, and cloud transformation initiatives, helping teams evolve legacy data environments toward modern cloud-based platforms.
• Provide hands‑on technical leadership in the design and implementation of data pipelines, integration frameworks, and cloud‑native data platforms, including data ingestion, transformation, orchestration, and performance optimization.
• Design scalable batch, streaming, event‑driven, and near real‑time data processing solutions based on business and technology needs.
• Embed data security, governance, privacy, and regulatory requirements into architecture and solution design in partnership with governance, risk, and security teams.
• Design AI‑ready data architectures that enable machine learning, advanced analytics, and generative AI solutions.
• Provide technical and architecture leadership across strategic data initiatives, including architecture reviews, technology evaluations, solution trade‑offs, and key design decisions.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders, architects, engineers, and other technology partners to translate business needs into practical, scalable data solutions.

Required Qualifications

• Extensive experience architecting, designing, and delivering large‑scale data solutions, typically gained through 8+ years of relevant experience or equivalent demonstrated expertise.
• Hands‑on experience designing or implementing solutions using modern data technologies such as Microsoft Fabric, Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, Databricks, Spark, or comparable platforms.
• Strong knowledge of enterprise data architecture, data modeling, data integration, and modern Data Lake, Data Warehouse, and Lakehouse patterns.
• Proficiency in SQL and at least one relevant programming or scripting language, such as Python, PySpark, Java, or Scala, along with working knowledge of SQL and NoSQL database technologies.
• Experience designing modern data solutions using batch, streaming, and/or event‑driven patterns across analytical, operational, or AI/ML workloads.
• Strong understanding of enterprise data management practices, including data governance, data lineage, data quality, and master or reference data management.
• Experience leading cloud‑based data platform implementations or modernization initiatives, with the ability to provide architecture direction while remaining engaged in technical solution design and implementation.
• Strong understanding of data security, privacy, access control, regulatory requirements, and responsible data use.
• Ability to evaluate technologies, document architecture decisions, lead architecture reviews, and clearly communicate technical options and trade‑offs to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience implementing governed data products, domain‑oriented data architectures, or data mesh concepts in a large enterprise environment.
• Experience working in a large, complex, or highly regulated organization, such as financial services, insurance, banking, wealth management, retirement, or another regulated industry.
• Familiarity with machine learning, MLOps, and data architectures supporting generative AI solutions.
• Working knowledge of DataOps, CI/CD, automation, platform monitoring, performance optimization, and operational resilience for data platforms.
• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, information systems, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.

When You Join Our Team

• We’ll empower you to learn and grow the career you want.
• We’ll recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well‑being and inclusion are more than just words.
• As part of our global team, we’ll support you in shaping the future you want to see.

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html.

Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At Manulife/John Hancock, we embrace our diversity. We strive to attract, develop and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and to foster an inclusive work environment that embraces the strength of cultures and individuals. We are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation, and we administer all of our practices and programs without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy‑related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact [e-mail].

Referenced Salary Location

CAN, Ontario, Toronto, 200 Bloor Street East

Working Arrangement

Hybrid

Salary range is expected to be between

$113,000.00 CAD - $163,000.00 CAD

Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance. The actual salary will vary depending on local market conditions, geography and relevant job‑related factors such as knowledge, skills, qualifications, experience, and education/training. If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact [e-mail] for the salary range for your location.

Manulife offers eligible employees a wide array of customizable benefits, including health, dental, mental health, vision, short‑and long‑term disability, life and AD&D insurance coverage, adoption/surrogacy and wellness benefits, and employee/family assistance plans. We also offer eligible employees various retirement savings plans (including pension and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources. Our generous paid time off program in Canada includes holidays, vacation, personal, and sick days, and we offer the full range of statutory leaves of absence. If you are applying for this role in the U.S., please contact [e-mail] for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.

We use data and analytics technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), and automated processing tools, to analyze and process the information you provide to us or third parties in the application process. For more information, please refer to our personal information collection statement.

If you are applying to this role in US, please note the salary range is $107,450 to $199,550 USD. Additionally, employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance.

The role being advertised is an existing vacancy.