Senior Manager of Data Governance & Strategy

Blend360; Toronto; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in AI services is seeking a Data & AI Strategy Manager to drive transformation initiatives. The role involves strategic leadership, data governance, and cross-functional team management, requiring expertise in cloud platforms and AI/ML. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in delivering complex data solutions for large organizations.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in data strategy or AI/ML development.
• Proven experience with national-scale data initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of cloud platforms and tools.

Responsibilities

• Define and deliver enterprise data strategies and analytics roadmaps.
• Lead architecture planning for centralized data platforms.
• Guide development of ML models and oversee PowerBI dashboards.

Skills

Data Strategy

AI/ML Use Case Development

Cloud Platforms

Agile Methodologies

Data Governance

Tools

SQL

PowerBI

Databricks

Python

Job description

Company Description

Blend is a premier AI services provider, committed to co-creating meaningful impact for its clients through the power of data science, AI, technology, and people. With a mission to fuel bold visions, Blend tackles significant challenges by seamlessly aligning human expertise with artificial intelligence. The company is dedicated to unlocking value and fostering innovation for its clients by harnessing world-class people and data-driven strategy. We believe that the power of people and AI can have a meaningful impact on your world, creating more fulfilling work and projects for our people and clients. For more information, visit www.blend360.com

Job Description

About the Role:

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Data & AI Strategy Manager / Product Leader to drive data-driven transformation initiatives. This role is ideal for a hybrid leader with deep expertise in data strategy, cloud architecture, analytics product development, and AI/ML use case execution. You will work at the intersection of business strategy, technical innovation, and client delivery, owning the lifecycle of enterprise-scale data programs from conception to MVP development.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Client Engagement

• Define and deliver enterprise data strategies, governance models, and analytics roadmaps tailored to client needs.
• Own end-to-end engagement from proposal creation, stakeholder management, to final delivery and ongoing development phases.
• Conduct design thinking workshops and lead use case development and prioritization to align data solutions with business goals.

Data Platform & Architecture Development

• Lead architecture planning for centralized data platforms, focusing on enabling advanced analytics, real-time insights, and scalable infrastructure.
• Evaluate and recommend cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) and define integration patterns with third-party data vendors.
• Direct technical teams in building minimum viable products (MVPs) that operationalize data strategies.

Data Governance

• Develop and implement robust Governance Strategies for Data and AI ecosystems, evaluating client requirements pertaining to data and AI governance; create comprehensive documentation to articulate the strategic vision; and harmonize stakeholder engagement.

• Embed data governance principles within AI and data analytics endeavors, acting as the linchpin of knowledge.

AI/ML & Advanced Analytics

• Guide the development of supervised and unsupervised ML models to inform high-impact use cases (e.g., loan default prediction, collections strategy).
• Translate complex data insights into actionable strategies and visual storytelling for executives and stakeholders.
• Oversee the development of PowerBI dashboards and automation tools to streamline reporting and diagnostics.

Cross-Functional Team Management

• Lead multi-disciplinary teams of data engineers, analysts, and product owners using agile methodologies.
• Facilitate business and technical alignment through well-documented user stories, data models, and iterative delivery.
• Ensure successful integration and transformation of data pipelines supporting billions in financial transactions.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in data strategy, AI/ML use case development, or data product management.
• Proven experience delivering complex data initiatives for national-scale organizations or regulated industries.
• Strong knowledge of cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP) and tools such as SQL, PowerBI, Databricks, Python.
• Experience in agile methodologies and leading cross-functional analytics and engineering teams.
• Ability to synthesize business goals with technical solutions and communicate to executive stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Consulting background with experience managing C-level relationships.
• Prior experience with public sector or financial services data programs.
• Familiarity with design thinking, user-centered data product design, and ROI-focused analytics.