Data Architecture Lead

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG); Rolling Meadows (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Comprehensive benefits

Career development opportunities

Collaborative, people-first culture

Global reach with local impact

Job summary

Gallagher is seeking a Data Architect Lead to define and evolve enterprise data architecture standards for the OneSource Data Platform. You will partner with engineering, product, analytics, governance, and delivery teams to ensure scalable, secure data platforms that support analytics and reporting.

The role emphasizes leadership, mentorship, and collaboration across global teams, with opportunities to influence architectural decisions and drive data quality, lineage, and governance at scale.

Qualifications

• 7+ years leading data architecture, data engineering, or analytics architecture in corporate settings.
• Strong leadership and mentorship experience to bring ideas to reality.
• Experience running a data architecture function in large, global organizations a plus.
• Strong data modeling and architecture expertise.
• Brokerage or Insurance industry experience preferred.
• Experience with cloud platforms, data warehouses, integration patterns, metadata, governance, and data quality.
• Excellent stakeholder communication and documentation skills.
• Experience in AI readiness and building semantic/context layers a plus.

Responsibilities

• Evolve/transform the data architecture discipline for the OneSource data platform.
• Mentor and guide data architects, engineers, analysts, and solution teams.
• Align data architecture resources across development squads.
• Partner with engineering to define data platform, data warehouse, and data lakehouse designs.
• Define data lineage, metadata, quality, stewardship, and governance considerations.
• Design conceptual, logical, and physical data architectures for analytics and reporting.
• Lead architecture reviews and contribute to ADRs.
• Document standards, reference architectures, patterns, and data modeling guidance.
• Define, manage, and evolve data architecture tooling.
• Support roadmap planning, technology evaluations, and strategic initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Mentorship

Data architecture

Data modeling

Cloud platforms

Governance

Stakeholder comms

Job description

Introduction

Welcome to Gallagher - a global community of people who bring bold ideas, deep expertise, and a shared commitment to doing what's right. We help clients navigate complexity with confidence by empowering businesses, communities, and individuals to thrive. At Gallagher, you'll find more than a job; you'll find a culture built on trust, driven by collaboration, and sustained by the belief that we're better together. Whether you join us in a client-facing role or as part of our brokerage division, our benefits and HR consulting division, or our corporate team, you'll have the opportunity to grow your career, make an impact, and be part of something bigger. Experience a workplace where you're encouraged to be yourself, supported to succeed, and inspired to keep learning. That's what it means to live The Gallagher Way.

Overview

The Data Architect Lead is responsible for defining, governing, and evolving enterprise data architecture standards, models, patterns, and decision frameworks. The role will provide thought leadership and mentorship to transform and evolve the data architecture discipline within the OneSource Data Platform. The role works closely with engineering, product, analytics, governance, and business teams to ensure data platforms are scalable, secure, documented, and aligned to enterprise architecture objectives.

How you'll make an impact

• Serve as a thought leader to evolve/transform the data architecture discipline for the OneSource data platform.
• Provide mentorship and architectural guidance to data architects, engineers, analysts, and solution teams.
• Align data architecture resources across development squads.
• Partner with engineering teams to define and create data platform, Data Warehouse, Data Lakehouse, and data integration designs.
• Collaborate to define data lineage, metadata, quality, stewardship, and governance considerations within architecture designs.
• Design conceptual, logical, and physical data architectures supporting enterprise analytics, AI, integration, and reporting.
• Lead architecture reviews as the Data Architecture Guild master and contribute to Architecture Decision Records (ADRs).
• Create, maintain, and ensure documentation of architectural standards, reference architectures, patterns, and data modeling guidance utilizing standardized repositories.
• Define, manage, and evolve/implement data architecture tooling.
• Support roadmap planning, technology evaluations, and strategic architecture initiatives.

About You

• 7+ years in leading data architecture, data engineering, analytics architecture, or related functions in corporate environments.
• Strong leadership and mentorship experience to make ideas reality.
• Experience running a data architecture function in large, global corporate organizations utilizing multiple divisions/businesses a plus.
• Strong data modeling and architecture expertise.
• Brokerage or Insurance Industry experience preferred.
• Experience in transformational work in complex data platforms a plus.
• Experience with cloud platforms, data warehouses, integration patterns, metadata, governance, and data quality frameworks.
• Excellent stakeholder communication and documentation skills.
• Experience in AI readiness, building semantic layers and context layers a plus.

Reporting Structure

The Data Architect Lead reports directly to the Senior Director of Data Platform and partners with product, engineering, analytics, governance, and delivery teams across the organization.

Compensation and benefits

At Gallagher, we believe supporting our colleagues goes far beyond the role itself. For more information, visit our Benefits page.

• Competitive compensation
• Comprehensive benefits programs designed to support your well-being
• Career development opportunities and ongoing learning
• A collaborative, people-first culture with accessible leadership
• The opportunity to do meaningful work with global reach and local impact

At Gallagher, we are dedicated to building an inclusive and authentic workplace. If your past experience doesn't align perfectly, we encourage you to join our Talent Community to stay connected to additional career opportunities. At times, we will consider transferable skills from previous roles.

Gallagher is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer (Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled)