Senior Data Architect

NTT America, Inc.; Johannesburg; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

NTT DATA in Johannesburg is seeking a Senior Data Architect to act as a strategic technical advisor between Sales, Clients, Industry Leaders, Delivery and Global Practices, with a focus on Enterprise Data and AI. This role shapes the Data go-to-market strategy in a high-growth market, backed by a global delivery network and partner ecosystem.

You will help Sales teams develop, influence and close opportunities in data strategy, analytics, cloud data platforms, and related managed services,

Qualifications

• 10+ years in enterprise architecture, consulting, solution strategy or technical pre-sales.
• 8+ years operating in an applications landscape with data & analytics solutions (MDM, Data Quality, Data Governance).
• Strong understanding of enterprise applications, software engineering and modern digital platforms.
• Solid understanding of data platforms, analytics tools, and AI/ML solution offerings.
• Demonstrated experience developing enterprise data strategies, AI adoption roadmaps and information governance models.
• Working knowledge of ontology-based information modelling, knowledge graphs, metadata management and semantic architectures.
• Strong understanding of Microsoft Data & AI, AWS Data & AI, Snowflake and other technology ecosystems.
• Ability to develop industry reference architectures for Financial Services, Manufacturing, Mining or Healthcare advisable.
• Strong commercial acumen, proposal development and executive presentation capability.
• Ability to interrogate delivery models, estimates and commercial risk.

Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic advisor to Sales and Client Managers, leading executive-level discovery and value-led conversations.
• Facilitate Client discussions on business requirements related to data and applications estate, governance and AI readiness.
• Help shape and inform client deals and develop client opportunities alongside our Sales team.
• Define target-state architectures conceptually, capability roadmaps and investment priorities.
• Help inform and build commercial models to support client opportunities.
• Validate architecture, security, integration, data governance, AI governance and delivery approaches with client and internal specialists.
• Review solution estimates, delivery assumptions, commercial models and execution risks.
• Translate complex technical strategies into compelling executive narratives, proposals and statements of work.
• Localise global application offers and help develop industry-specific offerings for the South African market.
• Mentor sales teams by raising technical capability and improving qualification discipline.

Skills

Enterprise architecture

Pre-sales strategy

Executive engagement

Data & AI strategy

Cloud platforms

Data governance

Knowledge graphs

Microsoft Azure

Tools

Snowflake

Databricks

Microsoft Fabric

AWS

Job description

Make an impact with NTT DATA

Join a company that is pushing the boundaries of what is possible. We are renowned for our technical excellence and leading innovations, and for making a difference to our clients and society. Our workplace embraces diversity and inclusion - it's a place where you can grow, belong and thrive.

Your day at NTT DATA

This Senior Data Architect's role acts as the strategic technical advisor between Sales, Clients, Industry Leaders, Delivery and Global Practices, with specific focus on Enterprise Data and AI. This role offers the opportunity to shape the Data go-to-market strategy in a high-growth market, backed by a global delivery network and strong partner ecosystem. As part of the role, you are responsible for helping our Sales team develop, influence and elevate executive conversations specifically around their Data and Application estate. In your role you are responsible for developing, supporting and closing opportunities in data strategy, analytics, cloud data platforms (Snowflake, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric), and related managed services, working closely with local clients, partners, and internal delivery teams. Through your experience, you help elevate client conversation towards organizational transformation, long-term data governance strategy, AI adoption, information architecture, ontology-driven business models and industry-specific digital operating models. You possess broad enterprise architecture capability, and are not beholden to a single technology domain - you have a broad understanding of Microsoft, Databricks, AWS, Snowflake and other technology capabilities, and you can combine this with strong consulting skills and commercial awareness to have a conversation with business stakeholders. You enjoy engaging with the C-suite to shape strategic roadmaps, challenge thinking and identify transformation opportunities, whilst you bring enough technical depth to build credibility with technical teams. In addition to opportunity shaping, you will help build industry-specific propositions across Financial Services, Manufacturing, Mining and Healthcare, translating global capabilities into locally relevant client outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic advisor to Sales and Client Managers, leading executive-level discovery and value-led conversations.
• Facilitate Client discussions aimed at understanding business requirements related to their data and applications estate - including business strategy, operating models, data maturity, AI readiness, governance and overall technology direction.
• Help shape and inform client deals and develop client opportunities alongside our Sales team.
• Able to define target-state architectures conceptually, capability roadmaps and investment priorities.
• Help inform and build commercial models to support client opportunities.
• Validate architecture, security, integration, data governance, AI governance and delivery approaches with client and internal specialists.
• Review solution estimates, delivery assumptions, commercial models and execution risks.
• Translate complex technical strategies into compelling executive narratives, proposals and statements of work.
• Localise global application offers and help develop industry-specific offerings, accelerators and thought leadership for the South African market.
• Mentor sales teams by raising technical capability and improving qualification discipline.

Recommended Knowledge & Experience

• 10+ years in enterprise architecture, consulting, solution strategy or technical pre-sales
• 8+ years operating in an applications landscape (as opposed to purely an infrastructure environment) with specific focus on D&A technology solutions (MDM, Data Quality, Data Governance, Data Engineering and Data Cloud platforms)
• Strong understanding of enterprise applications, software engineering and modern digital platforms.
• Solid understanding of data platforms, analytics tools, and AI/ML solution offerings.
• Demonstrated experience developing enterprise data strategies, AI adoption roadmaps and information governance models.
• Working knowledge of ontology-based information modelling, knowledge graphs, metadata management and semantic architectures.
• Strong understanding of Microsoft Data & AI, AWS Data & AI, Snowflake and other technology ecosystems.
• Ability to develop industry reference architectures for Financial Services, Manufacturing, Mining or Healthcare advisable.
• Strong commercial acumen, proposal development and executive presentation capability.
• Ability to interrogate delivery models, estimates and commercial risk.

Preferred Profile

The ideal candidate combines the curiosity of a technical engineer, the breadth of an Enterprise Architect and the commercial mindset of a strategic pre-sales leader. They genuinely enjoy the process of developing a client idea from initial thought through to deliverable solution and engaging with clients to shape that journey. Depth in a single technology remains valuable, however, success in this role will come from the candidates ability to connect applications, data, AI, cloud, governance and operating models into coherent enterprise strategies.

You will love this role if

• You enjoy story-telling in a technology context, and you believe in taking people along on the journey.
• You genuinely like engaging and interacting with clients and facilitating conversations with diverse audiences.
• You prefer sitting around a table with senior executives instead of communicating through proposals and simply responding to RFPs.
• You are energised by understanding large complex problems, trail-blazing into the unknown and discovering new ways to solve challenges.
• You like keeping abreast of industry and technology trends, including enterprise strategy, all things AI and data-driven transformation.
• You enjoy building offerings, industry propositions and reusable frameworks.
• You thrive in ambiguous environments where you can rely on your experience to advise and support clients
• You are equally credible with executives, architects and delivery teams.

This role may not be for you if

• You prefer narrow product specialisation over enterprise consulting.
• You are uncomfortable engaging senior executives without detailed preparation.
• You are seeking primarily delivery management or hands‑on engineering responsibilities.
• You prefer mature, highly structured environments with limited ambiguity.
• You lack the technical depth.

What success looks like after 12 months

• NTT DATA is increasingly invited into early-stage executive strategy conversations.
• Sales teams consistently engage you to shape complex enterprise opportunities.
• We are having energised and active conversations in the market with many clients around enterprise AI and data strategy engagements.
• Industry-specific propositions for Financial Services, Manufacturing, Mining and Healthcare are established and generating qualified pipeline.
• Executive relationships have been developed with client technology and business leadership across key accounts.
• South Africa is recognised internally for localising global Data & AI capabilities into market-relevant offerings.

Workplace type

Hybrid Working

About NTT DATA

NTT DATA is a $30+ billion business and technology services leader, serving 75% of the Fortune
Global 100. We are committed to accelerating client success and positively impacting society through
responsible innovation. We are one of the world's leading AI and digital infrastructure providers, with
unmatched capabilities in enterprise-scale AI, cloud, security, connectivity, data centers and
application services. Our consulting and industry solutions help organizations and society move
confidently and sustainably into the digital future. As a Global Top Employer, we have experts in more
than 70 countries. We also offer clients access to a robust ecosystem of innovation centers as well as
established and start‑up partners. NTT DATA is part of NTT Group, which invests over $3 billion each
year in R&D.

Equal Opportunity Employer

NTT DATA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer with a global culture that embraces diversity. We are committed to providing an environment free of unfair discrimination and harassment. We do not discriminate based on age, race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, disability, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected category. Join our growing global team and accelerate your career with us.