Executive: Data Management and Analytics

We are partnering with a market-leading, innovative financial services group based in Gauteng, South Africa, specializing in cell captive insurance and alternative risk transfer solutions. This client is renowned for its entrepreneurial culture and its deep commitment to leveraging data as a core strategic asset. This role is a direct result of the executive decision to unify and weaponize data across the enterprise. This is a career-defining opportunity to move beyond execution and take full ownership of the data strategy for a market leader.

The core challenge is to transform the client's data capability from siloed functions into a unified, governed, and strategically leveraged enterprise asset. You will be tasked with establishing and leading the Data Management & Analytics Centre of Excellence (COE). Your impact will be felt across every business unit—from Actuarial to Finance—by delivering trusted, compliant, and reusable data solutions that directly enable executive decision-making and generate measurable business value. You will be the champion for a data-driven culture and the ultimate bridge between business needs and complex technology delivery.

Performance Objectives for Year One

• Establish the COE and Governance Framework: Within the first 6 months, successfully establish and operationalize the Data Management & Analytics Centre of Excellence, including defining its mandate, securing resources, and implementing the foundational Data Governance framework (Data Council, Data SteerCos, etc.) compliant with all relevant South African regulatory requirements.
• Deliver on Enterprise Strategy: Lead the implementation of the enterprise data and analytics strategy, resulting in the successful execution and operationalization of at least 10 high-impact analytics use cases for support functions (e.g., Finance, Risk, Actuarial), demonstrating measurable business value.
• Architect the Foundation: Complete the architecture, development, and maintenance of the core data pipelines and infrastructure, focusing on the Azure Synapse environment, to ensure it is scalable, compliant, and effectively enabling enterprise-wide data delivery and analytics use case execution.
• Unify Data Assets: Define, enforce, and drive enterprise-wide adoption of central data definitions, standardised data input formats, and a comprehensive data catalog, resulting in a demonstrable improvement in data quality measures and cross-functional consistency.
• Build & Elevate the Team: Lead, coach, and develop the COE operations team, implementing formal talent development, capacity management, and succession planning strategies to ensure a high-performing and sustainable function.

Profile for Success

We are seeking a candidate who can provide clear evidence of having achieved comparable outcomes:

• Executive Leadership Experience: Proven track record (minimum 3 years) in a leadership capacity, successfully establishing and managing a high-performing data or analytics function/team.
• Strategic & Technical Bridge: Demonstrated success in translating complex business priorities into scalable, governed, and reusable enterprise-wide data and analytics solutions.
• Core Technology Expertise: Strong technical background and expertise with modern cloud-based data platforms, specifically Azure Synapse, SQL, data integration, and Master Data Management (MDM) platforms.
• Regulatory Compliance: In-depth knowledge of South African data governance, compliance (e.g., POPIA), and regulatory requirements within the financial services, banking, or insurance sectors.
• Minimum Requirements: 8+ years of experience in data, analytics, or technology roles, with a relevant degree (Master's preferred).