Director, Data Strategy - SMBC

The Role

The Director, Data Transformation will report to the Head of Data Management Office and is responsible for leading the data workstreams across major transformation programmes. The role ensures that governed, well-managed, and analytics-ready data is embedded into programme design and delivery. Working closely with business units, technology teams, operations, finance, and regional offices, the Director will drive alignment on data requirements, data model design, data governance expectations, and architectural standards across projects.

The individual will play a critical role in strengthening data quality, enhancing metadata and lineage transparency, and ensuring that programme outcomes deliver consistent, trusted, and analytics-ready data. This position requires strong cross-functional leadership to guide Biz-Tech decision-making, manage data-related risks within programme governance, and support the adoption of new data standards and workflows. The Director will also be responsible for developing a high-performing team to support data delivery across multiple initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead data workstreams within major transformation programmes, ensuring governed, well-managed, and analytics-ready data is embedded from design through delivery.
• Shape programme-specific data design and ensure alignment with data architecture principles, technology standards, and regional data governance expectations.
• Provide advisory on business-technology alignment, offering data management and data architecture perspectives to guide project design and decision-making.
• Review data models and data requirements to ensure consistency with business, user, and reporting needs.
• Define and validate Key Data Elements (KDEs), data lineage, and required data controls within the scope of each transformation programme.
• Drive enhancements in data quality, metadata management, and data consistency across systems impacted by programme delivery.
• Ensure all data produced, consumed, or transformed during programme execution is structured, traceable, and analytics-ready at go-live.
• Partner with analytics and reporting teams to ensure project data supports downstream insight generation, operational processes, and regulatory expectations.
• Oversee planning, prioritisation, risk management, and delivery governance for data-related activities across multiple programmes.
• Coordinate with a wide range of stakeholders to align data requirements, design decisions, and delivery expectations across business and technology teams.
• Lead change management efforts to embed new data standards, definitions, workflows, and controls introduced through transformation initiatives.
• Develop and lead a high-performing team of data specialists, analysts, and transformation leads, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• 12-15+ years of experience in data transformation, enterprise programmes, or data-related delivery roles within financial services or similarly complex organisations.
• Strong expertise in data governance, data management, data quality, metadata, and data lineage.
• Demonstrated experience leading data workstreams within large-scale transformation, workflow modernisation, finance transformation, or system-uplift programmes.
• Solid understanding of data architecture concepts, data modelling, integration design, and enterprise data standards.
• Proven ability to partner with senior business, technology, operations, finance, and risk stakeholders to resolve data-related design decisions and interdependencies.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret business requirements into data-driven design and controls.
• Experience managing multi-year delivery cycles, programme governance, and data-related risks.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence across functional and regional teams.
• Prior experience leading and developing high-performing data teams.