Data Architect

Guardrisk is the undisputed market leader in cell captive insurance and risk solutions. We are renowned for our innovative approach to cell captive structures and other alternative risk transfer solutions for our clients. Guardrisk offers clients custom designed cover and is registered in South Africa as an insurer for all statutory classes of non-life and life insurance business. Role Purpose The Technology Data Architect designs and governs enterprise-grade Azure data platforms, delivering secure, scalable, and high-performance solutions aligned to business and regulatory needs. The role drives data modernization, analytics, automation, and integration, reporting to the Enterprise Solutions Architect. Duties and Responsibilities Architect Scalable Data Platforms Design and implement Azure-based data solutions (Azure SQL, Synapse, Cosmos DB, Data Lake, Databricks, Dataverse). Ensure performance, resilience, cost optimization, and security. Establish conceptual, logical, and physical data models aligned to business domains. Lead Data Modernization Transform legacy systems into cloud-native architectures. Oversee migration strategies, schema conversion, data mapping, and validation. Promote adoption of modern analytics and data services. Data Governance & Compliance Define and enforce standards for data lifecycle management. Ensure compliance with POPIA, GDPR, and internal governance frameworks. Support metadata management, lineage tracking, cataloging, and sensitive data monitoring. Enable Analytics & Business Intelligence Deliver integrated analytics solutions using Power BI, Azure Analysis Services, and Azure Machine Learning. Support semantic modeling and KPI standardization. Collaborate with business units to deliver actionable insights. Application Integration & Automation Provide architectural guidance for data-driven applications. Enable integration across Microsoft 365, Power Platform, and Dynamics 365. Implement CI/CD, Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform), and automated data pipelines (ADF, Power Automate). Data Quality & Observability Implement data quality frameworks and monitoring standards. Leverage Azure Monitor, Purview, and related tools to ensure lineage, reliability, and performance. Leadership & Collaboration Work across architecture, engineering, and business teams. Participate in governance forums and steering committees. Mentor junior architects and promote continuous learning. Qualifications Relevant 3–4 year IT or Business qualification (BCom, BSc, or equivalent) Relevant Microsoft/Azure certifications advantageous Experience 7+ years enterprise data architecture experience Proven delivery of large-scale data platforms (cloud and hybrid) 5+ years insurance industry experience Strong expertise in: Azure data services (SQL, Synapse, Cosmos DB, Data Lake, Data Factory) Data modeling (dimensional, star/snowflake schemas, semantic layers) Data governance, MDM, quality, and observability frameworks Power BI and automation tools Cloud security and compliance (POPIA, GDPR) DevOps, CI/CD, Infrastructure-as-Code Should you not hear from us within 21 days, kindly consider your application unsuccessful.