Director, Data Strategy and Architecture

CenterSquare Investment Management LLC•Conshohocken, PA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

CenterSquare is undertaking a strategic initiative to modernize the research data and analytics platform that underpins our investment research, forecasting, and decision-making processes. The Director, Data Strategy and Architecture will define the firm-wide data strategy and lead the design and implementation of a scalable, well-governed data platform. This platform will integrate internal and external data to provide robust analytical tools, enabling informed investment decisions across the firm’s Public and Private Real Estate Platforms. This role is for a strategic leader who applies deep technical expertise to support and scale investment research and forecasting, and who can navigate ambiguity, prioritize initiatives, and deliver repeatable, reliable outcomes for the firm. The successful candidate brings strong data engineering and quantitative analysis expertise, paired with program management experience and the ability to deliver independently in a high-expectation environment, driving insights that support firm-wide investment decisions. As CenterSquare’s data capabilities continue to expand, this role offers the opportunity for broader responsibilities across the firm’s data platform and strategy, including helping build and lead a broader data function over time. The position will be based in CenterSquare’s headquarters office located in Conshohocken, PA.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, or research platform development
Undergraduate and/or graduate degree in Computer Science, Applied Math, Engineering, Quantitative Economics or a related quantitative field
Experience in investment management, financial research, or real estate
Strong proficiency in Python, R, and SQL, with experience building data pipelines, analytics workflows, and data models
Experience using AI tools including LLMs and Machine Learning
Experience building relational and analytical data models and managing modern data infrastructure.
Proven track record of upgrading existing workflows and data solutions to new architectures
Excellent communication skills, attention to detail, critical thinking, and work ethic
Demonstrated ability to operate independently and manage complex initiatives.

Responsibilities

Data Platform Architecture and Leadership
Architect and guide the implementation of a modern, scalable, and well-governed data platform supporting macroeconomic, real estate, and proprietary datasets
Design scalable ingestion, transformation, and validation pipelines
Define data models, architecture standards, lineage, and documentation practices
Select appropriate storage and compute technologies
Workflow Modernization
Transform Excel-based and legacy workflows into production-grade, platform-supported processes
Manage the transition from legacy systems without disrupting active investment processes
Introduce versioning, testing, and governance practices to improve reliability and repeatability
Program & Stakeholder Management
Serve as the single point of ownership for a multi-phase platform initiative spanning data ingestion, legacy model migration, and analytics enablement
Manage dependencies and align priorities across technical and investment teams
Provide structured recommendations and informed options to senior leadership
Balance short-term delivery needs with long-term architectural integrity
Analytics Enablement
Ensure reproducible forecasting, scenario analysis, and reporting workflows are integrated into the platform
Build tools that allow non-technical users to confidently leverage interact with core data products
Support downstream analytics while maintaining platform integrity