Head of Data Solutions, FPRS/CSWM

Guardian Life Insurance • New York, NY

8d • $178,690 - $293,560 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Enterprise Data Solutions & Operations (EDSO) team within the Digital & Technology (D-T) function is looking to staff a Head of Data Solutions for the FPRS/CSWM line of business. This role will collaborate closely with core FPRS/CSWM business value streams to define, shape, prioritize, and lead the delivery and evolution of key data and information product solutions supporting business objectives. This includes driving the capture and planning for new demand for features and/or enhancements to Guardian’s data Products as articulated by key business leaders. The data Products encompass consumer-facing analytics, inter/intra-application data services, data services supporting AI/GenAI automation, and the underlying data definitions and reference data. The role also involves accountability for planning and delivering strategic data initiatives, collaborating with various D&T and business leaders to identify, scope, size, and execute key data needs, and identifying new opportunities for data activation/adoption. A key aspect is balancing demands across value streams, recommending priorities, and incorporating them into a roadmap and delivery plan, including resource planning, training, and activation for full value realization. The Head of Data Solutions will direct data stewards in capturing metadata and reporting data quality issues. Strategically, the role requires a keen understanding of value stream processes, supporting applications, and key data elements, establishing relationships with executive leadership and SMEs to anticipate future data needs and maintain a roadmap of features. Organizationally, the role will directly manage and grow a team of data product owners (DPOs) aligned with FPRS/CSWM value stream data products, who will drive the execution of new features and enhancements. The role will also manage direct (EDSO FPRS/CSWM Solution Engineering, EDSO FPRS/CSWM Data Product Owners) and indirect (D&T Solution & Data Architecture, D&T Data Governance) resources to ensure successful data product delivery and foster the development of future D&T data leaders.

Requirements

• Highly independent senior manager.
• Ability to become conversant in life insurance and wealth management products and their respective business processes.
• Aptitude for using and shaping data solutions in support of business objectives.
• Ability to clearly articulate the value attributable to data/info products.
• Highly organized, staying abreast of multiple stakeholders’ priorities, the status of multiple parallel initiatives/projects/data products, and the state of value realization and adoption for production data assets.
• Communicate fluidly and extemporaneously, able to articulate how data solution functionality will meet business needs in a brief, non-technical manner.
• Deep understanding of data and analytic technologies, architectural principles.
• Willingness to dig into data models and pipeline logic.
• Reliable in terms of commitments, honest and brave with issues/escalations.
• Client service mentality.
• 15+ years of experience with escalating competency in data and analytic solutions.
• BS or BA required.
• 3+ years working in an agile environment.
• 3+ years of experience managing staff/teams, potentially with geographically diverse teams, often organized on a product delivery basis (highly matrixed).
• 5+ years of experience with standard program management tools (such as JIRA, AgileCraft, ATIIM, etc.), as well as desktop collaboration/ideation tools (Sharepoint, MSOffice, OneDrive, Lucid, Draw.io, etc.).
• Ability to document and capture business requirements in detail, including metric calculation logic, quality/timeliness expectations, analytic functionality, hierarchies, etc., as well as functional user journeys as they relate to data solutions.
• A client focus with strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Able to manage multiple stakeholders and creatively align their interests.
• Able to lead workshops on ideation/requirements with little preparation.
• Strong organizational and time management skills; ability to multi-task and drive teams to meet aggressive delivery commitments.
• Proactive problem-solving and information research skills.
• Ability to manage/mentor earlier tenure and/or less experienced staff to help grow future leaders and deepen value stream knowledge on the broader team.
• Ability to accept change in stride, remaining flexible due to changing business needs/priorities.
• Natural ‘teacher’, able to coach business partners on optimal use of data assets to meet stated/latent business needs.
• Comfort with/knowledge of analytic tools such as Tableau, PowerBI, Databricks, SQL, etc.
• Deep knowledge/experience with data lakehouse principles and data management tooling (e.g., Databricks, Fivetran, Collibra, SQL/SparkSQL/Python, etc.).
• Able to see the “big picture” and influence/engage others to meet common goals.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship/support now or at any time in the future.

Nice To Haves

• MS or MBA preferred.
• Experience in life insurance and wealth management products and industry preferred (e.g., whole/term/universal/supplemental/etc., as well as , FIA, portfolio/client management tools for FAs/Brokers, etc.).
• Experience with enterprise data management principles such as data ownership/stewardship (experience as a data domain steward or data product owner would be a plus).

Responsibilities

• Define, shape, prioritize, and lead the delivery and evolution of key data and information product solutions supporting business objectives.
• Drive the capture and planning for new demand of features and/or enhancements to Guardian’s data Products.
• Plan and deliver strategic data initiatives within one or more FPRS/CSWM value streams.
• Identify, scope, size, and execute key data needs, and identify and raise new opportunities for data activation/adoption.
• Balance the needs across value stream demands, soliciting/recommending priorities, and incorporating these priorities into a roadmap and plan for delivery.
• Direct data stewards in their charter to continuously capture metadata related to all data elements and to report/coordinate any data quality issues/SLA breaches/definitional changes.
• Establish and nurture relationships with both value stream executive leadership, as well as functional and analytic SMEs to anticipate future data needs.
• Constantly update and communicate the backlog of features to be addressed in the data/info product roadmap.
• Directly manage and grow a team of data product owners (DPOs).
• Manage both direct and indirect resources to drive the successful delivery of data products.
• Foster the development of the next generation of D&T data leaders.
• Engage in business value stream counseling, developing trust-based relationships with stakeholders.
• Consult with value stream business partners to identify and shape new and existing ways for data to enable business processes and aspirations.
• Lead decisioning/status, prioritization, and ideation meetings with various stakeholder groups.
• Maintain a data product and info product roadmap supported by technical capabilities.
• Capture demand and stay responsive to emergent needs from business value stream business partners.
• Educate business partners on optimal use of data assets and provide direct feedback on usage characteristics of value stream data solutions.
• Serve as the primary owner of FPRS/CSWM value stream data product strategy, managing the roadmap for ongoing enhancements and new capabilities.
• Accountable for the overall agile delivery of new data sources and products, establishing features, business rules, and test conditions.
• Coordinate the explosion of features into technical detail via the team of DPOs.
• Contribute to the evaluation of proposed tools, technologies, and platforms from a business lens.
• Contribute to ongoing delivery/capacity planning, ensuring value stream needs are appropriately resourced/planned for delivery.
• Manage testing, both directly and via coordination with key business SMEs.
• Partner with value stream leaders and PDMs to co-drive data solution adoption, ensuring appropriate change management and/or training needs are met.
• Ensure solutions adhere to industry regulations, data security standards, and organizational policies.
• Monitor and mitigate risks related to solution implementation.
• Direct matrixed data stewards to craft, collect, maintain, and troubleshoot critical data element metadata and data quality.

Benefits

• Skill-building
• Leadership development
• Philanthropic opportunities
• Opportunities to build communities
• Grow your career
• Diverse colleagues with high ethical standards
• Contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Associate degree