Enterprise Data and AI Architect

The role

We're looking for a collaborative, growth-oriented Enterprise Data & AI Architect to help shape how data and AI come together across our organisation. You'll work alongside our data, platform, security and delivery teams to develop the architectural direction that helps APRA build data and AI capability that is consistent, secure and delivers business value over the long term.

Ours is a hybrid environment spanning on-premises and cloud, and we are consolidating toward a strategic cloud data platform over the coming years. This role helps guide that journey by shaping the architecture roadmaps, transition patterns and technology choices that allow APRA to modernise its data platforms, unlock new AI and analytics capabilities, and deliver greater value from the data we hold, while ensuring data remains governed, trusted and fit for use.

This is a hands-on but strategic role. You'll spend your time developing reference architectures and reusable patterns, co-designing and reviewing solutions alongside our solution architects, and offering trusted advice on the trade-offs that come with real decisions.

The team

The Enterprise Data and AI Architect reports to the Head of Architecture in the Data, Technology and Security division and is part of the Enterprise Architecture team. The team collaborates with stakeholders across APRA to develop, communicate and implement technology strategy that supports business objectives. It supports project delivery through architecture, design and governance processes, and sets broader technical direction, standards and security controls for enterprise services.

Key stakeholders and partners for this role include the CIO, CDO, Data Reporting Teams, Data Governance team, Data Science team, IT Governance, Enterprise Security and product delivery teams. The role will consult with business stakeholders across APRA to understand the data APRA collects, the insights needed by the business, and the platform capabilities required to support them.

Key responsibilities

• Shape and evolve the target-state architecture and roadmaps for data and AI across our on-premises and cloud environments, in partnership with the teams who build and run our platforms.
• Provide early architectural input on significant initiatives.
• Shape the migration and consolidation approach for data and workloads moving toward the strategic cloud data platform, including transition principles, sequencing considerations and dependencies, in partnership with platform, delivery and data-owning teams.
• Develop reference architectures, patterns and guardrails for data platforms, data products and AI solutions, including generative AI, retrieval-augmented generation and agentic approaches with responsible-AI, privacy and security built in, so teams can build safely and at scale.
• Define the architecture, patterns and platform capabilities that support data governance across the environment, including data quality, metadata, lineage, cataloguing and master data, in partnership with the Data Governance team and data owners
• Define how we integrate and disseminate data across our environment, including data drawn from our various source systems.
• Improve architectural consistency by co-designing and reviewing significant data and AI solutions with solution architects and delivery team.
• Partner with security, privacy and governance colleagues to ensure data and AI architecture reflects our security, privacy, risk and compliance obligations
• Act as a trusted adviser to delivery teams and senior stakeholders, uplift the architects and engineers around you, and help improve our architecture and technical governance practices.

About you

• A strong background in data architecture across hybrid environments, spanning relational platforms such as Oracle and SQL Server, NoSQL data stores, vector stores and a modern cloud lakehouse, together with experience planning and delivering data migration.
• Current, practical experience across the Azure data and AI platforms including Azure Databricks and its ecosystem (governance and cataloguing, Databricks Genie, workload placement, consolidation and migration) and Azure AI tooling such as Azure AI Foundry. Knowledge of GCP and AWS services is advantageous but not essential.
• Extensive experience working as a data and AI architect at an organisation-wide level, with a track record of developing models, patterns, roadmaps and direction that teams have adopted.
• Solid experience with data governance and master data management - data quality, metadata, cataloguing, lineage, and managing shared or master data consistently across an organisation.
• Experience helping to shape AI and generative-AI approaches in an enterprise setting, including model and platform choices, deployment and lifecycle patterns, and responsible-AI, privacy and security considerations.
• A good understanding of how data is integrated across on-premises, cloud and SaaS sources, including the data and integration surfaces of platforms such as ServiceNow and Dynamics 365.
• An understanding of the Australian Government security frameworks relevant to our environment - including the Information Security Manual (ISM) and the Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF), with experience applying the associated privacy, security and compliance considerations in a regulated or security-conscious environment.
• The ability to balance strategic, target-state thinking with pragmatic, hands-on architecture, and strong collaboration and communication skills that bring people with you.
• Strong communication, stakeholder engagement and collaboration skills, with the ability to explain complex concepts clearly, mentor others and contribute to a pragmatic, high-performing architecture culture.
• Experience within financial services, prudential regulation or a similarly regulated environment, including familiarity with regulatory data collection, data privacy, information security frameworks and relevant APRA standards such as CPS 230 and CPS 234.

To work with us you need to be an Australian Citizen and be eligible for a Security Clearance.

About APRA

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) places you at the heart of Australia’s financial services industry. APRA serves the Australian community by helping ensure financial institutions deliver on the financial commitments they make, within a stable, efficient and competitive financial system.

At APRA we’re committed to providing an inclusive workplace where everyone belongs, feels valued and respected. We aspire to attract and foster diversity of background, thought, and experience, recognising that a broad range of perspectives, approaches and ideas makes us stronger, and better enables us to meet our obligation to protect the financial wellbeing of the Australian community. When applying, please inform us of any adjustments you may need during the interview process.