Program Director, Data Governance - 5581

Duration: 12 months to start

Location: Remote

*Needs to be eligible for Reliability Status Clearance (Must have been in Canada for 5 years)

About the Role

Digital, Data and Analytics is one of the key pillars of Client for Life Strategy. Leveraging innovative digital capabilities powered by data, insights, and intelligence. We are looking for a motivated thought leader who will perform the role of Program Director.

What will you do?

As the Program Director for Data Governance you will be responsible for designing, leading, and overseeing the enterprise data governance and regulatory compliance programs related to OSFI Guidelines E-21 (Operational Resilience), E-23 (Model Risk Management) and Unstructured Data Governance Program,

This role ensures that the Sun Life’s data governance framework meets regulatory expectations, supports operational resilience, enables trustworthy risk data aggregation, and ensures the safe, secure, and compliant management of data across its lifecycle.

Your role will be crucial in translating regulatory expectations into actionable policies and controls, while fostering a data-driven culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities:

• Lead enterprise-wide compliance programs related to OSFI E-21 and E-23, focusing on data management, model risk data integrity, and resilience of critical data assets.
• Serve as the primary regulatory liaison for data governance programs with Data Governance Leads to meet the requirements and millstones set out by OSFI, Internal Audit, and other assurance functions.
• Translate regulatory expectations into actionable data management policies, standards, and controls.
• Oversee readiness assessments, gap analyses, and remediation plans to ensure full alignment with E-21 and E-23 requirements.
• Develop and maintain Enterprise Data Governance Regulatory Strategy, ensuring alignment with OSFI, NIST, HIPA and internal risk frameworks.
• Oversee the governance of Critical Data Elements (CDEs) supporting critical operations, regulatory reports, and model risk processes.
• Establish clear information ownership and stewardship structures across business units.
• Ensure integration of data governance into Operational Resilience, Model Risk Management, and other regulatory programs and audits
• Define and implement Data Lifecycle Management (DLM) policies covering data creation, usage, storage, retention, archival, and destruction.
• Monitor processes for metadata management, data lineage, and data quality for regulatory programs and audits.
• Integrate data governance risks into the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework.
• Establish and monitor Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for data quality, availability, and resilience.
• Support internal and external audits of data management and model data controls.
• Drive continuous improvement through lessons learned, incident reviews, and regulatory feedback.
• Promote a data-driven culture of accountability and transparency
• Deliver executive updates and regulatory reporting on data governance performance and compliance
• Ensure that data governance supports Operational Resilience testing under OSFI E-21 (e.g., data loss, recovery, and third-party disruption scenarios).
• Collaborate with the Model Risk Management team to ensure data integrity and traceability for model inputs, outputs, and validation (E-23 compliance).
• Lead initiatives to enhance data risk management to meet regulatory requirements and audits.

What you need to succeed

• 10+ years of experience in data governance, data risk management, or regulatory compliance within financial services
• Strong knowledge of OSFI Guidelines E-21, E-23, and B-13
• Jira, MS Office suite, Collibra, Sharepoint, Confluence
• Experience with BCBS 239, PIPEDA, and other data and risk regulatory frameworks
• Proven success leading enterprise data governance or data transformation programs
• Expertise in data lifecycle management, metadata, and lineage technologies
• Strong understanding of operational resilience, risk data aggregation, and data quality management
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Risk Management, Data Science, or Information Technology

Preferred skills

• Professional certifications: CDMP, CISA, CIPP/C, or CRM
• Deep understanding of data governance tools (e.g., Collibra, Informatica, Alation)
• Familiarity with risk systems, data analytics platforms, and data architecture concepts
• Strong project management and regulatory program delivery skills
• Excellent communication, executive presentation, and stakeholder management abilities
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive enterprise change
• Strategic and regulatory mindset
• Data and risk governance expertise
• Leadership and influence across lines of defense
• Operational and data resilience awareness
• Analytical and structured problem-solving skills