Director, Data Delivery - Strategic Initiatives

Job Description What is the opportunity?

Royal Bank of Canada is executing a strategic migration from the legacy Asset and Financial Services (AFS) platform to the Advanced Customer Banking System (ACBS). We are seeking a Director, Data Delivery for Strategic Initiatives to oversee all functions-specific migration activities. This is a leadership role supporting the enablement of timely delivery of strategic data initiatives across City National Bank (CNB), the U.S. International Holding Company (IHC), and Royal Bank of Canada Head Office and its U.S. subsidiaries.

You will work with project managers, technical delivery managers, and the Data Sourcing & Analytics team to remove obstacles, streamline processes, and create conditions for successful delivery of data initiatives while ensuring technical rigor, data accuracy, regulatory compliance, and AI-driven process optimization.

What will you do?

Data Pipeline & Architecture:
Coordinate design and oversight of end-to-end data pipeline architecture for data flows from ACBS to downstream Finance, Risk, and analytical systems. Support establishment of data quality frameworks, validation protocols, and reconciliation procedures.

Data & Reporting:
Coordinate technical configuration and testing of regulatory reporting rule sets and processes in ACBS. Support validation of compliance with banking regulations and accounting standards; coordinate testing activities with Finance, Compliance and Risk teams.

Integration Testing & Data Validation:
Coordinate establishment and execution of comprehensive testing protocols for all finance data integrations. Support management of data quality issues, variance analysis, and sign-off on data integrity across migration phases.

Controls & Audit Readiness:
Coordinate development of control matrices, risk assessment documentation, and audit-ready migration playbooks. Support SOX compliance efforts and internal control effectiveness validation; liaise with Internal Audit and Risk on validation and sign-off.

Functions Coordination:
Coordinate with finance and risk teams across business units on impact assessments. Align on dependencies with month-end close and regulatory reporting calendars; provide technical guidance and support during testing phases.

Risk Management & Escalation:
Identify and escalate risks, blockers, and dependencies to the Finance Domain Lead. Provide recommendations on mitigation strategies and timeline adjustments.

Documentation & Enablement:
Coordinate development of technical documentation, testing runbooks, and support materials for finance teams and downstream application owners.

AI Enablement:
Lead identification and assessment of AI/automation opportunities across finance data workflows, including anomaly detection in regulatory reporting, data reconciliation automation, and variance analysis. Coordinate with technology partners to design and pilot AI-driven solutions that enhance data accuracy, accelerate testing cycles, and improve control effectiveness. ndefined

What do you need to succeed?

Must-have
12+ years of experience in data and transformation processes, including enterprise systems implementation or core platform migrations 2-3 years of management and leadership experience Deep expertise in data and system transformations, controls, SOX compliance, and audit readiness in banking or large/complex environments Proven track record managing large-scale system transitions or integrations Strong command of data governance and financial data flows in complex banking organizations

Nice-to-have Strong understanding of banking business processes and systems with deep understanding of data structures and data mining techniques Expertise in data governance, data quality frameworks, ETL…