Data Architect – Senior

Job Description

Role : Data Architect – Senior
Client: Government of Alberta – Justice
Project: Justice Information Management System (JIMS 3.0)
Location: Primarily Remote – Canada; Edmonton onsite meetings as required
Onsite Requirement: Approximately 15% of total hours
Hours: 36.25 hours/week
Contract: Approximately 1,805.25 hours, with potential extension up to 24 months

Role Overview

The Government of Alberta – Justice is seeking a Senior Data Architect to support the Justice Information Management System (JIMS 3.0) project.

JIMS 3.0 is a major data integration and modernization initiative designed to consolidate multiple existing court-data reporting marts into an integrated Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) and supporting data marts and reporting views.

The Senior Data Architect will be responsible for defining the data architecture, developing dimensional data models, profiling and analyzing source data, designing data mappings, supporting ETL development, and ensuring data quality and governance. The resource will work closely with technical teams, business stakeholders, and enterprise architecture teams to transition existing court-data environments toward the JIMS 3.0 target architecture.

The ideal candidate will have strong Kimball dimensional modeling, data warehouse, SQL, Azure/cloud, data architecture, and public-sector experience. Experience with JOIN, JIMS, court data, and Justice environments is highly desirable.

Key Responsibilities

Data Architecture & Enterprise Architecture

• Define, document, and manage data architecture principles, strategies, standards, models, guidelines, and plans.
  
• Develop current-state and future-state data architecture and transition plans.
  
• Ensure data architecture aligns with Government of Alberta Enterprise Architecture (GAEA) and IMT strategies.
  
• Define enterprise data requirements and architectural standards.
  
• Provide data architecture guidance and consulting to project teams.
  
• Participate in architectural and solution design reviews.
  
• Identify opportunities to improve data reuse, sharing, governance, and standardization.
  
• Ensure data architecture reduces unnecessary data redundancy.
  
• Support the enterprise architecture team with data architecture initiatives.
  

Data Modeling & Data Warehouse

• Apply Kimball dimensional modeling principles to design enterprise data marts.
  
• Develop conceptual, logical, and physical data models.
  
• Identify and define appropriate Facts, Dimensions, measures, attributes, keys, and relationships.
  
• Review and update existing data models.
  
• Develop data structures required for the JIMS 3.0 EDW.
  
• Define data warehouse and data-mart architecture patterns.
  
• Create detailed data mapping and transformation specifications.
  
• Ensure historical data is appropriately preserved and managed.
  

Data Profiling & Analysis

• Perform detailed profiling of source data and database tables.
  
• Analyze existing JIMS and related data marts.
  
• Identify data-quality issues, inconsistencies, redundancies, and gaps.
  
• Analyze business rules and relationships within court data.
  
• Map source data to target EDW structures.
  
• Validate data definitions and business rules with stakeholders.
  

ETL & Data Integration

• Design, develop, and test ETL/ELT processes.
  
• Support data extraction, transformation, staging, and loading.
  
• Develop source-to-target mappings.
  
• Validate transformed data against business requirements.
  
• Troubleshoot data integration and transformation issues.
  
• Support minor fixes and enhancements to existing data marts.
  

Power BI & Reporting

• Develop Power BI reports for testing and validation purposes.
  
• Use reporting outputs to validate Facts, Dimensions, measures, and business rules.
  
• Support interactive reporting requirements.
  
• Validate data quality and completeness through reporting.
  
• Collaborate with reporting and BI teams to ensure data structures support analytical requirements.
  

JOIN & JIMS

• Analyze and update existing JOIN (Justice Online Information Network) data models.
  
• Incorporate new Fact attributes and required data structures.
  
• Work with JIMS data and structures.
  
• Understand and document business rules associated with judicial processes.
  
• Support integration of court-related data into the enterprise data warehouse.
  

Data Governance & Quality

• Promote practices that improve data quality, consistency, and governance.
  
• Establish and enforce data standards and architectural guidelines.
  
• Support information-management requirements.
  
• Ensure data architecture considers privacy, security, and information-management policies.
  
• Identify and resolve data-quality risks.
  
• Support compliance with applicable Government of Alberta policies and directives.
  

Stakeholder Management

• Communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
  
• Facilitate data architecture discussions and design reviews.
  
• Provide recommendations and influence technical/business decisions.
  
• Work with architects, developers, data engineers, BI professionals, business analysts, and Justice stakeholders.
  
• Provide guidance and mentorship to project team members.
  
• Document lessons learned and provide recommendations at project closeout.
  

Requirements

Required Skills & Experience

Must-Have

1. Senior Data Architecture

• 5+ years of demonstrated experience defining data architecture.
  
• Strong experience designing and implementing data warehouse/data-mart architectures.
  
• Strong understanding of enterprise data architecture principles and practices.
  

2. Kimball Architecture

• 5+ years of experience using Kimball architecture to develop data marts.
  
• Strong knowledge of:
  • Dimensional modeling
    
  • Star schemas
    
  • Facts and Dimensions
    
  • Measures
    
  • Slowly Changing Dimensions
    
  • Surrogate keys
    
  • Historical data management
    
  • Data marts
    
  • Enterprise Data Warehousing
    

3. SQL & Database Development

Completed formal training in structured query languages, specifically one or more of:

• Microsoft T-SQL
  
• Oracle
  
• PL/SQL
  
• Database development
  

Strong practical SQL/database development experience is required.

4. Cloud & Azure

Training within the past 5–10 years related to:

• Cloud Computing
  
• Microsoft Azure
  
• Azure Architecture
  

Knowledge of modern Azure data architecture is strongly preferred.

5. Education

Post-secondary degree or diploma in:

• Computer Science
  
• Information Technology
  
• Cybersecurity
  
• Data/Computer Engineering
  
• or a related discipline
  

Equivalent experience may be considered; formal education is strongly preferred.

6. Public-Sector Experience

• 2+ years working in or with public-sector environments.
  
• Understanding of public-sector constraints and requirements.
  
• Awareness of privacy legislation such as FOIP.
  
• Experience working within government information-management environments is preferred.
  

Nice-to-Have Skills

Data Modeling Tools – 5+ Years

Experience using one or more:

• SAP/Sybase PowerDesigner
  
• ERWin
  
• Oracle Designer
  
• SQL Developer Data Modeler
  
• Microsoft Visio
  
• Similar enterprise data-modeling tools
  

JOIN & JIMS – 3+ Years

Experience with:

• JOIN – Justice Online Information Network
  
• JIMS – Justice Information Management System
  
• JOIN/JIMS data structures
  
• Judicial data
  
• Business rules related to judicial processes
  

Court Environment – 2+ Years

Experience working in or with:

• Court systems
  
• Judicial environments
  
• Court data
  
• Justice-sector applications
  

Understanding of the importance of judicial independence is an advantage.

Information Management & Cybersecurity – 1+ Year

Experience working with:

• Information management policies
  
• Cybersecurity policies
  
• Government directives
  
• Information-management guidelines
  
• Privacy/security requirements
  
• Working within tight project timelines
  

Communication – 5+ Years

Strong communication skills with the ability to:

• Explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
  
• Facilitate architecture discussions.
  
• Prepare technical documentation.
  
• Present recommendations.
  
• Influence decision-making.
  
• Work effectively with technical and business teams.
  

Requirements
Required Skills & Experience Must-Have 1. Senior Data Architecture 5+ years of demonstrated experience defining data architecture. Strong experience designing and implementing data warehouse/data-mart architectures. Strong understanding of enterprise data architecture principles and practices. 2. Kimball Architecture 5+ years of experience using Kimball architecture to develop data marts. Strong knowledge of: Dimensional modeling Star schemas Facts and Dimensions Measures Slowly Changing Dimensions Surrogate keys Historical data management Data marts Enterprise Data Warehousing 3. SQL & Database Development Completed formal training in structured query languages, specifically one or more of: Microsoft T-SQL Oracle PL/SQL Database development Strong practical SQL/database development experience is required. 4. Cloud & Azure Training within the past 5–10 years related to: Cloud Computing Microsoft Azure Azure Architecture Knowledge of modern Azure data architecture is strongly preferred. 5. Education Post-secondary degree or diploma in: Computer Science Information Technology Cybersecurity Data/Computer Engineering or a related discipline Equivalent experience may be considered; formal education is strongly preferred. 6. Public-Sector Experience 2+ years working in or with public-sector environments. Understanding of public-sector constraints and requirements. Awareness of privacy legislation such as FOIP. Experience working within government information-management environments is preferred. Nice-to-Have Skills Data Modeling Tools – 5+ Years Experience using one or more: SAP/Sybase PowerDesigner ERWin Oracle Designer SQL Developer Data Modeler Microsoft Visio Similar enterprise data-modeling tools JOIN & JIMS – 3+ Years Experience with: JOIN – Justice Online Information Network JIMS – Justice Information Management System JOIN/JIMS data structures Judicial data Business rules related to judicial processes Court Environment – 2+ Years Experience working in or with: Court systems Judicial environments Court data Justice-sector applications Understanding of the importance of judicial independence is an advantage. Information Management & Cybersecurity – 1+ Year Experience working with: Information management policies Cybersecurity policies Government directives Information-management guidelines Privacy/security requirements Working within tight project timelines Communication – 5+ Years Strong communication skills with the ability to: Explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders. Facilitate architecture discussions. Prepare technical documentation. Present recommendations. Influence decision-making. Work effectively with technical and business teams.