Data & AI Transformation Architect

Role Overview

Data & AI Transformation Architect at Damen Shipyards Group, located at DMESS in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Full-time position within the Data & AI department.

Company Overview

Damen Shipyards Group is on an ambitious journey to become a truly data-powered organization. The company is strengthening Data & AI capabilities and investing in people, platforms, governance, and technologies to enable smarter decision-making across the enterprise. This is a global maritime leader actively investing in digital transformation.

Role Purpose

Serve as a strategic advisor, consultant, and hands-on transformation leader to evolve Damen's enterprise data architecture, governance, AI, and analytics capabilities while accelerating organizational data maturity. Help define the future state of Damen's Data & AI landscape while ensuring practical execution and measurable business value, working across business leaders, data owners, stewards, architects, engineers, analysts, and operational stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Lead Data & AI Transformation

• Assess current Data & AI capabilities and identify maturity improvement opportunities
• Define and execute practical transformation roadmaps aligned with business priorities
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior business and technology stakeholders
• Drive adoption of modern Data Management, Analytics, Governance, and AI practices
• Promote data-driven culture across business functions

Shape Enterprise Data Architecture

• Develop and mature enterprise-wide data architecture principles, standards, and frameworks
• Further develop and operationalize the Enterprise Data Model
• Align business objectives, governance practices, architecture standards, and technology investments
• Support the evolution of Damen's Data & AI platform vision
• Establish scalable approaches for data ownership, stewardship, quality, and lifecycle management

Deliver Business Value

• Translate business challenges into practical Data & AI solutions
• Identify and prioritize high-value use cases that deliver measurable business outcomes
• Support responsible and value-driven adoption of AI capabilities
• Enable operational efficiency, improved decision-making, and enhanced business performance through data

Drive Governance & Integration

• Promote consistency and interoperability across enterprise platforms including SAP, Workday, Salesforce, Azure, and other strategic solutions
• Embed governance, security, compliance, and data quality principles into practical implementations
• Collaborate with Data Governance, Enterprise Architecture, Security, and MDM communities
• Drive standardization and reuse across business domains and systems

Influence & Build Capability

• Facilitate workshops, strategy sessions, and stakeholder discussions
• Coach leaders and teams on Data Governance, Data Management, and AI adoption
• Translate complex technical concepts into clear business language
• Build strong relationships across functions, cultures, and geographies
• Support organizational change and long-term capability building

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 10 years of experience in Data Architecture, Data Management, Analytics, AI, Digital Transformation, or related disciplines
• Proven experience leading enterprise-wide Data & AI transformation programs
• Experience within manufacturing, marine, shipbuilding, offshore, construction, engineering, energy, utilities, or similar asset-intensive industries
• Demonstrated success in improving organizational data maturity and business adoption
• Experience combining strategic consulting with practical hands-on implementation
• Experience working within complex international organizations

Skills & Competencies

• Enterprise Data Architecture
• Enterprise Data Modelling (Conceptual, Logical & Physical)
• Data Governance & Master Data Management
• Data Quality Management
• Microsoft Azure
• Microsoft Fabric
• Databricks
• Microsoft Purview
• AI & Advanced Analytics
• DAMA-DMBOK and/or TOGAF
• Enterprise platforms such as SAP, Workday and Salesforce
• Consultant mindset with strong business acumen
• Strategic thinking balanced with execution capability
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Strong communication and facilitation capabilities
• Pragmatic, hands-on, and outcome-oriented approach
• Comfortable working in complex, evolving environments
• Passionate about helping organizations accelerate their Data & AI maturity journey

Additional Information

You will have the opportunity to make a real impact by helping shape the future of Data & AI within a global maritime leader actively investing in digital transformation. You will collaborate with business and technology stakeholders across multiple countries, functions, and business units. As part of a growing Data & AI function, you will benefit from strong executive sponsorship, strategic investment, and the opportunity to play a key role in accelerating the organization's data maturity journey. This role encourages entrepreneurship, ownership, continuous improvement, and professional growth.