Official Title: Expert Partner (Fractional Chief Data Officer / Data Governance Advisor)

Level: Director / VP-equivalent

Type: Fractional (4–5 days/month | ~1 day/week)

Location: Primarily remote, with occasional on-site in Toronto (Financial District)

Term: 6 months+ | Competitive Retainer + Bonus

Overview

• Our client is a boutique professional services firm (with a headcount of 35–40) that specializes in Data Quality, Software Quality, Accessibility, and Enterprise Data Governance. They have built a strong delivery relationship with one of Canada's Big Five financial institutions and are now looking to expand that engagement beyond a single workstream.
• They're seeking a senior executive advisor who can bridge the gap between enterprise data strategy and business impact—someone who can translate enterprise data governance and data strategy into visible business value, expand the company's presence across Governance, Risk, Business, Compliance, Technology, and Capital Markets leadership, and position the firm as a trusted strategic partner.
• This role focuses on strategic advisory, executive relationship building, governance and data-driven insights, and identifying and shaping opportunities for account expansion. Think of this as a Fractional Chief Data Officer (CDO)-style advisor embedded within an existing client engagement—someone who builds executive trust, shapes governance strategy, guides internal delivery leaders and teams to maximize the business value of each workstream, and helps transform a successful delivery relationship into a long-term strategic partnership. This role operates above the delivery organization and is not responsible for day-to-day project execution, delivery management, staffing, budgets, utilization, or contract negotiations.

What You'll Be Doing

• Advise senior client stakeholders on enterprise data governance, data strategy, data management, operating models, controls, and organizational alignment.
• Build trusted relationships across Governance, Risk, Compliance, Technology, Business, and Capital Markets leadership.
• Translate complex governance initiatives into clear business value through strong executive communication and storytelling.
• Partner with delivery leadership to ensure strategic recommendations align with client priorities.
• Identify thoughtful, long-term opportunities to expand the client relationship through trusted advisory—not traditional sales.

Desired Experience

• Deep expertise in Enterprise Data Governance, Enterprise Data Management, Data Strategy, Capital Markets, and strategic consulting within regulated financial services environments.
• Strong understanding of governance operating models, controls, data lineage, organizational governance, and enterprise data operating models.
• Proven experience driving organizational transformation, enterprise transformation, change management, and executive alignment.
• Outstanding communication and storytelling skills with senior business stakeholders.
• Experience operating within professional services, consulting, advisory, or vendor environments.
• Ability to operate independently with minimal oversight while balancing strategic thinking with practical execution.

Ideal Experience

• Capital Markets or Securities experience strongly preferred; broader Canadian banking or other highly regulated financial services experience is also considered.
• Previous fractional executive, consulting partner, or strategic advisory experience.
• Experience with well-recognized enterprise organizations that establishes immediate executive credibility.

Why This Opportunity

• Executive-level advisory role partnering with one of Canada's leading financial institutions.
• Opportunity to help shape and grow a strategic enterprise relationship from the executive level.
• High-impact, low-bureaucracy environment where your expertise directly influences client strategy.
• Flexible fractional engagement with significant autonomy.
• Potential for the engagement to expand as additional opportunities develop.