Senior Business Architect – Wealth Management Transformation

Job Description: Senior Business Architect – Wealth Management Transformation

Company: Cogency

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Employment Type: Full-Time

Work Arrangement: On-site, 4 days per week

Interview Process: In-person interview is mandatory

Position Overview

Cogency is seeking an experienced Senior Business Architect – Wealth Management Transformation to lead complex business and technology transformation initiatives within the wealth management and financial services domain. The ideal candidate will bring strong expertise in wealth management products, investment and portfolio management, business architecture, digital transformation, and operational process optimization.

This role will drive initiatives from strategy and roadmap development through requirements definition, solution implementation, data conversion, testing, and change management, while aligning business capabilities, processes, and technology with strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Business Architecture & Strategy: Develop business capability models, target-state architectures, transformation roadmaps, and strategic recommendations aligned with business priorities.
• Wealth Management Transformation: Lead complex initiatives involving investment management, portfolio management, advisor platforms, managed accounts, and wealth management operating models.
• Digital Transformation: Define and implement strategies for advisor desktops, client-facing reporting and analytics, CRM integration, financial planning tools, and digital onboarding experiences.
• Investment & Portfolio Management: Support the evolution of portfolio management capabilities, discretionary managed products, separately managed accounts (SMAs), and unified managed accounts (UMAs).
• Business Process Optimization: Assess existing business processes, identify operational gaps, and develop future-state processes to improve efficiency, controls, and client and advisor experiences.
• Data Conversion & Integration: Lead business planning for complex data migration and conversion initiatives, including historical transaction and performance data, system integration, and platform transitions.
• Client Onboarding & Engagement: Define improved onboarding processes, account transfers, asset transfer capabilities, client engagement models, and advisor workflows.
• Risk & Regulatory Compliance: Support initiatives involving account suitability, investor risk profiling, anti-money laundering (AML), trade surveillance, and regulatory-driven business changes.
• Product & Platform Strategy: Assess business and technology capabilities, identify gaps, prioritize investments, and develop implementation roadmaps for wealth management platforms and applications.
• Requirements & Delivery Management: Translate business strategy into requirements, functional specifications, delivery plans, testing strategies, and implementation outcomes.
• Stakeholder Management: Collaborate with business leaders, advisors, portfolio managers, technology teams, vendors, and senior executives to establish alignment and drive decisions.
• Change Management & Adoption: Develop and support training, communications, implementation readiness, and organizational change initiatives.
• Innovation & Analytics: Evaluate opportunities involving behavioral finance, AI-enabled chatbots, digital tools, client analytics, and emerging wealth management capabilities.

Required Qualifications

• Significant experience in wealth management, investment management, financial services, or related business architecture and transformation roles.
• Strong understanding of wealth management products, investment programs, portfolio management, managed accounts, and advisor operating models.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex business transformation initiatives from strategy through implementation.
• Expertise in business architecture, capability modelling, current-state assessments, target-state design, and transformation roadmaps.
• Experience with advisor desktop applications, CRM, portfolio management systems, client reporting, financial planning, or wealth management platforms.
• Knowledge of client onboarding, account transfers, investor suitability, risk profiling, AML, and related operational or regulatory processes.
• Experience with requirements gathering, stakeholder engagement, testing, data conversion, implementation planning, and change management.
• Strong analytical, communication, facilitation, and executive presentation skills.
• Ability to work effectively with business stakeholders, technology teams, external vendors, and senior leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with wealth management platform modernization, managed-account programs, robo-advisory offerings, or hybrid advisory models.
• Exposure to AI-enabled client services, analytics roadmaps, behavioral finance, or digital onboarding.
• Experience in large financial institutions, wealth management firms, or financial technology organizations.
• Relevant financial services education or industry certifications.

Work Location & Interview Requirements

• This is a full-time position with Cogency.
• The successful candidate must work on-site in Toronto four days per week.
• An in-person interview is mandatory as part of the selection process.
• Candidates should have relevant wealth management domain expertise and the ability to lead strategic business architecture and transformation initiatives.