Head of Counterparty Reference Data

Job Description

What is the opportunity?

Director & Head of Counterparty Reference Data, leading a global team to deliver excellence across client data & related initiatives. This role will include ownership, governance & strategic direction of the core counterparty data repository, ensuring data integrity, accuracy & accessibility across RBC Capital Markets & affiliates. Serving as the central authority for counterparty master data, driving strategic initiatives to enhance data quality, operational efficiency & regulatory compliance.

What will you do?

Data Governance & Stewardship:

• Determine data governance policies, standards & procedures for counterparty reference data across the organization.

• Decide on the scope & priority of data quality initiatives & remediation efforts.

• Establish frameworks for data ownership, stewardship, & accountability across business units.

• Requiring Strong understanding of data architecture, entity relationship modeling, & data lineage. Proficiency in data validation, reconciliation, & remediation methodologies.

Organizational & Resource Decisions:

• Determine team structure, hiring, & staffing levels for the counterparty reference data function.

• Approve training & development programs for data stewards & team members.

• Decide on escalation of complex issues to senior leadership or external stakeholders.

Technology & System Decisions:

• Select & implement enterprise data platforms, MDM tools, & data management systems.

• Decide on data architecture design, including system integration approaches & data flow methodologies.

• Evaluate & approve technology investments, vendor partnerships, & third-party data providers.

• Determine system prioritization & resource allocation across competing data management initiatives.

• Design, implement & enhance a comprehensive master data management framework for counterparty data that establishes data ownership, stewardship responsibilities & accountability across business lines.

Operational & Process Decisions:

• Set data quality standards, validation rules, & KPIs for counterparty data.

• Approve procedures for onboarding new counterparties & managing data lifecycle changes.

• Determine escalation protocols for data exceptions, breaches, or quality issues.

• Decide on trade-offs between data completeness, accuracy, timeliness, & cost.

• Manage complex stakeholder relationships across front office, middle office, operations, risk & compliance functions.

Compliance & Risk Decisions:

• Interpret regulatory requirements & determining how they translate into operational controls & data procedures.

• Approve counterparty data policies to ensure alignment with EMIR, MiFID II, KYC/AML, & other regulatory frameworks.

• Decide on remediation approaches for data gaps or control failures that could impact regulatory compliance.

What you need to succeed?

Must have:

• Minimum 5-10 years in financial services, with at least 5 years in data management, master data management (MDM), or reference data governance roles. Proven experience managing counterparty data across multiple asset classes (equities, fixed income, derivatives, or commodities).

• College / Degree level Education

• Track record of designing & implementing data governance frameworks & policies in a regulated environment. Demonstrated experience with counterparty identification & management systems, including Legal Entity Identifiers (LEI), entity hierarchies, & relationship mapping. Prior exposure to regulatory frameworks such as EMIR, MiFID II, Dodd-Frank, & Basel III as they relate to counterparty data requirements.

• Experience leading & mentoring data management teams of 15+ people.

• Familiarity with enterprise data platforms, data warehousing, & Master Data Management. Previous success managing complex stakeholder relationships across front office, middle office, operations, risk, & compliance functions. Experience driving data quality improvement initiatives & establishing KPIs & metrics. Background in either investment banking, capital markets operations, or risk management functions is preferred.

Nice to have:

• Certification in data management or governance is highly desirable. Relevant certifications may include Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP), Certified Data Architect (CDA), or equivalent from recognized industry bodies. Knowledge of financial industry standards

What's in it for you?

We thrive on the challenge to be our best, progressive thinking to keep growing, and working together to deliver trusted advice to help our clients thrive and communities prosper. We care about each other, reaching our potential, making a difference to our communities, and achieving success that is mutual.

• A comprehensive Total Rewards Program including bonuses and flexible benefits, competitive compensation

• Leaders who support your development through coaching and managing opportunities

• Work in a dynamic, collaborative, progressive, and high-performing team

• Opportunities to do challenging work

• Flexible work/life balance options

RBC is presently inviting candidates to apply for this existing vacancy. Applying to this posting allows you to express your interest in this current career opportunity at RBC. Qualified applicants may be contacted to review their resume in more detail.

Job Skills

Adaptability, Business Performance Management, Customer Service, Decision Making, Interpersonal Relationship Management, Operational Delivery, Process Improvements, Time Management

Additional Job Details

Address:

RBC CENTRE, 155 WELLINGTON ST W:TORONTO

City:

Toronto

Country:

Canada

Work hours/week:

37.5

Employment Type:

Full time

Platform:

CAPITAL MARKETS

Job Type:

Regular

Pay Type:

Salaried

Posted Date:

2026-03-09

Application Deadline:

2026-03-24

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the application deadline date above

Our Employment Opportunities

At RBC, we are guided by living shared values of Client First, Integrity, Collaboration, Respect and Excellence and winning together as One RBC. We believe an inclusive workplace that has diverse perspectives is core to our continued growth as one of the largest and most successful banks in the world. Maintaining a workplace where our employees feel supported to perform at their best, effectively collaborate, drive innovation, and grow professionally helps to bring our Purpose to life and create value for our clients and communities. RBC strives to deliver this through policies and programs intended to foster a workplace based on respect, belonging and opportunity for all.

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Expand your limits and create a new future together at RBC. Find out how we use our passion and drive to enhance the well-being of our clients and communities at jobs.rbc.com.

RBC is presently inviting candidates to apply for this existing vacancy. Applying to this posting allows you to express your interest in this current career opportunity at RBC. Qualified applicants may be contacted to review their resume in more detail.