VP, Product - Data Governance

VP, Product - Data Governance

Walker & Dunlop United States

VP, Product – Data Governance

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Department WDTech - R&D

We are Walker & Dunlop. We are one of the largest providers of capital to the commercial real estate industry, enabling real estate owners and operators to bring their visions of communities — where people live, work, shop, and play — to life. We are committed to creating meaningful social, environmental, and economic change in our communities.

Department Overview WDTech

is W&D's in-house technology team – a group of collaborative and highly skilled technology professionals, all of whom are leading experts in real estate data, data science, and technology.

WDTech Product

works hand-in-hand with the business to translate business outcomes into actionable product strategies, aligning user needs with innovative solutions, via close collaboration with our engineering partners, to ensure W&D maintains a competitive advantage as our technology landscape and target market rapidly evolve.

The Impact You Will Have

As Vice President, Product – Data Governance, you will lead Walker & Dunlop's enterprise data governance program and product strategy. This role is responsible for establishing the processes, controls, and governance capabilities that support the responsible management and use of data across the organization. Reporting within WDTech Product, this leader will oversee governance capabilities within Securiti.ai and partner across Legal, Risk, Compliance, Information Security, Engineering, and business teams to operationalize scalable governance practices that support regulatory requirements, business priorities, and AI-enabled initiatives.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead Walker & Dunlop's Data Governance Office, including governance processes, stewardship models, and cross-functional collaboration practices.
• Define and manage the roadmap for enterprise data governance capabilities, including data discovery, classification, lineage, privacy, access governance, and AI governance.
• Partner with Legal, Risk, Compliance, and Information Security to establish governance policies, standards, controls, and monitoring practices.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Infrastructure, and Data Product teams to integrate governance capabilities throughout the data lifecycle.
• Lead enterprise data inventory, classification, and lineage initiatives to improve visibility and protection of sensitive and regulated data.
• Support privacy and data rights processes to help ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.
• Establish governance and oversight practices for AI-enabled systems, including data usage, traceability, and appropriate review controls.
• Define and report on governance metrics, including program maturity, data quality, policy adherence, and control effectiveness.
• Build and develop the data governance team and steward network across the organization.
• Communicate governance priorities, progress, and risks to executive leadership and key stakeholders.
• Partner with business teams to encourage adoption of governance practices and improve accessibility of governed data assets.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Education And Experience

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Business, Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Management, or a related field; advanced degree or relevant certifications preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in product management, data governance, data management, privacy, or related leadership roles.
• Experience building or maturing enterprise data governance programs within regulated or complex operating environments.
• Experience with enterprise governance platforms such as Securiti.ai, Collibra, Alation, Informatica, OneTrust, BigID, or similar technologies.
• Experience partnering cross-functionally with Legal, Risk, Compliance, Information Security, Engineering, and business stakeholders.
• Experience in commercial real estate, financial services, lending, capital markets, or similarly regulated industries preferred.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Strong understanding of data governance, data management, privacy, and data risk practices.
• Knowledge of regulatory and compliance considerations related to enterprise data management.
• Ability to translate governance requirements into scalable processes, tools, and user experiences.
• Understanding of modern data ecosystems, including analytics, cloud platforms, operational systems, and AI-enabled technologies.
• Strong product and program management skills, including prioritization, execution, and stakeholder alignment.
• Excellent cross-functional collaboration and relationship-building skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• High level of accountability, professionalism, and sound judgment.
• Ability to show ownership of your work, take on challenges and acknowledge growth opportunities, and demonstrate patience when learning new processes
• Courtesy, respect, and thoughtfulness in teaming with colleagues and other stakeholders

This position has an estimated base salary of $220,000 - $270,000 plus a discretionary bonus. An employment offer is based on the applicant's relevant work experience, applicable knowledge, skills, abilities, internal equity, and alignment with market data.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to join one of Fortune Magazine's Great Places to Work winners
• Comprehensive benefit options* that have earned Walker & Dunlop the gold level of the 2025 Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation™, some of which include:
• Up to 83% subsidized medical payroll deductions
• Competitive dental and vision benefits
• 401(k) + match
• Pre-tax transit and commuting benefits
• A robust health and wellness program – earn cash rewards and gain access to resources that
• promote health, engagement, and balance
• Paid maternity and parental leave, as well as other family paid leave programs
• Company-paid life, short and long-term disability insurance
• Health Savings Account and Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending
• Career development opportunities
• Empowerment and encouragement to give back – volunteer hours and donation matching
• Eligibility may vary based on average number of hours worked

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

We are committed to equity in all steps of the recruitment and employment experience. We believe in equal access to opportunities in our workplace. We do not tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on any characteristic protected by applicable law, such as race, color, national origin, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, sex, age, disability, veteran or military status, and genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We strive to be a safe place to ask questions, build professional relationships, and develop careers.

SPAM

Please be wary of recruitment scams. An indication of a scam might be a request for sensitive or bank information at the time of application or emails coming from a non walkerdunlop.com email address. Please call us at View phone number on click.appcast.io, if you have any concerns about information requested during or after the application process.

Fair Chance Hiring

Background checks, including any questions related to infractions, arrests, or conviction records, will not be conducted until after a conditional offer of employment has been accepted. We will consider for employment qualified applicants regardless of arrest and conviction records, in accordance with federal, state, and local laws.