Sr Associate, Data Transformation & Governance

Grant Thornton is seeking a Data Transformation & Governance Senior Associate to join the team. Approved office locations can be found below. Senior Associate, Data Transformation & Governance - Position Summary:Grant Thornton GTech’s vision is centered around enabling scalable, secure, and repeatable data transformation capabilities that support enterprise transformation, mergers and acquisitions, and modern analytics. The Data Transformation & Governance function is responsible for embedding governance, quality, stewardship, compliance, and data standards into transformation initiatives so that data from acquired companies is accurate, secure, compliant, and ready for analytics and business decision-making.Scope extends well beyond structured data. Every acquisition arrives with records held in mailboxes, personal and shared file storage, collaboration sites, chat history, service management platforms, and line-of-business applications, alongside the structured data in HR, finance, and client systems. Much of the firm’s retention and legal exposure sits in that unstructured content rather than in the database tables. This function is expected to see the whole estate, catalog it, determine how each category should be handled, and advise the integration teams accordingly.The Senior Associate, Data Transformation & Governance will support governance activities for acquired-company data integration, helping embed governance principles into data migration, integration, modernization, archival, and analytics enablement efforts. The role carries hands-on responsibility for the inventory, classification, and documentation work that governance decisions depend on, across both structured systems and unstructured content. It works with business stakeholders, data owners and stewards, Data & Analytics, Enterprise Architecture, Security, Privacy, Legal and Risk, application teams, and implementation partners to document governance requirements, support data quality and readiness activities, maintain stewardship materials, and help deliver trustworthy, governed, and usable data assets.Essential Duties & Responsibilities:Support the application and maintenance of enterprise data governance frameworks for acquired-company integration, including standards, roles, ownership expectations, stewardship routines, escalation paths, and performance metrics.Assist with embedding governance requirements into data transformation initiatives, including data migration, integration, modernization, archival, reporting, and analytics enablement activities.Build and maintain the data estate inventory for assigned acquisitions, covering structured application data alongside mailboxes, file storage, collaboration sites, chat and meeting content, service management records, and line-of-business repositories.Catalog acquired-company content by category, sensitivity, ownership, business purpose, and disposition, and keep that inventory current as discovery progresses.Prepare handling recommendations for each content category and provide them to tenant consolidation, application, service management, and end user technology teams in a form they can act on during migration planning.Support review of unstructured and semi-structured content for regulated, privileged, personal, and client-confidential material, and document the handling, access, and protection requirements that result.Track identification and assignment of accountable data owners for acquired-company data domains, maintain ownership documentation, and flag data domains where ownership has not been established.Prepare and maintain approval records for new or materially changed use of data, and for external sharing and third-party access, so the approval trail is complete and traceable.Identify data appearing in the environment without established ownership, registration, or approval, and route it for review.Apply enterprise retention categories to acquired-company data and content, distinguishing records that must be retained from working copies, duplicates, and transient content, and escalate items that do not classify cleanly.Document retention periods, retention triggers, and disposal timing for acquired-company data and archived datasets, and track upcoming disposal eligibility.Support defensible disposal activities by preparing schedules, gathering approvals, and capturing evidence of completion.Verify legal hold and business hold status before disposal, decommissioning, or archival activity proceeds, and maintain records of holds applicable to acquired-entity data through to release.Document circumstances that extend retention beyond standard periods, including inherited contractual commitments, audit and investigation activity, and content with long-term business value, and prepare exception or extension requests where requirements cannot be met.Support coordination with service line quality and risk stakeholders on which acquired-entity records must be retained to satisfy professional standards for audit, tax, and advisory work, and reflect those determinations in working documentation.Capture jurisdictional differences across assigned entities, including local privacy, data residency, and statutory retention requirements, and flag conflicts with enterprise requirements.Support data quality and standardization activities by documenting data quality rules, profiling outputs, root-cause findings, remediation actions, reconciliation expectations, and quality gate evidence.Help standardize data definitions, formats, critical data elements, metadata, lineage information, and ownership documentation across acquired-company sources and enterprise target-state platforms.Maintain catalog and business glossary entries for acquired-company data domains so consumers can determine meaning, context, provenance, and appropriate use.Support data stewardship activities by maintaining steward and owner documentation, tracking assigned stewardship actions, coordinating follow-ups, and helping promote accountability for data assets.Assist with adoption and use of governance technologies such as data catalog, metadata management, lineage, data quality, master data management, and data issue management tools.Work with IT, data platform teams, and vendors to document governance technology requirements, support pilots, validate tool outputs, and contribute to rollout materials.Collaborate with Legal, Privacy, Risk, Compliance, and Security teams to help document data protection controls, classification, access control, masking, retention, and disposal requirements.Prepare governance reporting and metrics, including data quality scores, policy adherence, stewardship engagement, remediation progress, issue aging, readiness gate status, and governance maturity inputs.Create dashboards, status updates, meeting materials, and issue logs that communicate governance progress, risks, readiness, decisions needed, and business value.Facilitate or support cross-functional working sessions to align transformation activities with governance requirements and ensure data decisions are traceable and documented.Support source-to-target mapping, lineage, reconciliation, data issue resolution, and integration readiness activities during acquired-company data transformation efforts.Promote consistent governance practices by communicating expectations, maintaining documentation, and helping teams understand the value of trusted, compliant, and reusable data.Identify opportunities to improve governance work products, data quality controls, stewardship routines, metadata practices, reporting, and repeatable transformation delivery practices.Other duties as assigned. Qualifications & Requirements4+ years of experience in data governance, data transformation, data management, data quality, data integration, records and information management, data privacy and compliance, analytics, or related enterprise technology roles.Experience supporting data governance activities within data migration, integration, modernization, archival, analytics, or large-scale transformation programs.Exposure to governing unstructured and semi-structured content alongside structured data, including mail, file storage, collaboration platforms, and service management records.Working knowledge of records retention practice, including retention categories, retention triggers, disposal timing, and the evidence required to support disposal.Understanding of legal hold and preservation obligations and their effect on routine disposal activity.Experience supporting merger, acquisition, divestiture, or acquired-company technology and data integration initiatives preferred.Working knowledge of data governance frameworks, data ownership, data stewardship, critical data elements, data quality management, metadata, lineage, catalog and glossary practice, retention, and governed data delivery.Experience documenting data quality rules, profiling outputs, remediation actions, reconciliation activities, issue tracking, and readiness metrics.Familiarity with data governance technologies such as data catalogs, metadata management platforms, lineage tools, MDM platforms, data quality tools, workflow tools, or data issue management capabilities.Understanding of data protection and compliance concepts, including privacy, classification, access management, masking, retention, and internal policy controls.Awareness of retention and documentation requirements arising from professional standards in an audit, tax, or advisory environment, or comparable regulated experience.Ability to work with business and technology stakeholders, translate governance concepts into practical documentation, and support alignment across teams.Strong organizational, analytical, documentation, communication, facilitation, and stakeholder follow-up skills.Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Data Analytics, Business, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field required; relevant data governance, privacy, records management, security, project management, or cloud and data certifications preferred.Preferred ExperienceExperience operating in a professional services, consulting, accounting, or complex global enterprise environment.Experience with governance and data platform tools such as Microsoft Purview, Collibra, Informatica, Alation, Snowflake, Power BI, ServiceNow, or comparable technologies.Experience with retention, classification, or eDiscovery capabilities across mail, file storage, and collaboration platforms.Experience supporting data archival, historical data retention, legacy system decommissioning, or compliance-driven data preservation initiatives.Experience contributing to governance playbooks, stewardship operating materials, data readiness checklists, data quality scorecards, issue management routines, and dashboard reporting.Experience working with implementation partners, systems integrators, vendors, or consulting teams within transformation programs.Experience supporting cross-functional governance forums, data decision groups, or working sessions with business, technology, risk, legal, privacy, and security stakeholders.Exposure to cross-border data handling, including data residency and local privacy requirements.Success MeasuresAssigned governance activities are completed for acquired-company data integration, migration, archival, modernization, and analytics enablement workstreams.The data estate inventory for assigned entities is accurate, current, and complete enough for integration teams to plan against, covering structured systems and unstructured content.Ownership documentation and approval records are complete and traceable for assigned scope.Retention classification, retention triggers, and disposal timing are documented for assigned data and content, with items that do not classify cleanly escalated rather than assumed.Hold status is verified and documented before disposal, decommissioning, or archival activity proceeds.Critical data assets have documented owners, stewards, definitions, metadata, quality expectations, lineage, and operating controls for assigned scope.Data quality, reconciliation, issue resolution, and readiness metrics are documented, tracked, and available to support transformation decisions.Business and technology stakeholders have clear documentation and reporting on governance risks, progress, decisions, and readiness for assigned work.The base salary range for this position is between $104,000 and $150,000. Placement within the pay range is at Grant Thornton’s discretion, and it is based on multiple factors, including but not limited to, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, progression within the role, geographic location, and internal equity. At Grant Thornton, compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.At Grant Thornton, we believe in making business more personal and building trust into every result – for our clients and you. Here, we go beyond your expectations of a career in professional services by offering a career path with more: more opportunity, more flexibility, and more support. It’s what makes us different, and we think being different makes us better. In the U.S., Grant Thornton delivers professional services through two specialized entities: Grant Thornton LLP, a licensed, certified public accounting (CPA) firm that provides audit and assurance services ― and Grant Thornton Advisors LLC (not a licensed CPA firm), which exclusively provides non-attest offerings, including tax and advisory services. In 2025, Grant Thornton formed a multinational, multidisciplinary platform with Grant Thornton Ireland. The platform offers a premier Trans-Atlantic advisory and tax practice, as well as independent American and Irish audit practices. With $2.7 billion in revenues and more than 50 offices spanning the U.S., Ireland and other territories, the platform delivers a singular client experience that includes enhanced solutions and capabilities, backed by powerful technologies and a roster of 12,000 quality-driven professionals enjoying exceptional career-growth opportunities and a distinctive cross-border culture. Grant Thornton is part of the Grant Thornton International Limited network, which provides access to its member firms in more than 150 global markets.The team you’re about to join is ready to help you thrive. Here’s how:

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If you apply and are selected to interview, a Grant Thornton team member will reach out to you to schedule a time to connect. We encourage you to also check out other roles that may be a good fit for you or get to know us a little bit better at Benefits: We understand that your needs, responsibilities and experiences are different, and we think that’s a good thing. That’s why we support you with personalized and comprehensive benefits that recognize and empower all the identities, roles and aspirations that make you, well, you. For an overview of our benefit offerings, please visit: for internship positions: Grant Thornton interns are eligible to participate in the firm’s medical, dental and vision insurance programs and the firm’s employee assistance program. Interns also receive a minimum of 72 hours of paid sick leave and are paid for firm holidays that fall within their internship period.Benefits for seasonal employee positions: Grant Thornton seasonal employees are eligible to participate in the firm’s medical, dental and vision insurance programs and the firm’s employee assistance program. Seasonal employees may also be eligible to participate in the firm’s 401(k) savings plan and employee retirement plan in accordance with applicable plan terms and eligibility requirements. Seasonal employees receive a minimum of 72 hours of paid sick leave. Grant Thornton employees may be eligible for a discretionary, annual bonus based on individual and firm performance, subject to the terms, conditions and eligibility criteria of the applicable bonus plan or program. Interns and seasonal employees are not eligible for bonus compensation. Additional Details: It is the policy of Grant Thornton to promote equal employment opportunities. All personnel decisions (including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, training, working conditions, promotion, transfer, compensation, benefits, evaluations, and termination) are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital or civil union status, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship status, veteran status, disability, handicap, genetic predisposition or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state and local laws, it is the policy of Grant Thornton to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment, including the application process. To make an accommodation request, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io. For Los Angeles Applicants only: We will consider for employment all qualified Applicants, including those with Criminal Histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. For Massachusetts Applicants only: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Grant Thornton does not require or administer lie detector tests as a condition of employment or continued employment. Full timePosting Date: 2026-09-17