Technology & Data Governance Lead

Technology Governance Lead

Capstone IT is helping our client find a Head of Technology & Data Governance who will lead the design and adoption of an enterprise-wide governance program across a federated organization. This is a strategic, influence-first role focused on building relationships, gaining buy-in from business and technology leaders, and driving voluntary adoption of governance practices. Day to day, this person will engage executives, align stakeholders, define governance frameworks, and translate data and technology governance into business valuenot enforce compliance or write code.

Top 4 Skills:

• Enterprise Data & Technology Governance (frameworks, operating models, stewardship)
• Executive Stakeholder Engagement & Influence Without Authority
• Data Risk & Compliance (classification, access controls, risk assessments)
• Governance Tooling & Ecosystem (GRC, data catalog, lineage, DSPM/DLP)

Responsibilities:

• Build and socialize a company-wide governance program across business and technology teams
• Influence adoption through relationship-building, alignment, and business value messaging
• Define governance frameworks including policies, RASCI models, and stewardship structures
• Lead data classification, minimization, retention, and access governance strategies
• Develop and manage enterprise data/technology inventory, lineage, and risk visibility
• Conduct data risk assessments to prioritize security and investment decisions
• Partner with CISO, CDTO, and executives to align governance with risk appetite and business goals
• Lead GRC tooling selection and implementation (e.g., Vanta, MetricStream)
• Act as liaison for audits, regulatory reviews, and compliance reporting
• Build governance metrics, dashboards, and executive-level reporting
• Drive cross-functional alignment across security, privacy, legal, and business units

Qualifications:

• 8+ years in information security, data governance, or related field
• Proven experience leading governance programs in federated organizations
• Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and drive voluntary adoption
• Strong executive communication skills; able to translate risk into business terms
• Experience with data governance concepts (cataloging, lineage, MDM, DQ, DSPM/DLP)
• Experience with GRC platforms and governance tooling integrations
• Background in risk assessments and cross-functional collaboration
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• Certifications (nice to have): CISSP, CISA, CRISC, Security+