Data Governance Lead

Data Governance Lead Opportunity

The Data Governance Lead will drive the customer's shift to managing data as a product by defining enterprise data domains, establishing a scalable data product model, and implementing the operating model (roles, decision rights, forums, processes, and metrics) that makes governance actionable and sustainable. This role leads the governance mechanisms that enable trusted, compliant, and reusable data products while reducing people‐dependent governance through clear accountability, repeatable processes, and automation where feasible.

Candidate must be open to travel.

What You Will Get To Do

• Define Data Domains & Ownership Model
• Lead the definition of enterprise data domains (e.g., customer, product, operations, finance, supply chain) including domain boundaries and accountability
• Establish domain‐level governance roles such as Data Product Owners, Data Product Stewards, and Technical Custodians, with clear decision rights
• Stand up domain governance forums and escalation paths to resolve definition, quality, and usage issues
• Establish the Data Product Model (Manage Data as a Product)
• Define the customer's data product taxonomy, standards, and lifecycle (intake → design → build → publish → operate → retire)
• Establish a consistent "definition of done" for data products, including: Business definitions and glossary alignment, Metadata completeness and lineage, Data quality rules and thresholds, Security, privacy, and access requirements
• Partner with domain teams to embed product thinking into governance, including consumer needs, SLAs, documentation, and adoption metrics
• Build & Run the Data Governance Operating Model
• Design and implement the governance operating model, including Policies and Standards, Foundational governance processes (data onboarding, data sharing, issue management), Governance forums and execution cadence, Metrics and dashboards to track effectiveness
• Own and operationalize governance capabilities across cataloging, lineage, and data quality management
• Drive a shift from purely people‐driven governance to scalable, repeatable, and tool‐enabled execution
• Lead Stewardship, Quality, and Business Alignment
• Coordinate the data stewardship organization across domains
• Mediate and resolve escalated data quality, definition, and ownership issues
• Lead root cause analysis for recurring data issues and prioritize remediation with business and technology teams
• Monitor and report governance performance and maturity to senior stakeholders
• Stakeholder & Team Leadership
• Partner closely with business leaders, analytics teams, data platform teams, architecture, security, and compliance
• Integrate governance expectations into delivery workflows and operating rhythms
• Build, lead, and develop governance talent across centralized and federated models

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree in data science, computer science, information systems, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
• 5+ years of experience in data governance, data management, or related disciplines
• Strong understanding of data governance frameworks, policies, and standards
• Experience with data cataloging, lineage, and data quality management concepts and tools
• Proven ability to influence across business and technology stakeholders

Nice To Have

• Experience implementing federated or domain‐oriented governance models (e.g., data mesh–inspired approaches)
• Experience defining and operationalizing data products and data product ownership
• Background in large‐scale, complex enterprise environments