Data Governance Architect

Vertex - King of Prussia, PA

Full-time

Remote - King of Prussia, PA

Publishing Industries

About the position

We are seeking a seasoned and proactive Data Governance Lead to spearhead our data governance initiatives and ensure the integrity, quality, and security of our organization's data assets. As the Data Governance Lead, you will be responsible for developing and implementing data governance frameworks, policies, and processes to support our strategic objectives and regulatory compliance requirements. This role is critical in establishing a robust data governance strategy that aligns with the organization's goals and regulatory obligations. In this position, you will develop and articulate the organization's data governance vision, strategy, and roadmap. You will define data governance objectives, priorities, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success. Establishing governance structures, roles, and responsibilities will be essential to support effective data stewardship and accountability across the organization. You will also be tasked with designing, documenting, and implementing data governance policies, standards, and procedures. This includes defining data classification schemes, data ownership models, and data lifecycle management practices to ensure alignment with regulatory requirements, industry standards, and best practices. A significant aspect of your role will involve establishing data quality standards, metrics, and monitoring mechanisms. You will collaborate with data owners and stewards to identify data quality issues and root causes, implementing data quality improvement initiatives and corrective actions as needed. In terms of data security and privacy, you will develop and enforce data security and privacy policies, controls, and procedures, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. Monitoring access controls, data encryption, and other security measures will be crucial to mitigate risks associated with data management. You will implement metadata management processes to capture and maintain data lineage, definitions, and dependencies, establishing data dictionaries, glossaries, and cataloging tools to facilitate metadata discovery and documentation. Promoting metadata standards and best practices across the organization will also be part of your responsibilities. Additionally, you will provide training and guidance to employees on data governance principles, policies, and procedures, raising awareness of data management best practices and their importance to business operations. Fostering a culture of data stewardship, collaboration, and continuous improvement will be key to your success in this role. Finally, you will establish mechanisms for governance oversight, including regular reviews and audits, monitoring compliance with data governance policies, and assessing the effectiveness of controls. Preparing and presenting data governance reports, dashboards, and metrics to senior leadership will be an essential part of your role, ensuring that data governance initiatives are aligned with organizational objectives and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Develop and articulate the organization's data governance vision, strategy, and roadmap.
• Define data governance objectives, priorities, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Establish governance structures, roles, and responsibilities to support effective data stewardship and accountability.
• Design, document, and implement data governance policies, standards, and procedures.
• Define data classification schemes, data ownership models, and data lifecycle management practices.
• Ensure alignment with regulatory requirements, industry standards, and best practices.
• Establish data quality standards, metrics, and monitoring mechanisms.
• Collaborate with data owners and stewards to identify data quality issues and root causes.
• Implement data quality improvement initiatives and corrective actions as needed.
• Develop and enforce data security and privacy policies, controls, and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, etc.) and industry standards.
• Monitor access controls, data encryption, and other security measures to mitigate risks.
• Implement metadata management processes to capture and maintain data lineage, definitions, and dependencies.
• Establish data dictionaries, glossaries, and cataloging tools to facilitate metadata discovery and documentation.
• Promote metadata standards and best practices across the organization.
• Provide training and guidance to employees on data governance principles, policies, and procedures.
• Raise awareness of data management best practices and their importance to business operations.
• Foster a culture of data stewardship, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Establish mechanisms for governance oversight, including regular reviews and audits.
• Monitor compliance with data governance policies and assess effectiveness of controls.
• Prepare and present data governance reports, dashboards, and metrics to senior leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Information Management, Computer Science, Business Administration, or related field.
• Extensive experience in data governance, data management, or related roles.
• Strong understanding of data governance principles, frameworks, and best practices.
• Familiarity with regulatory requirements and industry standards related to data privacy and security.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Familiarity with Modern Data Stack technologies addressing governance, security, and data quality is a plus. Eg. Monte Carlo, Atlan, Immuta.
• Ability to influence and drive change in a complex organizational environment.
• Certification in data governance or related areas (e.g., DM-BOK, CDMP, etc.) is a plus.

Nice-to-haves

• The Winning Way behaviors that all Vertex employees need in order to meet the expectations of each other, our customers, and our partners.
• Communicate with Clarity - Be clear, concise and actionable. Be relentlessly constructive. Seek and provide meaningful feedback.
• Act with Urgency - Adopt an agile mentality - frequent iterations, improved speed, resilience. 80/20 rule - better is the enemy of done. Don't spend hours when minutes are enough.
• Work with Purpose - Exhibit a “We Can” mindset. Results outweigh effort. Everyone understands how their role contributes. Set aside personal objectives for team results.
• Drive to Decision - Cut the swirl with defined deadlines and decision points. Be clear on individual accountability and decision authority. Guided by a commitment to and accountability for customer outcomes.
• Own the Outcome - Defined milestones, commitments and intended results. Assess your work in context, if you're unsure, ask. Demonstrate unwavering support for decisions.