HR Data Architecture & Governance - Lead

Career Category

Job Description

Job Summary

The -  is responsible for establishing, leading, and evolving the organization's enterprise HR data governance framework to ensure high-quality, secure, compliant, and trusted data assets. This role partners with business, technology, and data teams to define governance policies, standards, processes, and stewardship models that enable effective data management and support analytics, regulatory compliance, and strategic decision-making.

The position will lead enterprise initiatives around data quality, metadata management, master data management (MDM), and data stewardship, while promoting a strong data-driven culture across the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

Data Governance Strategy

• Define and implement the enterprise data governance strategy, framework, and operating model.

• Establish governance policies, standards, and procedures for data management across the organization.

• Align governance initiatives with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and data strategy.

Data Quality & Data Management

• Develop and oversee data quality frameworks, metrics, monitoring, and remediation processes.

• Ensure consistent management of critical data elements (CDEs) and data lifecycle practices.

• Lead initiatives to improve data accuracy, completeness, and consistency across systems.

Metadata & Data Catalog

• Implement and manage enterprise data catalog and metadata management solutions.

• Ensure proper data lineage, data definitions, and business glossaries are maintained.

Data Stewardship & Governance Operating Model

• Establish and manage data stewardship programs, including steward roles and responsibilities.

• Facilitate data governance councils and working groups across business units.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure adherence to data privacy, security, and regulatory compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, SOX, etc.).

• Collaborate with legal, compliance, and security teams to mitigate data-related risks.

• Collaborate with IT and security teams to safeguard sensitive data.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner with business leaders, IT, analytics teams, and data owners to promote governance adoption.

• Provide leadership and guidance to cross-functional data governance teams.

Tools & Technology

• Evaluate, implement, and manage data governance tools such as data catalog, lineage, and quality platforms.

• Drive integration of governance processes within data platforms, analytics environments, and data pipelines.

Team Leadership

• Promote best practices and continuous improvement in enterprise data management.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Information Management, Computer Science, Data Management, or related field.

• 12–17 years of experience in data management, data governance, or related disciplines.

• Strong knowledge of data governance frameworks (DAMA-DMBOK, DCAM, etc.).

• Experience with data governance tools such as Collibra, Alation, Informatica, or similar platforms.

• Proven experience managing data quality, metadata, and MDM programs.

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in regulated industries (Pharma, Healthcare, Financial Services, etc.).

• Knowledge of data privacy regulations and compliance frameworks.

• Certification such as CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional) or equivalent.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Thinking

• Data Governance Leadership

• Stakeholder Collaboration

• Change Management

• Data Quality & Data Management Expertise

• Program & Project Management