Manager: Master & Reference Data Management

Requisition Details and Talent Acquisition Contact

REQ ID: 146968 - Michelle Thabethe

Location: Sandton

Cluster: Group Finance - GBS AND GF DMO 

Closing date: 03 August 2026

Job Family

Career Stream

Leadership Pipeline

Job Purpose

To lead and operationalise the Master and Reference Data Management (MRDM) capability across Group Finance and Group Human Resources, ensuring critical master and reference data is consistently defined, governed, controlled and consumed across business processes, systems and reporting activities.

The role is responsible for establishing and maintaining a trusted, single source of truth for critical data domains through effective governance, stewardship, lifecycle management, quality controls and stakeholder engagement. The incumbent will drive data management maturity, improve reporting integrity, support regulatory compliance and enable informed decision-making through strong data management practices.

Key Accountabilities

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  Master & Reference Data Governance

  
  
  
  
  • Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of the Master and Reference Data Management capability.
  
  
  • Establish and maintain enterprise standards, policies, frameworks and controls for master and reference data.
  
  
  • Define and govern data domains, business rules, ownership models, stewardship structures and accountability requirements.
  
  
  • Drive the adoption of consistent data definitions and standards across Finance and HR.
  
  
  • Facilitate governance forums responsible for data approvals, policy decisions and issue escalation.
  
  
  • Promote and maintain a single source of truth for critical enterprise data assets.
  
  
  
  

   

  
  

Data Lifecycle Management

• Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of master and reference data, including creation, validation, approval, publication, maintenance and retirement.


• Ensure effective change control, governance and approval processes are embedded across business and technology teams.


• Drive continuous improvement of lifecycle management practices and controls.

Data Quality, Risk & Control

• Design and implement controls that improve the quality, integrity and reliability of master and reference data.


• Monitor data quality metrics, trends and exceptions.


• Lead root cause analysis and remediation activities for data-related issues.


• Partner with Governance, Data Quality and System Risk teams to strengthen enterprise data controls.

Business Partnership & Advisory

• Act as a trusted advisor on Master and Reference Data Management practices.


• Collaborate with Data Owners, Data Stewards, Business Data Managers and Technology teams.


• Influence decision-making through expert guidance on data standards, ownership, quality and lifecycle controls.


• Support strategic initiatives, business change programmes and regulatory projects requiring MRDM expertise.

Metadata & Data Management Enablement

• Ensure critical master and reference data is supported by appropriate business definitions, metadata and lineage.


• Partner with Metadata Management teams to improve traceability, transparency and regulatory readiness.


• Support data discoverability and business understanding through effective metadata management practices.

Process Improvement, Automation & Innovation

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  • Identify opportunities to automate and optimise data management processes.
  
  
  • Promote the use of data management technologies, workflow automation and reporting automation.
  
  
  • Leverage technology, scripting and modern data management practices to improve efficiency, control effectiveness and data quality outcomes.
  
  
  • Support innovation initiatives that enhance Data Management Office capabilities and maturity.
  
  
  
  

Minimum Experience & Qualifications

• 7–10 years' experience in Data Management, Data Governance, Master Data Management or related disciplines.


• Proven experience implementing and managing data governance or Master and Reference Data Management frameworks.


• Strong stakeholder engagement, influencing and relationship management skills.


• Experience within financial services, banking or other regulated industries will be advantageous.


• Exposure to Finance, Regulatory Reporting, Risk or Human Resources data domains is desirable.


• Experience working with SAP, data integration, cloud platforms, reporting and analytics environments will be advantageous.

Technical & Professional Competencies

• Master & Reference Data Management (MRDM)


• Data Governance


• Data Quality Management


• Metadata Management


• Data Ownership & Stewardship


• Data Lifecycle Management


• DAMA Data Management Framework


• BCBS239 Principles


• Data Standards and Controls


• Root Cause Analysis


• Reporting & Analytics


• Stakeholder Management

Desirable technical exposure

• Data automation and process optimisation


• Python or similar scripting languages


• SQL and data querying concepts


• AI and intelligent automation fundamentals


• Data integration and API concepts

Success Measures

Success in the role will be demonstrated through:

• Adoption of MRDM standards and governance practices across Finance and HR.


• Effective ownership and stewardship of critical master and reference data domains.


• Improved data quality, consistency and integrity across systems and reporting environments.


• Reduction in recurring data issues and strengthened control effectiveness.


• Increased governance maturity, audit readiness and regulatory compliance.


• Greater use of automation and modern data management practices to improve operational efficiency.


• Increased business confidence in enterprise data assets and decision-making.

Behavioural Competencies