Data Governance Lead

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Data Governance Lead based in the United States.

This is a fully remote opportunity for an experienced data governance professional to build and scale a modern governance function from the ground up.

You will establish clear ownership, stewardship, definitions, quality standards, and controls across critical financial and structured-data domains.

Your work will directly influence the trustworthiness, scalability, and responsible use of data and AI-powered products.

You will partner closely with Data Engineering, Data Product, Analytics, Operations, Product, Commercial, and Legal teams.

The role combines strategic program leadership with hands-on execution, requiring you to turn governance principles into measurable operational practices.

As the function matures, you will have the opportunity to help shape and grow the governance team.

This is an ideal role for a builder who thrives in ambiguity, takes ownership, and is passionate about making data trustworthy at scale.

Accountabilities

• Build and scale a comprehensive data governance program covering ownership, stewardship, quality, lineage, metadata, classification, access, and compliance.
• Define and own the data quality framework, including quality standards, thresholds, metrics, monitoring, reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Establish named data owners and stewards across key data domains, document governance decisions, and ensure responsibilities remain current and actionable.
• Own and maintain the enterprise data dictionary and business definitions, ensuring terminology remains accurate, complete, consistent, and aligned across data platforms, products, and client-facing experiences.
• Establish practical controls around data rights and usage, ensuring contractual requirements for client and third-party datasets are understood, documented, and reflected in platform-level practices.
• Partner with Data Engineering, Data Product, Data Analytics, Data Operations, Product, Commercial, and Legal teams to define governance standards and ensure they are implemented effectively.
• Translate data quality and governance gaps into measurable improvement programs, track commitments, escalate blockers, and drive initiatives through completion.
• Support the governance requirements of AI-powered products by ensuring datasets have clear definitions, accountable ownership, measurable quality, and appropriate controls.
• Work fluently with technical teams, reviewing SQL and data models and helping guide appropriate governance architecture without requiring an engineering role.
• Operate and improve a modern governance technology stack, leveraging tools such as BigQuery, dbt, Unity Catalog, Collibra, Alation, or comparable platforms.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen data governance practices as the organization scales its data products and external customer offerings.
• Develop the governance function over time, including the potential to build and lead a dedicated team as organizational needs evolve.

Requirements

• 7+ years of professional experience in data governance, data quality, data management, or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience building a data governance program or function from the ground up rather than solely administering an established framework.
• Strong knowledge of core governance disciplines, including data ownership, stewardship, quality, lineage, metadata, classification, access controls, and master/reference data.
• Proven experience designing governance frameworks that support trustworthy AI and data products at scale.
• Hands-on experience with dedicated data governance and quality platforms rather than relying primarily on spreadsheets or informal tracking systems.
• Experience with technologies such as BigQuery, dbt, Unity Catalog, Collibra, Alation, or comparable data platforms and governance tooling.
• Ability to understand and review SQL, interpret data models, and collaborate effectively with engineering teams on technical architecture and governance implementation.
• Strong understanding of data quality measurement, monitoring, remediation, and continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of relevant regulatory and privacy frameworks, including GDPR, CCPA, the EU AI Act, and/or ISO 42001.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail, with the persistence to identify ambiguous or incorrect definitions and drive issues through resolution.
• Strong program management capabilities, including tracking commitments, managing stakeholders, escalating blockers, and delivering outcomes without direct authority.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively across technical, operational, commercial, product, and legal functions.
• Strategic understanding of the relationship between data governance, AI reliability, customer trust, and scalable product development.
• Experience managing data intended for external customer consumption is a plus.
• Experience working in a startup or startup-like environment is a plus.
• Familiarity with structured finance, lending, or financial-services data is a plus.
• Experience with scalable web applications using TypeScript, Soda, and/or Deal Studio is a plus.

Benefits

• Salary: $190,000-$220,000 USD, with final compensation determined based on experience, expertise, and other business considerations.
• Remote-first environment: Work remotely within the United States in a flexible and supportive environment.
• Unlimited PTO: Time off designed to support vacation, rest, and mental-health days.
• Learning & Development: $1,000 annual fund for conferences, courses, workshops, and other professional development opportunities.
• Health coverage: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and families.
• Retirement: 401(k) plan with employee contribution options.
• Fitness support: $138 per month toward a gym or fitness membership, plus up to $1,650 annually through a fitness fund for equipment, gear, or wellness essentials.
• Parental leave: 16 weeks of fully paid leave for primary caregivers and 4 weeks for secondary caregivers.
• Professional growth: Access to learning libraries, mentoring, workshops, hackathons, and employee-led learning opportunities.
• Inclusive culture: A collaborative environment that values diverse perspectives, innovation, learning, and individual contributions.