Data Governance SME

Job Title: Data Governance SME

Location: Oakland, CA or Rancho Cordova, CA

2 days a week

Contract role

Note

We need someone who has strong strategic and execution experience in enabling Data Lifecycle Management including data retention, archival, purging, classification, de-identification etc. I don't think someone who has just Data Governance like stewardship etc. will work in this role. One thought is to consider also candidates who may have some cyber Data Loss Prevention and Security type of experience.

However, please note I'm not looking for just a technologist, but someone with strong Techno Functional skills who can conduct business requirement workshops and discussions with all levels of stakeholders from Analysts to Directors to VPs, strong verbal and written communication and presentation skills. They should be SME not just junior associate and consultants, but who can work with minimal supervision and not just take direction but also contribute and provide advisory services.

Position Overview:

We are seeking an experienced DG to lead our Member System of Record initiative. This role requires a strong foundation in Data Governance and MDM principles, with a solid understanding of the technical aspects involved. The ideal candidate will collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to define data standards, establish data quality practices, and ensure the integrity of member data across the organization. This is not a hands-on developer role but involves working closely with technical teams to shape and implement strategic data solutions that support organizational goals for member data accuracy, consistency, and compliance.

Key Responsibilities:

Define Match/Merge Rules & Survivorship:

Collaborate with stakeholders to establish rules for deduplication, survivorship, and golden record creation to ensure a single, trusted source of member data.

Data Standards & Validation:

Develop and enforce data standards, naming conventions, and validation rules to maintain consistent and high-quality member data across systems.

Metadata Management:

Create and maintain comprehensive metadata in Collibra, including data definitions, data lineage, and stewardship attributes, to promote data transparency and trust.

Data Profiling & Data Quality Rules:

Conduct data profiling exercises, analyze data quality issues, and define DQ rules to proactively monitor and improve data integrity.

Data Quality Monitoring:

Establish processes and dashboards to monitor ongoing data quality, identify issues, and coordinate resolutions through stewardship teams.

Stewardship Roles & Ownership:

Review and refine stewardship roles, ownership responsibilities, and escalation pathways related to member data to ensure accountability and clarity.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

Work with Enterprise Architects, Product Management, Application Development, Data Teams, Business Data Stewards, and other stakeholders to design and implement effective member data solutions and processes.

Stakeholder Engagement:

Support and facilitate working groups, governance councils, and stakeholder meetings to drive alignment and progress on data standards, policies, and initiatives.

Change Management & Training:

Lead change management efforts, develop training materials, and provide ongoing education to promote data governance awareness and adoption.

Policy & Standards Enhancement:

Assess and recommend enhancements to Data Governance policies and standards in alignment with evolving organizational and regulatory requirements.

Compliance & Privacy Collaboration:

Partner with Legal and Regulatory Compliance teams to ensure member data processes adhere to privacy laws, regulations, and internal policies.

Qualifications:

Proven experience in Master Data Management, Data Governance, and establishing System of Record for customer/member data.

Strong understanding of data standards, survivorship rules, and golden record concepts.

Experience with metadata management tools such as Collibra.

Knowledge of data profiling, data quality rules, and monitoring best practices.

Ability to interpret technical details and collaborate effectively with technical teams while maintaining a business-centric focus.

Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, and facilitation skills.

Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives, drive consensus, and manage change.

Background in healthcare, financial services, or other regulated sectors is a plus.

Preferred:

Familiarity with privacy and compliance frameworks such as HIPAA, GDPR, or CCPA.

Experience working with enterprise data architectures and data integration projects.