Senior Director of Data Governance

Discover Your Career at Emory University

Emory University is a leading research university that fosters excellence and attracts world-class talent to innovate today and prepare leaders for the future. We welcome candidates who can contribute to the excellence of our academic community.
Description

Reporting to the Corporate Director, Data and AI Governance, the Senior Director of Data Governance provides enterprise leadership for Emory University's data governance program and serves as the university's senior authority on the definition, quality, protection, and responsible use of institutional data.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Sets the strategic direction for a university-wide program spanning administrative, academic, research, and operational data, including financial, human resources, student, faculty, research, advancement, and IT data.
• Works in close partnership with the Office of the Provost, the Chief Information Security Officer, the Office of Compliance and Privacy, research administration, and school and unit leadership to establish data governance as a core institutional capability in support of Emory's teaching, research, and service mission.
• Coordinates with Emory Healthcare data governance leadership on data shared across the enterprise.
• Develops and executes a multi-year data governance strategy and roadmap aligned with university strategic priorities, the enterprise technology governance framework, and institutional risk tolerance.
• Establishes and leads the data governance operating model, including charters, decision rights, and escalation paths for data governance bodies, and serves as the principal staff lead to the Data Advisory Committee and related executive governance bodies.
• Defines program performance measures and maturity targets and reports progress, risks, and outcomes to the Chief Information Officer, the Provost, the President's Council, and Board of Trustees committees as requested.
• Translates complex data issues into clear business terms that enable executive decision making.
• Directs the enterprise data stewardship structure, defining roles, accountabilities, and service expectations for Data Trustees, Data Stewards, Data Custodians, and Users across a highly decentralized institution.
• Forges shared agreements across schools and units on the definition, documentation, classification, and appropriate use of university data assets.
• Oversees the enterprise business glossary, data catalog, metadata management, and data lineage capabilities so that stakeholders know where to find data, what the data represent, and how the data may be used.
• Establishes enterprise data quality standards, metrics, and remediation processes in partnership with data warehouse, business intelligence, and analytics teams across the university.
• Leads data policy development and serves as the university's senior subject matter expert on the interpretation, implementation, and compliance with data governance policies, standards, and regulatory obligations, including FERPA, HIPAA, GLBA, export control and Controlled Unclassified Information requirements, federal research data management and sharing policies, and applicable state and international privacy laws.
• Formulates and proposes policies to university governance bodies.
• Partners with the Chief Information Security Officer and the Office of Compliance and Privacy on data classification, handling standards, retention, and data protection controls, and supports regulatory audits and inquiries.
• Oversees data access, data sharing, and data use agreement processes for internal and external data exchange.
• Leads data governance for artificial intelligence and advanced analytics.
• Establishes standards for data readiness, provenance, and permissible use of institutional data in AI tools, models, and vendor platforms, and serves as the data governance lead within the university's AI governance structure.
• Partners with enterprise architecture and technology leadership to embed data governance requirements into system selection, implementation, and integration decisions, including enterprise resource planning (ERP) modernization, enterprise data platforms, and third-party vendors that create, store, or process Emory data.
• Builds, leads, and develops a team of data governance professionals, which may include managers, data governance analysts, and data quality and metadata specialists.
• Manages the program budget and vendor relationships for data governance tools and services.
• Leads institution-wide data literacy and data governance training for Data Trustees, Data Stewards, Data Custodians, and Users.
• Represents Emory University in consortia with peer universities, higher education associations, and data governance professional organizations.
• Monitors trends and emerging practices and recommends strategic directions and priorities to university leadership.
• Performs related responsibilities as required. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• A bachelor's degree in information systems, data science, analytics, business administration, or related field and eight years of progressively responsible experience in data governance, data management, or related field, including four years of supervisory or managerial experience, OR an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree preferred.
• Professional certification such as CDMP or DGSP preferred.
• Demonstrated success building or leading an enterprise data governance program in a complex, decentralized organization; higher education or academic medical center experience strongly preferred.
• Deep knowledge of data governance frameworks (e.g., DAMA-DMBOK), data architecture, master data and metadata management, data quality, business intelligence, and analytics.
• Working knowledge of data privacy and security regulations and frameworks relevant to higher education and research.
• Familiarity with the governance of data used in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
• Experience with enterprise data catalog and governance platforms and with ERP systems such as Workday, PeopleSoft, or Banner.
• Exceptional executive presence, diplomacy, and facilitation skills, with a demonstrated ability to build consensus among senior leaders, faculty, and staff.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex topics to executive leadership and governing boards.

NOTE: This role will be granted the opportunity to work from home regularly but must be able to commute to Emory University on a flexible weekly schedule based upon business needs. Schedule is based on agreed upon guidelines of department. This role requires residency in the state of GA. Emory reserves the right to change remote work status with notice to employee.

Additional Details

Emory is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law. Emory University does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotions, transfers, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits, and training. Students, faculty, and staff are assured of participation in university programs and in the use of facilities without such discrimination. Emory University complies with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Assistance Act, and applicable executive orders, federal and state regulations regarding nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and affirmative action (for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities). Inquiries regarding this policy should be directed to the Emory University Department of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance, 201 Dowman Drive, Administration Building, Atlanta, GA 30322. Telephone: 404-727-9867 (V) | 404-712-2049 (TDD).

Emory University is committed to ensuring equal access and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to seek a reasonable accommodation, please contact the Department of Accessibility Services at [email protected] or call 404-727-9877 (Voice) | 404-712-2049 (TDD). We kindly ask that requests be made at least seven business days in advance to allow adequate time for coordination.