Technical Director - Data Governance

Technical Director, Data Governance
At ABSG Consulting, risk analysis is our foundation. ABSG Consulting is a global professional services company with 100+ offices in 30+ countries. Our Global Government division, headquartered in Washington, DC, deploys cutting-edge technical expertise for federal agencies such as the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the United States Coast Guard (USCG).We are seeking a Technical Director of Data Governance to lead our efforts in supporting government clients’ data governance programs and support expansion of our data governance service offering. In this role, you will be responsible for developing enterprise-level strategies and providing expert guidance in the areas of data governance, management, quality, privacy, and stewardship. As a key leader in this domain, you will oversee comprehensive client engagements and drive initiatives that enhance organizational data maturity. The ideal candidate will bring proven leadership experience and a deep understanding of implementing data practices across complex enterprises, with a strong emphasis on strategic vision, stakeholder collaboration, and operational resilience.

What You Will Do:

• Lead enterprise-wide data governance strategy: Define and execute a vision for data management and governance that serves as a strategic asset for clients, aligning with organizational goals and missions.
• Drive the development of policy frameworks: Provide high-level oversight for the creation and implementation of data governance policies, standards, and procedures to ensure compliance with government regulations and industry standards.
• Establish operational excellence: Develop mechanisms for operational resilience with a focus on driving the implementation of policy in areas such as data quality improvement and monitoring, optimization of processes to adhere to data privacy rules and regulations, and data lifecycle management such as processes to appropriately retain and dispose of data.
• Oversee enterprise metadata strategies: Provide direction on developing clients’ metadata management strategies to enhance enterprise-level data understanding, documentation, taxonomy, and lineage.
• Build cross-functional alliances: Establish and maintain a network of data governance stakeholders across organizations, enhancing a sense of data ownership, and ensuring alignment and developing effective data stewardship.
• Champion organizational change: Provide thought leadership in organizational change management, empowering clients to innovate and adopt leading-edge data practices.
• Mentor key personnel: Provide leadership and training to internal teams and client stewards, empowering success across enterprise data governance initiatives.
• Grow internal capabilities: Provide thought leadership to help grow ABSG’s data governance capability and expand the team of data governance professionals, strengthening the organization’s capacity to deliver innovative solutions.

What You Will Need:

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree strongly preferred in Data Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or related fields.
• 12+ years of progressive experience in implementing and leading data governance programs, with a strong track record of leadership.
• Demonstrated success managing large-scale enterprise data governance programs and advising senior executives on strategic decision-making.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Extensive experience across disciplines including data governance, data quality, data stewardship, and metadata management with strategic leadership contributions for government agencies or large organizations.
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional teams and dispersed stakeholders to drive maturing data practices across multi-layered enterprises.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with the ability to champion organizational change at the executive level and stakeholder level.
• Advanced understanding of technical frameworks and methodologies needed to lead enterprise-wide data efforts.

Location:

This position is ideally located in the Washington, D.C., area, but remote leadership opportunities are available.

Reporting Relationships:

Reports directly to the Technical Director for Data & AI Governance for strategic matters. May manage a team of individual contributors and/or oversee managers responsible for subsets of the data governance program.

Salary Range:

$165-200k