Data Governance Lead

Job Description

The Opportunity  

The Data Governance Lead will support the implementation and day-to-day advancement of the University’s Data Governance Program. This is a hands-on, individual-contributor role responsible for translating the University’s data governance vision and strategy into practical policies, procedures, standards, documentation, workflows, and measurable outcomes across the University’s campuses.

The Data Governance Lead will collaborate with stakeholders across the institution to establish sustainable governance practices that improve the quality, consistency, accessibility, protection, and responsible use of institutional data in support of the University’s mission and informed decision-making.

This position will establish and facilitate data governance councils, domain working groups, steward communities, and other forums that promote consistent data governance practices. The role will partner with University stakeholders to define data domains, critical data elements, business definitions, data custodianship and stewardship responsibilities, data standards, and decision rights.

The Data Governance Lead will also support metadata management, business glossary and data catalog development, data discovery, classification, certification, data lineage, access, retention, and data lifecycle management. The position will coordinate efforts to identify and address data-quality issues, establish data-quality standards and measures, and support issue remediation and accountability.

Additionally, this role will develop governance communications, training, metrics, dashboards, executive reports, implementation roadmaps, and work plans. The Data Governance Lead will promote data literacy and data fluency through training, webinars, roadshows, and other outreach initiatives.

The successful candidate will be a proactive and collaborative professional who can build consensus, lead through influence, manage competing priorities, and develop trusted relationships across a complex, multi-campus environment. This position does not have direct supervisory responsibility.

About us 

For over 100 years, Embry-Riddle has been the world's leading aviation and aerospace university, educating more than 30,000 students across residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona, as well as through a global network of Worldwide locations and online programs. With more than 165,000 alumni around the world, our impact reaches every corner of the aerospace, aviation, defense and technology industries. 

Today, our faculty, researchers and professional staff are advancing innovation across aviation, space, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, autonomous systems and next-generation engineering. Working alongside industry leaders, government agencies and innovators, they are solving real-world challenges and shaping the technologies that will define tomorrow. 

Whether you are an educator, researcher, administrator, technologist or industry professional, your work at Embry-Riddle will contribute to something bigger than a job. Join a community driven by discovery, purpose and excellence—and help shape the future of aerospace. 

• Generous Time Off: Enjoy up to 18 days of paid leave in your first year, including 3 days granted upon hire and 15 days accrued throughout the year. You'll also receive 9+ paid holidays, including the day after Thanksgiving and the week between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day. 
• Tuition Coverage: Get 100% tuition coverage for yourself for one undergraduate and one graduate degree, and discounted rates for your spouse and dependent children up to age 26. 
• Retirement Contributions: ERAU contributes 6% of your base salary to your retirement plan and offers a 4% matching contribution – with no vesting period. 
• Personal Leave: Relax with 15 days of personal leave for non-exempt employees or 18 days for exempt full-time employees in your first year.  

Qualifications

  Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in information systems, business, library and information science, analytics, higher education administration, public administration, or a related field. An equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in data governance, data management, institutional research, data quality, metadata management, records or information governance, business intelligence, analytics, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience implementing or operating data governance practices, including data custodianship and stewardship, business glossaries, metadata management, data cataloging, data-quality management, data lineage, data classification, governance policy development, or related capabilities.
• Experience working with sensitive or regulated data and applying appropriate practices related to privacy, confidentiality, security, access, retention, and responsible use.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and build consensus in a complex, distributed, multi-campus, or multi-stakeholder environment through influence rather than direct authority.
• Ability to translate data governance concepts into clear, practical policies, procedures, standards, and documentation for business, technical, and executive audiences.
• Strong facilitation, communication, organization, project-management, and stakeholder-engagement skills.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, exercise sound judgment, and deliver high-quality work with limited day-to-day direction.

Preferred:

• Master’s degree in information systems, business, library and information science, analytics, business administration, higher education administration, public administration, or a related field.
• DAMA Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) certification or active progress toward certification.
• Working knowledge of the DAMA Data Management Body of Knowledge (DAMA-DMBOK) framework and data governance principles.
• Experience in higher education or another complex, distributed, multi-campus organization.
• Experience supporting a data governance program in a higher education environment.
• Experience with data cataloging, metadata management, data quality, master data management, data lineage, privacy, or data classification.
• Experience using data governance tools such as Data Cookbook, Microsoft Purview, Collibra, Alation, Atlan, or comparable solutions.

To submit your application for this opportunity, please visit the Embry-Riddle Career Site and search for requisition number R312296. Please attach all relevant materials to your application when you apply online. Complete submissions include: 

• Cover letter 
• Resume 
• Contact information for at least three professional references (please note that references may be contacted as part of the interview/screening process) 

Current Embry-Riddle employees: Please apply directly through the ERAU Employee Hub Central application within Workday. 

Embry-Riddle is committed to fostering a workplace where all individuals are valued and respected. We strive to ensure that all faculty, staff, and students are treated fairly and provided equal opportunities for employment, advancement, compensation, training, and other benefits of employment. Embry-Riddle makes employment decisions — including hiring, promotions, compensation, and other terms of employment — based on individual merit, qualifications, and abilities. Embry-Riddle is strongly opposed to discrimination and harassment, and such behavior is prohibited by university policy. Embry-Riddle does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, veteran status, predisposing genetic characteristics, age, religion, or pregnancy status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law, in its employment, educational programs, admissions policies, financial aid, or other school-administered programs or activities. For further information, please visit our website. 

Embry-Riddle does not accept unsolicited assistance from staffing or recruitment agencies. Agencies interested in partnering with the University should contact [email protected] and should not contact hiring managers or other University employees directly. To preserve the integrity and authenticity of our hiring process, candidates are expected to participate without AI-assisted coaching, real-time response generation, or recording during interviews or assessments. Embry-Riddle does not use AI to automatically screen, rank, or select candidates.