Data Governance Lead

OMNIA Partners•Franklin, TN

About The Position

The Data Governance Lead is a strategic, hands‑on leader responsible for establishing and maturing OMNIA Partners’ enterprise data governance and master data management (MDM) program from the ground up. This role defines and drives the frameworks, policies, operating model, and practices that ensure our data is trusted, well‑defined, and consistently used to create business value across the organization. Partnering closely with a third‑party data governance and MDM implementation partner, technology teams, and business stakeholders, this role will design and stand up the governance framework, launch core processes, and then scale the operating model by hiring and leading a network of data stewards over time. The Data Governance Lead serves as the primary liaison and advocate for data governance and MDM across business units and senior leadership, connecting strategy to execution and embedding governance into everyday workflows.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
At least 8 years of related experience in data governance, data management, data quality, MDM, or closely related domains.
Demonstrated experience standing up or significantly maturing data governance and/or MDM capabilities (framework, policies, operating model, tooling) rather than only operating within a fully established program.
Strong understanding of data governance and MDM concepts, including ownership and stewardship models, data quality management, metadata management, and data privacy and security principles.
Proven ability to collaborate with and influence cross‑functional stakeholders across business, technology, and compliance, including driving decisions in governance forums without direct authority.
Excellent communication and storytelling skills, capable of tailoring messages for executive leaders, business stakeholders, technical teams, and frontline stewards.

Nice To Haves

5+ years in a leadership role focused specifically on data governance and/or master data management.
Proven track record of building and running successful, enterprise‑level data governance and MDM programs from strategy through execution.
Deep expertise in data governance frameworks and best practices (e.g., DAMA‑DMBOK) and familiarity with key data privacy/security regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).
Hands‑on experience with MDM, data quality, and data catalog tools (e.g., Reltio, Atlan, Collibra, Informatica, Alation, or similar).
Relevant professional certification such as Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) or similar.

Responsibilities

Oversee, define, and execute a multi‑year data governance and master data management strategy and roadmap that aligns with OMNIA Partners’ objectives and broader data transformation initiatives.
Stand up an enterprise data governance framework, including charters, decision‑making forums, and RACI for key roles (executive sponsors, data owners, data stewards, custodians).
Set a practical, implementable approach to rollout of stewardship across business units, phasing adoption in line with readiness and value.
Define and operationalize data leadership/ownership, stewardship, and accountability across all critical data domains (e.g., Member, Supplier, Product, Financial).
Establish and lead the Data Governance working group and any leadership steering forums, facilitating decision‑making on data standards, policies, priorities, and critical data issues.
Serve as the primary liaison and advocate for data governance and MDM across business units and senior leadership, clearly articulating the business value of data quality, alignment, and consistent definitions.
Develop, implement, and enforce data policies, standards, and procedures for data lifecycle management, quality, sharing, and usage, ensuring they are practical and adoptable.
Design and implement core data governance controls such as data classification, access, retention, and usage guidelines, partnering with Security, Privacy, Legal, and Compliance where needed.
Collaborate with Data Stewards, Business Stakeholders, Data Leaders/Owners, and internal team members to define data quality rules and implement monitoring and remediation processes.
Establish and report Key Data Quality Indicators (KDQIs) and metrics (e.g., accuracy, completeness, consistency, timeliness), leveraging them to drive continuous improvement.
Direct the development and execution of the master data management and alignment strategy, including implementation and ongoing evolution.
Define and govern master data definitions, rules, and hierarchies to achieve a “single source of truth” for critical data elements across domains.
Oversee data integration and synchronization processes to ensure consistent master data across operational and analytical systems.
Create a comprehensive playbook for embedding stewardship practices into the implementation of MDM functionality and the semantic layer in Snowflake.
Oversee the development and maintenance of key metadata assets, including the business glossary, data dictionaries, and data lineage, to ensure transparency and shared understanding of data.
Work with platform and architecture teams to implement and operationalize data catalog and lineage capabilities, making it easy for business and technology users to discover and trust data.
Lead the day‑to‑day partnership with the third‑party governance/MDM partner, ensuring clear scope, deliverables, and knowledge transfer so the internal team can operate the model long‑term.
Build and lead a small but growing team of data stewards over the year, including defining roles, hiring, onboarding, and ongoing coaching and development.
Create and deliver education, training, and communications to promote a culture where data is treated as a strategic asset and governance is seen as an enabler rather than a barrier.
Act as a trusted advisor to executives and product/technology leaders on data governance and MDM implications of new initiatives, acquisitions, and platform changes.
Continuously refine the governance and MDM framework, operating model, and KPIs based on feedback, metrics, and evolving business and regulatory needs.