Job Title: Data Governance Specialist
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Duration: Long Term Contract
Experience: 12+ years

Job Summary:
We are seeking an experienced Data Governance Specialist to lead enterprise-wide data governance initiatives. This role ensures data quality, consistency, privacy, and compliance across all business functions. The ideal candidate will have extensive hands-on experience with data governance frameworks, metadata management, data cataloging, and data quality tools.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop, implement, and maintain enterprise data governance frameworks, policies, and standards.

• Collaborate with business and technology teams to define data ownership, stewardship, and data quality requirements.

• Manage data cataloging, metadata management, and data lineage activities across systems.

• Conduct data quality assessments, identify issues, and drive corrective action plans.

• Support compliance efforts related to data privacy regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, etc.

• Facilitate Data Governance Council meetings and prepare governance documentation, dashboards, and progress reports.

• Work with data stewards, architects, and engineering teams to define and maintain critical data elements (CDEs).

• Ensure alignment of data governance practices with business strategy and the data management roadmap.

• Monitor and enforce data controls, data policies, and data access guidelines.

• Evaluate and recommend data governance tools and best practices.

Qualifications and Required Skills:

• Strong understanding of data governance principles, frameworks, and industry standards.

• Hands-on experience with data catalog and metadata tools such as Alation, Collibra, Informatica EDC/IDQ, or similar.

• Practical experience with data quality, data lineage, and data stewardship processes.

• Knowledge of master data management (MDM) concepts and data privacy standards.

• Strong analytical, documentation, and communication skills.

• Ability to work with cross-functional teams and engage both business and technical stakeholders.

• Familiarity with SQL and basic data profiling.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.

• Certification in Data Governance or Data Management (e.g., DAMA CDMP).

• Exposure to data architecture and data engineering practices.

Education:
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Management, Data Analytics, or a related field.