Data Governance Specialist

Job Summary

A Brief Overview

Are you interested in participating in Queen's vision for leveraging data for Decisions, Analytics and AI? Queen's University is implementing a multi-year roadmap to use data and emerging technologies for success of its students, research excellence and innovation. We are hiring a specialist in data governance and management who will play a crucial part in developing policies and standards, implement data governance tools, develop governed data products, data catalogues and metadata repositories in collaboration with data platform team. This role is instrumental in fostering engagement of multiple interest holders. promoting collaboration with faculties and departments to ensure adoption of data governance and participation in data projects.

This position contributes to the development of data governance policies, standards, procedures, and best practices, and supports institutional initiatives related to data quality, metadata management, data catalogues, security, and privacy. This position designs, implements, and supports data governance tools, processes, and frameworks to enable the effective curation and responsible use of institutional data. This position leads and supports data governance and data quality projects, engages university partners across the university, and develops guidance, training, communication materials, and documentation to promote effective data stewardship and the strategic use of institutional data assets.

Job Description

What you will do

• Develops and maintains institutional data governance policies, standards, guidelines, and best practices for data quality, metadata, lifecycle management, access, and use.

• Leads and coordinates data governance projects, including project planning, university partner engagement, implementation activities, and progress reporting.

• Implements, administers, and optimizes data governance tools and technologies that support metadata management, data quality, and data stewardship.

• Supports the development and maintenance of institutional data catalogues, metadata repositories, curated data assets, and data definitions.

• Establishes and monitors data quality processes, controls, metrics, and reporting to improve the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of institutional data.

• Provides expertise and guidance on data governance practices, data sharing, stewardship responsibilities, and responsible data use.

• Facilitates cross-functional working groups and partnerships to advance institutional data governance initiatives and promote adoption of standards and tools.

• Develops and delivers training, communications, and knowledge-sharing resources to strengthen institutional data literacy and governance practices.

• Analyzes and reports on the adoption, effectiveness, and maturity of data governance initiatives, providing recommendations for continuous improvement.

• Maintains institutional knowledge resources and authoritative information related to governed data assets and data management practices.

Required Education

• Four-Year Bachelor Degree or equivalent in computer science or information management is preferred. In addition, requires trade certification, qualification, or on-going learning to remain ahead of changes in technology or emerging fields.

Required Experience

• More than 5 years of experience.

• Experience with data governance concepts, techniques, processes, and applications considered an asset.

• Experience with data management including business glossaries, data catalogues, metadata, and principle and reference data management considered an asset.

• Experience with data architecture, higher education data taxonomy, and/or business processes considered an asset.

• Experience in planning and/or managing projects considered an asset.

• Experience in writing, interviewing, reviewing, editing and/or proofreading internal and/or external communications and documents considered an asset (e.g., social media, policy manuals, newsletters, handbooks, legal documents, forms/templates, blogs, training/reference materials, technical documents, webinars, etc.).

Required Licenses and Certifications

• A CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional) certification is considered an asset.

• Dataversity Data Governance Online Training considered an asset.

• Consideration may be given to an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Job Knowledge and Requirements

• Knowledge of concepts and principles in a specialist field that is typically acquired through a combination of advanced professional or academic qualifications and/or significant work experience.

• Provide expert advice, guidance and consultation on highly complex issues and/or where the outcome may be contentious.

• Interaction with others requires highly developed interpersonal skills to effectively persuade, negotiate, counsel, and/or consult.

• Adapt messages to meet the different needs of different audiences.

• Prioritize and distribute work to deliver objectives on time and to the highest standard.

• Identify in advance when the intended results may not be achieved and develops a plan to address the gaps.

• Lead team and project meetings and develop team/unit and departmental project plans.

• Lead procedural or technological change within a unit or across broader university functions.

• Identify opportunities to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of work processes.

• Anticipate complex challenges to ensure activities are completed on time.

• Effectively leverage relevant data as input to making decisions.

• Appropriately assess risks before making a decision.

• Comprehensive understanding of what sexual violence, harassment and discrimination are, and their varying effects on diverse members of the community.

• Question and take appropriate steps to address attitudes, macroaggressions and other behaviours which are discriminatory. Acknowledges and respects diverse cultural traditions, abilities and beliefs.