Data Governance Manager Job Description and Role Profile

The Data Governance Manager is responsible for establishing and maintaining data governance policies, standards and accountability across the organisation. Candidates with experience in data stewardship, policy development and stakeholder engagement should apply.

Data Governance Manager Job Profile

The Data Governance Manager leads the development and operation of a formal data governance programme to ensure data is accurate, available and used in accordance with organisational policies and compliance requirements. This role defines governance structures, assigns stewardship responsibilities and embeds governance practices into business processes.

The postholder works across business and technical teams to align data practices with business objectives, reduce data risk and improve the value of data assets. The role reports to senior data leadership and provides guidance to data owners, stewards and subject matter experts.

Data Governance Manager Job Description

The Data Governance Manager designs, implements and oversees policies, standards and procedures that govern data across its lifecycle. They establish roles and responsibilities for data ownership and stewardship, set data quality expectations and monitor compliance with internal rules and external regulations. The role requires translating governance requirements into practical processes and controls that can be adopted by operational teams.

This role operates in a cross-functional environment where influencing without direct authority is essential. The manager provides regular reporting on data quality, policy adoption and exceptions, and drives continuous improvement through training, process change and escalation of issues. They will also coordinate with risk, legal and compliance functions to address regulatory obligations and data protection considerations.

Expectations include delivering measurable improvements in data quality and governance maturity, maintaining clear documentation of governance artefacts, and supporting data-driven decision making by providing dependable data assets and metadata. The role may involve project work to deliver governance initiatives and the periodic review of policies to reflect changing business needs.

Data Governance Manager: Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the enterprise data governance framework, policies and standards.
• Define data ownership and stewardship models and assign responsibilities across the organisation.
• Establish and monitor data quality metrics and key performance indicators.
• Coordinate data stewardship activities and provide guidance to data owners and stewards.
• Design and maintain metadata and data lineage practices to improve data traceability.
• Conduct data risk assessments and manage remediation plans for data issues.
• Ensure governance controls support regulatory and compliance requirements and escalate where necessary.
• Develop and deliver training, communication and change management to embed governance practices.
• Collaborate with IT and business teams to align governance with data architecture and operational processes.
• Run regular governance forums and working groups to review policies, standards and exceptions.
• Produce governance reporting and dashboards for senior stakeholders, highlighting trends and actions.
• Support data classification and protection activities to safeguard sensitive information.
• Lead or contribute to projects that enhance data management capabilities and governance tooling adoption.
• Maintain documentation of governance artefacts including policies, standards, processes and role descriptions.

Data Governance Manager: Requirements and Qualifications

• Degree in information management, computer science, business administration or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Typically 5 or more years of professional experience in data governance, data management or related discipline.
• Proven experience developing and implementing data governance frameworks and policies.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior and cross-functional teams.
• Practical knowledge of data quality concepts, metadata management and data lineage principles.
• Experience conducting data risk assessments and managing remediation activities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to produce clear governance documentation.
• Analytical mindset with experience interpreting data models and basic querying to validate governance outcomes.
• Project management skills and experience delivering governance initiatives in a multi-stakeholder environment.
• Understanding of data protection, privacy and regulatory considerations relevant to the organisation.
• Ability to develop and deliver training materials and stakeholder communications.
• Attention to detail and a structured approach to process design and implementation.
• Professional certification in data governance, information management or a related discipline is desirable.