Associate Principal Data Governance

Our vision for the future is based on the idea that transforming financial lives starts by giving our people the freedom to transform their own. We have a flexible work environment, and fluid career paths. We not only encourage but celebrate internal mobility. We also recognize the importance of purpose, well-being, and work-life balance. Within Empower and our communities, we work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and our associates dedicate thousands of hours to volunteering for causes that matter most to them.

Chart your own path and grow your career while helping more customers achieve financial freedom. Empower Yourself.

***Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time, including CPT/OPT.***

The Associate Principal Data Governance will serve as an enterprise authority on data and knowledge governance, defining long-term strategy, shaping enterprise policy, and advising executive leadership on governance, risk, and regulatory matters. This role enables trusted data, regulatory compliance, and responsible innovation across structured and unstructured information domains, with a focus on aligning governance practices to emerging capabilities including AI and GenAI.

What you will do:

• Define and evolve enterprise data and knowledge governance strategy and operating models aligned to industry frameworks, including DCAM and DAMA.
• Establish authoritative enterprise standards for data, content, metadata, lineage, stewardship, and lifecycle management.
• Lead enterprise-wide governance risk assessments and regulatory readiness efforts, ensuring alignment with privacy and financial services requirements, including CCPA, GLBA, ERISA, SEC, and FINRA.
• Advise executive leadership on governance implications of AI, GenAI, and emerging technologies, including data usage, transparency, and risk controls.
• Partner with Security, Risk, Legal, and Technology leaders to protect and enable information assets through effective governance frameworks and controls.
• Influence enterprise data quality, metadata, lineage, and knowledge management strategies to ensure consistency and scalability.
• Shape governance policies, standards, and best practices to support compliance and business value realization.
• Serve as a senior advisor in governance councils and enterprise forums, including EDAC, providing strategic recommendations and thought leadership.
• Champion a data- and knowledge-driven culture by promoting accountability, stewardship, and governance adoption across the organization.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to senior leaders, managers, and individual contributors to build enterprise governance capability.

What you will bring:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of experience in data governance, knowledge management, information architecture, data modeling, or related disciplines.
• Experience supporting enterprise data governance programs in regulated industries, preferably financial services.
• Demonstrated leadership in defining governance strategy and advising executive leadership.
• Advanced knowledge of regulatory, privacy, and risk management frameworks, including CCPA, GLBA, ERISA, SEC, and FINRA.
• Deep expertise across governance domains, including metadata, lineage, data quality, stewardship, and knowledge management.
• Proven ability to influence enterprise-wide initiatives without direct authority.
• Ability to balance governance controls with innovation enablement, including AI and GenAI use cases.
• Experience with governance platforms and data technologies, including Collibra and Snowflake governance capabilities.
• Exceptional communication, influence, and thought leadership skills.

What will set you apart:

• Experience supporting enterprise data governance programs in financial services.

This job operates in a professional office environment.

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications of the job.  The employer has the right to revise this job description at any time.   You will be evaluated in part based on your performance of the responsibilities and/or tasks listed in this job description.   You may be required perform other duties that are not included on this job description.  The job description is not a contract for employment, and either you or the employer may terminate employment at any time, for any reason.

What we offer you

We offer an array of diverse and inclusive benefits regardless of where you are in your career. We believe that providing our employees with the means to lead h