Data Governance and Policy Specialist - Associate

Peregrine Advisors Benefit Inc. is seeking recent graduates and early-career professionals from top Masters in Public Policy (MPP) and Masters in Public Administration (MPA) programs to join our Office of the Chief Data Officer (OCDO) support team as a Data Governance and Policy Specialist. This role offers an exceptional entry point into the most dynamic area of government modernization: data and AI governance.

This position is designed for public administration professionals who studied the management track—those passionate about making government work better from the inside. You'll apply frameworks from your coursework in Information and Technology Management, Program Evaluation, and Public Management to real-world challenges in federal data governance. This is your opportunity to translate academic concepts like administrative data management, evidence-based policymaking, and organizational effectiveness into tangible improvements in how government operates.

As data becomes central to public sector transformation, professionals who can bridge policy knowledge with operational implementation are increasingly vital. You'll work at the intersection of management sciences and administrative capacity building, helping federal agencies establish robust data governance frameworks that enable data-driven decision making while ensuring compliance with evolving regulations.

Why This Role Matters for Public Management Professionals

Your MPP/MPA education prepared you to improve government operations through systematic analysis and strategic implementation. This role directly applies those skills to:

• Administrative Data Infrastructure: Build the foundational systems that enable evidence-based administration across federal agencies
• Policy Implementation: Transform high-level data strategies into operational realities through process-oriented administration
• Regulatory Compliance: Navigate complex frameworks including the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and emerging cryptocurrency and AI governance requirements
• Public Value Creation: Enable better government services through improved internal data management and governance

Core Responsibilities

• Apply Public Management Frameworks: Implement data governance structures using evidence-based administration principles and performance management concepts from your academic training
• Data Lifecycle Management: Oversee the complete data lifecycle from creation through disposal, ensuring compliance with federal retention schedules and disposition requirements
• Policy Development and Implementation: Draft and implement data governance policies and standards that align with good governance practices and federal data management laws, regulations, and directives
• Regulatory Analysis and Compliance: Monitor and interpret evolving regulations including PRA, FOIA, OGDA, FDTA, and emerging frameworks for AI governance
• Stakeholder Engagement: Communicate complex data governance concepts to diverse audiences, from technical staff to senior executives, using the communication skills honed in your graduate program
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with business, legal, IT, program, and policy teams to ensure enterprise-wide adoption of data governance frameworks
• Performance Measurement: Develop metrics and evaluation frameworks to assess data governance maturity and identify improvement opportunities
• Strategic Advisory: Provide subject matter expertise on Master Data Management (MDM), data quality frameworks, and interoperability standards

Growth Opportunities in Emerging Governance Areas

While your primary focus will be traditional data governance, this role offers potential to work on cutting-edge governance challenges that represent the future of public administration:

• AI Governance (potential exposure): As agencies explore AI implementation, contribute to frameworks ensuring responsible, ethical, and effective AI use in government operations
• Virtual Currency and DeFi: emerging digital policy areas including digital data ethics and digital infrastructure regulation, data governance and analytics.  Understand emerging requirements for digital assets, digital asset market structure and industry and regulatory trends
• Advanced Analytics Governance: Learn how agencies balance data accessibility for evidence-based policymaking with privacy and security requirements

What We're Looking For

Requirements

Education: Recent gra