Manager, Data Governance Operations

Data Governance Operations Manager
APEI 

The Data Governance Operations Manager leads the operational execution of enterprise data governance across APEI. This role manages the processes, controls, metadata, quality evidence, access documentation, certification records, lifecycle status, and governance reporting required to support trusted and compliant enterprise data assets.

The manager oversees a team responsible for embedding governance into the delivery lifecycle rather than operating governance as a separate review function. The role partners with Data Engineering, Analytics Engineering, Product Management, Experience Engineering, Information Security, Internal Audit, and business stakeholders to ensure governance requirements are consistently applied, monitored, documented, and improved.

The position is accountable for governance operations, team performance, control monitoring, issue escalation, and continuous improvement, but does not independently define business logic, build data products, or own technical delivery within the engineering practices.

Responsibilities: 

• Lead the day-to-day operation of enterprise data governance processes, controls, standards, and supporting documentation.
• Manage the team responsible for governance administration, metadata coordination, quality evidence, certification records, access documentation, exceptions, and asset lifecycle tracking.
• Embed governance requirements into delivery workflows so controls are completed as part of normal engineering and analytics work.
• Monitor compliance with required metadata, lineage, quality, access, certification, release, retention, and applicable SOX controls.
• Partners with Data Engineering, Analytics Engineering, Product Management, Experience Engineering, Information Security, Internal Audit, and business stakeholders to resolve governance issues and clarify responsibilities.
• Maintain governance reporting, dashboards, control evidence, issue logs, exception records, and escalation processes.
• Coordinate governance reviews for new and changed enterprise data assets without assuming ownership of the underlying business logic or technical building.
• Identify control gaps, recurring issues, and process inefficiencies, and lead corrective actions and continuous improvement.
• Support audit, compliance, and regulatory requests by ensuring governance evidence is complete, traceable, and readily available.
• Establish team priorities, assign work, manage performance, develop staff capabilities, and ensure consistent service across the enterprise.

Requirements:

• Experience leading data governance operations, data management, compliance, or related enterprise data functions.
• Strong knowledge of metadata management, data lineage, data quality, access governance, certification, issue management, and asset lifecycle controls.
• Experience translating governance policies and standards into practical workflows, controls, evidence, and reporting.
• Working knowledge of regulatory and control requirements relevant to enterprise data, including SOX, FERPA, privacy, security, and audit support.
• Experience managing governance platforms, metadata repositories, data quality tools, workflow systems, or similar technologies.
• Ability to evaluate control effectiveness, identify gaps, manage exceptions, and coordinate corrective actions across multiple teams.
• Strong leadership skills, including workload management, coaching, performance management, and team development.
• Ability to communicate governance requirements clearly to technical teams, business stakeholders, senior leaders, auditors, and control partners.
• Experience building governance metrics, dashboards, issue logs, and executive-level reporting.
• Strong organizational, analytical, documentation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to operate effectively across multiple business units and balance enterprise consistency with legitimate business needs.
• Experience in higher education, financial reporting, or another regulated environment is preferred

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Data Management, Information Systems, Business, Computer Science, Analytics, Risk Management, or a related field
• Relevant certifications in data governance, data management, privacy, risk, compliance, audit, or governance technology platforms preferred.

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