Director, Master Data Management (MDM)

The Director of Master Data Management (MDM) leads the enterprise-wide strategy, governance, and execution of master data programs across all business domains (customer, vendor, product, financial, and employee data). This role reports under Continuous Process Improvement (CPI), leveraging Lean Six Sigma, and other process improvement methodologies to drive data quality, streamline data governance workflows, and eliminate root causes of data defects. The Director works with senior leadership across IT, BI, Finance, Sales, Planning, Supply Chain, Brand and Product Development (PD)  to ensure master data serves as a trusted foundation for enterprise decision-making, analytics, and digital transformation initiatives. 

What You Will Do:

• Define and own the enterprise MDM strategy, roadmap, and long-term vision aligned with business goals
• Build, lead, and mentor a team of data managers and analysts
• Serve as the executive sponsor and primary point of accountability for master data quality across the organization
• Present data governance strategy, risks, and performance metrics to C-suite and executive leadership
• Drive change management and organizational adoption of data governance practices
• Establish enterprise-wide data governance frameworks, policies, and standards for master data domains
• Chair a Data Governance Council/Steering Committee with cross-functional business leaders
• Define data ownership, stewardship models, and accountability structures across business units
• Ensure compliance with global data privacy and regulatory requirements (GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, SOX as applicable)
• Serve as the primary business under the CPI team, jointly identifying data quality issues rooted in broken or inefficient business processes
• Co-sponsor process improvement projects (using DMAIC, value stream mapping, root cause analysis) targeting the source of recurring data defects rather than just downstream cleansing
• Integrate Lean Six Sigma tools and discipline into MDM workflows — data intake, validation, approval, and maintenance processes — to reduce cycle time and errors
• Partner with CPI team on designing and continuously refining standard operating procedures (SOPs) and control plans for data creation and maintenance
• Establish a joint governance cadence with CPI to prioritize improvement initiatives based on combined data quality and process efficiency impact
• Track and report joint KPIs with CPI (e.g., data defect rate, process cycle time, first-pass yield on data entry, rework/error reduction)
• Escalate systemic process issues uncovered through data quality monitoring to CPI for formal improvement projects
• Oversee the selection, implementation, and ongoing optimization of MDM platforms and tools
• Direct large-scale data cleansing, deduplication, migration, and harmonization initiatives, particularly during M&A, ERP implementations, or new  system integrations. 
• Establish enterprise data quality KPIs/SLAs and hold business units accountable to standards
• Oversee master data workflows, approval processes, and audit controls
• Act as a strategic advisor to business unit leaders on data-driven decision-making
• Collaborate with BI, IT/Data and AI teams to ensure master data supports enterprise reporting and AI/ML initiatives

Supervisor Responsibilities: Yes

What We Are Looking For:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Business Management or related field a plus (Master's preferred)
• 10+ years of experience in master data management, data governance, or enterprise data strategy
• 4+ years in a leadership/people management role
• Proven experience building and scaling enterprise MDM programs from the ground up or through significant maturity growth
• Experience partnering with process improvement/operational excellence teams to resolve data quality issues
• Deep knowledge of MDM platforms, ERP systems and data governance frameworks
• Working knowledge of Lean Six Sigma or similar process improvement methodologies
• Strong executive presence with experience presenting to senior leadership and boards
• Experience managing cross-functional stakeholders and driving organizational change
• Track record of managing budgets, vendor