Apptad-Data Governance Program Specialist

Job Title: Data Governance Program Specialist

Job Location: Remote
Job duration: Contract to Hire

Job Description

The Program Specialist is responsible for the end to end execution of Data Governance initiatives once priorities scope and intent have been established by Data Governance leadership.

This role reports to the SVP Data Governance and partners closely with AVPs to execute approved governance priorities and ensuring delivery and adoption are coordinated visible and tracked.

This role ensures that governance work moves from decision to delivery-on time with the right stakeholders and with adoption and outcomes clearly tracked-while respecting established governance ownership and decision rights.

The Program Specialist is a self starter who operates independently while applying a trust but verify approach-aligning early with Data Governance leadership on scope and intent before driving execution at speed.

This role operates in a highly dynamic environment where Data Governance capabilities processes and operating models are actively being built and refined requiring comfort with ambiguity iteration and continuous improvement. Responsibilities may evolve over time to reflect changes in Data Governance priorities operating models or initiative needs while remaining aligned to this roles core mandate.

Core Responsibilities

1. Initiative Execution & Delivery (Primary Accountability)

• Own day to day execution of assigned Data Governance initiatives (e.g. stewardship cohorts data quality remediation waves catalog/lineage enhancements data masking rollouts MDM use cases).
• Translate approved governance priorities into clear delivery plans including milestones dependencies risks and success criteria.
• Drive initiative cadence (check ins stand ups working sessions) and ensure follow through across business data and technology partners.
• Proactively surface risks blockers and trade offs and recommend options for resolution.
• Validate scope assumptions and decision boundaries with AVPs or the SVP before advancing work that may impact governance standards priorities or stakeholder expectations.
• Executes against SVP approved scope priorities and decision boundaries; escalates when changes may impact governance intent.

2. Communications & Coordination

• Coordinate when communications are sent ensuring sequencing aligns with initiative timing and readiness.
• Work with SVP and AVPs to ensure what is communicated is accurate approved and aligned to governance intent.

• Manage communication logistics (distribution reminders follow ups) partnering with AVPs and SVP on content and timing.
• Maintain clear status reporting for Data Governance leadership highlighting progress risks decisions needed and next steps in close partnership with AVPs.
• Provide coordination support as needed for logistics materials and follow ups related to forums working groups and sub groups.
• Partner with SVP and AVPs as needed to prepare standing materials and supports action tracking and follow through to ensure commitments are closed
• Support SVP and AVPs in preparing materials for senior leadership and governance forums (e.g. DGC) including synthesizing inputs highlighting trade offs and documenting outcomes.

3. Enablement Training Surveys and Feedback

• Coordinate training delivery logistics across governance initiatives (sessions materials attendance follow ups).
• Enable AVP owned training development by providing coordination and execution support for the enhancement of training materials including:
  • Stewardship training
  • Tool specific enablement
  • Governance process education
• Support Data Team as needed in building reusable self paced training modules (e.g. for the Data Fluency program).
• Ensure training readiness for initiatives (materials finalized stakeholders informed follow ups tracked).
• Coordinate the full lifecycle of governance related surveys (training stewardship adoption):
  • Scheduling and distribution
  • Tracking completion
  • Consolidating results
• Support AVPs in survey analysis by preparing summaries trends and visuals.
• Execute approved follow up actions and changes resulting from survey outcomes.

4. Metrics Tracking & Visibility

• Coordinate the mechanics of KPI tracking and reporting once metrics are defined by governance leadership.
• Work with consultants and SMEs to build and maintain KPI and tracking mechanisms.
• Supports SVP and AVPs as needed by preparing underlying inputs and summaries informed by delivery and adoption signals across the Data Governance operating model enabling SVP and AVPs to own and deliver stewardship level leadership level and executive level outputs.
• Support SVP by identifying and summarizing outcome oriented signals (e.g. adoption risk reduction efficiency) to inform leadership level discussions.
• Develop working knowledge of the Data Governance operating model and supports AVPs by highlighting where delivery signals adoption signals or metrics indicate strengths gaps or follow up needs.

5. Change Management & Flexible Support

• Provides coordination and execution support as needed to operationalize initiative level change activities; actively identifies adoption risks challenges assumptions and facilitates informed discussions with AVPs and the SVP to support timely decision making.
• Enable SVP and AVPs by coordinating timelines drafting supporting materials and orchestrating cross functional follow through so approved governance decisions are implemented as intended.

• Adapt to shifting priorities while maintaining clarity on ownership decision rights and delivery expectations.
• Willingly take on additional responsibilities as needed to support common Data Team goals.

Required Experience & Attributes

• Proven experience delivering complex cross functional initiatives in data technology or governance adjacent domains.
• Strong execution discipline with comfort operating in ambiguity.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently while remaining aligned to leadership intent.
• Demonstrated openness to feedback and continuous improvement.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to follow through.
• Demonstrated ability to apply judgment in ambiguous situations verify assumptions and surface risks or misalignment early.
• Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint to support project planning tracking and executive-ready summaries.

Preferred (but not required):

• P&C insurance industry experience preferred with familiarity in data analytics underwriting actuarial operations or regulatory contexts.
• Familiarity with Data Governance Data Quality Metadata Stewardship Privacy or MDM concepts.
• Experience supporting training programs or change initiatives.
• Experience with Power BI (or similar) to support KPI tracking dashboards and visualization of progress metrics.

Education

• Bachelors or Masters in Information technology Computer Science or related field.