Data Governance Specialist

Job Title: Data Governance Specialist Location: Fort Wayne, IN Duration: Long Term Contract Experience: 12+ years Job Summary: We are seeking an experienced Data Governance Specialist to lead enterprise-wide data governance initiatives. This role ensures data quality, consistency, privacy, and compliance across all business functions. The ideal candidate will have extensive hands-on experience with data governance frameworks, metadata management, data cataloging, and data quality tools. Key Responsibilities: Develop, implement, and maintain enterprise data governance frameworks, policies, and standards. Collaborate with business and technology teams to define data ownership, stewardship, and data quality requirements. Manage data cataloging, metadata management, and data lineage activities across systems. Conduct data quality assessments, identify issues, and drive corrective action plans. Support compliance efforts related to data privacy regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, etc. Facilitate Data Governance Council meetings and prepare governance documentation, dashboards, and progress reports. Work with data stewards, architects, and engineering teams to define and maintain critical data elements (CDEs Ensure alignment of data governance practices with business strategy and the data management roadmap. Monitor and enforce data controls, data policies, and data access guidelines. Evaluate and recommend data governance tools and best practices. Qualifications and Required Skills: Strong understanding of data governance principles, frameworks, and industry standards. Hands-on experience with data catalog and metadata tools such as Alation, Collibra, Informatica EDC/IDQ, or similar. Practical experience with data quality, data lineage, and data stewardship processes. Knowledge of master data management (MDM) concepts and data privacy standards. Strong analytical, documentation, and communication skills. Ability to work with cross-functional teams and engage both business and technical stakeholders. Familiarity with SQL and basic data profiling. Preferred Skills: Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP. Certification in Data Governance or Data Management (e.g., DAMA CDMP Exposure to data architecture and data engineering practices. Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Management, Data Analytics, or a related field.