Data Governance Lead

Boardwalk is a limited partnership operating in the midstream portion of the natural gas and natural gas liquids industry, providing transportation and storage services for customers. Our 14,000 miles of pipeline and storage assets connect diverse markets across 13 states, supporting producers and end-users who rely on natural gas for power generation, home heating, and petrochemical feedstocks. We prioritize sustainability, environmental stewardship, safety, and community support in our operations.

About the role

The Data Governance Lead executes Boardwalk’s Data Governance Program by leading the implementation of the data governance strategy, enabling a business-led operating model, overseeing policies, standards, and procedures, and embedding governance practices across the enterprise. This role chairs the Governance Working Committee, guides Domain Owners, Data Stewards, and Technical Stewards, and ensures key datasets are enterprise-ready. The ideal candidate combines expertise in data quality, metadata management, cataloging, lineage, classification, and issue management with strong influence and change-management skills to build accountability in daily operations.

Responsibilities

• Governance Program Leadership & Strategy
  • Lead the execution of the enterprise data governance strategy and recommend priorities, investments, and roadmaps to the Data Council.
  • Administer, implement, and update the Data Governance Program, including its multi-year phased roadmap based on business priorities, available resources, and the overall business and IT strategy.
  • Lead the Governance Working Committee in implementing, maintaining, and maturing the Data Governance Program, and facilitate collaboration and standardization of governance practices across business units.
  • Define the scope for data governance and its interaction with other governance programs such as Information Security and IT governance.
• Policies, Standards & Regulatory Compliance
  • Oversee the development, approval, and enforcement of data governance policies, standards, procedures, and guidelines covering data quality, metadata management, classification, retention, access, and security.
  • Ensure governance policies and controls support compliance with FERC, PHMSA, EPA, and other regulatory requirements, and maintain audit readiness.
  • Collaborate with Risk, Compliance, Cybersecurity, and IT teams to manage data risks, implement controls that safeguard sensitive operational, customer, and employee data, and drive continuous improvement of data quality.
• Data Stewardship, Domains & Culture
  • Support Domain Owners in appointing qualified Data Stewards and business data experts; identify the need for new Domains as new data is acquired.
  • Guide and assist Data Stewards and Technical Stewards, including facilitating sessions to identify Critical Data Elements, develop data definitions, and determine data quality needs.
  • Define roles, responsibilities, and escalation paths that establish clear accountability for data ownership, quality, and compliance across the enterprise.
  • Create, implement, and deliver enterprise-wide data literacy, training, and communication programs that strengthen adoption and reinforce stewardship behaviors across business units.
• Metadata, Data Quality & Issue Management
  • Lead implementation and ongoing administration of Alation, the enterprise data catalog, empowering business users with a catalog of BWP-certified data for reporting and advanced analytics.
  • Oversee data profiling, data lineage capture, data quality monitoring, data quality thresholds, and published data quality scorecards.
  • Direct data issue management, prioritizing issues for investigation, identifying root causes, and developing remediation plans spanning both process and technology improvements.
  • Support identification and prioritization of Critical Data Elements and the data classification framework based on data sensitivity.
  • Advance master data management (MDM) for critical domains such as assets, locations, and customers.
• Technology Enablement & Business Value
  • Evaluate, recommend, and administer data governance tools and technologies and provide related training.
  • Embed governance practices into modernization, digital transformation, and AI/ML initiatives so that governance accelerates—rather than hinders—delivery.
  • Define, publish, and report governance metrics and KPIs (data quality, compliance findings, stewardship participation, self-service adoption) to leadership.
  • Conduct governance maturity assessments and feedback loops to continuously refine practices in response to regulatory change, business priorities, and emerging technologies.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in data management, data governance, data quality, or related data disciplines, including experience leading enterprise programs or cross-functional working groups.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing data governance policies, standards, and operating models, including stewardship and domain ownership structures.
• Working knowledge of data governance disciplines: data cataloging, business and technical metadata, data lineage, data profiling, data classification, data quality measurement, and issue management.
• Experience with data governance and data quality tooling (e.g., data catalog, lineage, and data quality platforms) and with defining and reporting governance KPIs.
• Proficiency with SQL and the ability to analyze data to investigate quality issues and identify root causes.
• Strong facilitation, influencing, and change-management skills, with the ability to drive accountability across business and technology teams without direct authority.
• Ability to communicate complex data concepts to non-technical stakeholders, including executive leadership and regulatory or audit audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the natural gas midstream or broader oil & gas industry, including familiarity with FERC and PHMSA regulatory requirements.
• Familiarity with pipeline and enterprise systems such as Maximo, ESRI, SCADA, Oracle EBS/Fusion.
• Experience implementing master data management (MDM).
• Experience governing self-service analytics and BI environments, including Power BI user communities and access controls.
• Experience embedding governance into cloud data platforms and AI/ML initiatives, including data privacy and ethical AI standards.
• Relevant certification such as CDMP, DGSP, or equivalent data management credential.
• Master’s degree in a related field.

Boardwalk Pipelines, LP, maintains a drug-free workplace and requires pre-employment drug and substance abuse testing. Boardwalk is an equal opportunity employer.