Data Governance Manager

This role reports to the Chief Data and AI Officer and offers direct access to executive leadership, institutional visibility, and the opportunity to shape how a public R1 research university governs and uses data during a pivotal modernization phase.

About the role

The Data Governance Manager leads the development, implementation, and ongoing maturation of enterprise data governance at the University of Idaho. This position is responsible for establishing the frameworks, policies, standards, and institutional processes that ensure university data is accurate, accessible, secure, and used responsibly across academic, administrative, and research functions. Operating at the intersection of policy, people, and technology, the role translates governance principles into operational practice across a complex, decentralized institution. The Data Governance Manager works closely with data stewards, IT teams, compliance and legal counsel, institutional research, and senior leadership to build a governance atmosphere that supports data-informed decision-making and regulatory compliance. The position entails equal parts strategic thinking, stakeholder facilitation, and operational follow-through.

Responsibilities

• Developing and maintaining the university's enterprise data governance framework, policies, and standards
• Facilitating the Data Governance Committee and associated working groups
• Defining and operationalizing data ownership, stewardship, and accountability structures across institutional data domains
• Managing the enterprise data catalog and driving metadata standards and data quality practices
• Partnering with IT, compliance, legal, and academic units to ensure governance alignment with regulatory requirements
• Leading data literacy and governance education efforts across the institution
• Supporting the CDAO in developing and communicating institutional data strategy
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

• 3 years of experience in data governance, data management, information management, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated experience facilitating cross-functional teams and building consensus across stakeholders with competing priorities
• Experience developing or implementing policies, frameworks, or standards in a complex organizational environment
• Bachelor's degree in Information Management, Business, Public Administration, Computer Science, or a related field, or 4 additional years of experience (for a total of 7 years)

Preferred Qualifications

• 5 or more years of experience in data governance, enterprise data management, or institutional data strategy
• Certification in data governance or data management (e.g., CDMP, DAMA, or similar)
• Graduate degree in a relevant field
• Experience with higher education institutions, including familiarity with shared governance structures and constituent-sensitive data environments
• Knowledge of regulatory frameworks applicable to higher education data (FERPA, HIPAA, GLBA, or federal grant compliance)
• Experience with enterprise data catalog platforms and metadata management tooling
• Familiarity with cloud-based data platforms and lakehouse architecture concepts (Databricks and Unity Catalog preferred)
• Experience with ERP data structures in student, HR, or finance domains (Banner/Ellucian preferred)
• Experience with data quality frameworks and data quality tooling
• Experience building and facilitating governance committees, working groups, or advisory bodies
• Experience developing data stewardship programs, including steward recruitment, training, and ongoing engagement
• Ability to translate governance requirements for both technical teams and non-technical institutional audiences
• Knowledge of AI governance frameworks and the intersection of data governance with machine learning and analytics use cases

Pay

$85,000 annually or more depending on experience

Schedule

Full-time, fiscal year appointment (1.0 FTE)