Senior Data Governance Program Manager

As a Senior Data Governance and Quality Program Manager, you will help execute the data governance and quality roadmap through facilitating cross functional team alignment. You will gain a broad range of experience of different Enterprise scale data programs as the programs can range from quality improvement initiatives to policy formation and compliance monitoring. You will be in a highly cross-functional role with opportunities to partner with GitLab team members, both within the Enterprise Data Team (including Data Engineers, Analytics Engineers, and Data Scientists) as well as with our functional partners (including Sales, Marketing, Finance, Customer Success, and Product).  

What You’ll Do  

• Collaborate with business stakeholders to identify and prioritize data governance initiatives that support strategic business objectives and align with organizational goals
• Establish and maintain a comprehensive data governance framework that includes data stewardship, data quality management, and data catalog capabilities
• Create and sustain a reliable and visible cadence for initiative reviews, decision making, prioritization, and staffing management across all program activities
• Partner with functional teams to identify qualified data stewards and establish clear roles and responsibilities for managing and maintaining critical data assets
• Drive accountability throughout the organization to ensure all program objectives are met through systematic oversight and performance tracking
• Establish robust controls and conduct periodic reviews to verify that data governance policies and standards are being appropriately applied across all business units
• Apply proven program management methodologies and best practices while maintaining flexibility to adapt approaches based on specific project requirements rather than rigid adherence to standards
• Proactively identify risks to project success, develop comprehensive mitigation plans, and define measurable metrics for evaluating project outcomes and success
• Provide regular status reports to stakeholders regarding program assessments, identified gaps, emerging risks, and progress toward established objectives
• Collaborate closely with legal, IT, project management, risk management, and other cross-functional teams to establish effective governance frameworks and promote a culture of data stewardship and accountability
• Stay current on industry trends, regulatory requirements, and emerging standards related to data governance to recommend appropriate modifications to existing policies and operational practices

What You’ll Bring 

• Minimum of 3+ years of demonstrated experience in program management or project management with a proven track record of driving initiatives according to established plans and timelines
• Extensive experience in crafting and executing cross-functional data governance and data quality initiatives, including the ability to capture and redefine complex requirements into actionable and impactful work items
• Demonstrated expertise in identifying, defining, leading, and executing comprehensive data governance and data quality initiatives across multiple business domains and organizational functions
• Strong foundational understanding of data management principles, data quality frameworks, and data catalog concepts with practical application experience
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills with demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and drive adoption of data governance practices across all organizational levels
• Proven track record of successful collaboration with both internal and external partners, including the ability to build and maintain productive relationships that support program objectives
• Advanced stakeholder management capabilities with experience coordinating work activities across cross-functional groups and all levels of staff within complex organizational structures
• Proficiency in leveraging data visualization and reporting tools to provide data-driven insights, recommendations, and compelling presentations to support decision-making processes
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating and creating of data policies across various stages of data life cycle management

About the team

The Data Governance and Data Quality team is one of the four pillars of the Enterprise Data Team. Our team is on a mission to build a data governance and data quality CoE  which  in collaboration with Business, IT, Security and Legal teams will improve the current state of data security, data quality, data lifecycle management and data availability throughout the enterprise.

• Benefits to support your health, finances, and well-being
• Flexible Paid Time Off 
• Team Member Resource Groups
• Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Growth and Development Fund
• Parental leave 
• Home office support

Please note that we welcome interest from candidates with varying levels of experience; many successful candidates do not meet every single requirement. Additionally, studies have shown that people from underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to a job unless they meet every single qualification. If you're excited about this role, please apply and allow our recruiters to assess your application.