Data Governance Consultant

Enterprise Data Governance Consultant
Hybrid Role
Compensation: $55 - $65
ABOUT THE ROLE

Our Client is seeking an experienced Enterprise Data Governance Consultant to support the expansion and implementation of enterprise data governance services within their data and analytics team. This contractor role will work closely with the Enterprise Data Governance Manager to help agencies and departments establish, mature, and sustain data governance programs. The consultant will play a key role in supporting an enterprise approach to managing data as a strategic asset-improving trusted data use, reducing risk, enabling secure data sharing, and increasing efficiency through standardization. The Enterprise Data Governance Program is built around a coordinated Framework, Guidebook, and Playbook that define the "why," "what," and "how" of enterprise-wide data governance implementation. The ideal candidate will possess strong public-sector facilitation skills, expertise in data governance and AI governance, and the ability to translate complex concepts into actionable guidance for diverse stakeholders. Experience in developing training materials, supporting adoption campaigns, and working in highly regulated or public-sector environments is highly desirable.
WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Support agencies in establishing, maturing, and sustaining data governance programs aligned with enterprise frameworks, strategies, and the organization's eight core data governance elements (Organization, Policies, Procedures, Standards/Definitions, Architecture, Data Admin/Controls, Metrics/Reporting, Audits).
• Facilitate agency awareness and adoption of responsible AI governance, privacy, security, and compliance practices, including ethical, transparent, explainable, accountable, and human-reviewed use of data and AI-enabled systems.
• Coordinate with privacy, security, legal, records, and compliance stakeholders on sensitive, confidential, regulated, or high-risk data governance activities.
• Assist in documenting AI-related data use cases, data sources, stewardship responsibilities, risk considerations, and governance checkpoints.
• Promote and reinforce requirements for data classification, access management, data minimization, authorized use, retention, and secure data sharing, including compliance with standards such as HIPAA, FERPA, CJIS, IRS Pub. 1075, PCI, FTI, and PII.
• Support documentation of data-related risks, issues, policy exceptions, remediation actions, and audit evidence.
• Support agency data governance planning, including charters, roadmaps, operating models, stakeholder maps, and implementation plans.
• Help define data governance scope, ownership, roles, responsibilities, decision rights, and engagement processes for agencies.
• Identify agency value-based business needs, data pain points, data quality risks, and opportunities for improved data sharing and reuse.
• Conduct maturity assessments and develop practical work plans to address governance gaps and improve data quality, aligned to the organization's five critical data quality dimensions (accuracy, timeliness, accessibility, completeness, consistency).
• Translate technical data governance and AI concepts into plain-language guidance suitable for executives, business program staff, data stewards, and operational teams.
• Assist agencies in completing governance artifacts such as RACI charts, business glossaries, data dictionaries, data inventories, data issue logs, policy/procedure mappings, stewardship plans, and governance roadmaps.
• Support documentation of data domains, data owners, data stewards, business definitions, data flows, data quality rules, risks, controls, and metrics.
• Assist agencies with Playbook-aligned implementation activities and evidence gathering for audit readiness.
• Coordinate with the Data Governance Analyst on catalog, metadata, data classification, lineage, and related documentation needs.
• Support agency use of governance metrics and maturity indicators to monitor progress and demonstrate business value.
• Maintain organized repositories of governance artifacts, meeting records, training materials, communications, and implementation evidence.
• Plan, facilitate, and document agency data governance meetings, workshops, steering committee sessions, and stewardship working groups.
• Prepare agendas, meeting materials, decision logs, action item trackers, issue logs, and executive-ready summaries.
• Facilitate discussions among data owners, data stewards, business leaders, technology teams, privacy, security, legal, and compliance stakeholders.
• Support resolution of cross-functional data issues by clarifying decision points, documenting options, identifying risks, and escalating unresolved matters.
• Help agencies operationalize governance committees and recurring governance cadences consistent with enterprise guidance.
• Support business value case development for data governance initiatives, including benefits, risks, resource needs, expected outcomes, and implementation options.
• Develop and execute stakeholder engagement and change management plans for agency data governance adoption.
• Create communication products such as briefings, talking points, newsletters, intranet content, FAQs, one-page summaries, presentations, and adoption messaging to promote data governance as a business-enabling capability.
• Communicate the value of data governance in terms of trusted data, reduced risk, improved service delivery, better decision-making, and increased efficiency.
• Identify adoption barriers and recommend interventions such as targeted communications, leadership briefings, training res, job aids, and facilitation support.
• Develop, maintain, and deliver data governance training and learning products for various agency roles, including training plans, course outlines, instructor-led materials, self-service content, quick reference guides, and role-based learning paths.
• Deliver training for data owners, data stewards, data custodians, data producers, data consumers, and agency governance teams, including practical exercises using agency-relevant examples.
• Coordinate training feedback, attendance, adoption metrics, and continuous improvement recommendations.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Experience supporting data governance, data management, or enterprise information management initiatives, preferably in public-sector or highly regulated environments.
• Strong facilitation skills for cross-functional meetings with business, technology, privacy, security, legal, compliance, and executive stakeholders.
• Ability to develop and implement data governance strategies, training plans, communications, and adoption materials.
• Knowledge of AI governance, privacy, security, and compliance considerations in data governance practices, including responsible AI principles and frameworks (e.g., NIST AI Risk Management Framework).
• Experience with change management, stakeholder engagement, and program marketing to support adoption of new roles, responsibilities, processes, and governance behaviors.
• Ability to translate complex data governance, data management, metadata, data quality, privacy, and AI governance concepts into plain language for diverse audiences.
• Familiarity with data governance frameworks, policies, procedures, standards, controls, and audit expectations.
• Experience developing and delivering training, workshops, presentations, job aids, communications, and adoption campaigns for data governance adoption.
• Familiarity with DAMA-DMBOK, data stewardship, metadata management, data quality management, data classification, data lifecycle management, and data governance maturity models.
• Experience supporting governance councils, committees, working groups, or cross-functional decision-making bodies.
• Experience with enterprise data catalog, metadata, business glossary, data inventory, issue tracking, collaboration, or knowledge management tools.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., CDMP, Prosci/Change Management, PMP, CISA, CIPM) are desirable but not required.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear, professional, executive-ready documentation.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with enterprise data governance teams and agency stakeholders, building trust and guiding groups toward decisions, documented actions, and measurable progress.