Data Governance Manager

Data & AI Governance Lead

Contract Length: 6 Months Initial Contract

Location: Hybrid (Some travel across UK - expensed)

Day Rate: £600-£700 Inside IR35

Start Date: ASAP

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We're seeking an experienced Data & AI Governance Lead to establish and embed a governance capability across the organisation as part of their wider Data & AI transformation programme.

This is a hands-on leadership role focused on creating the governance foundations required to manage, protect and scale enterprise data assets and AI initiatives. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing governance frameworks, establishing ownership and stewardship models, driving data quality improvements and implementing Microsoft Purview as the organisation's strategic governance platform.

Working closely with Data, Security, Risk, Compliance and Business stakeholders, you will help create a culture where governance becomes part of everyday decision-making rather than simply a compliance exercise.

Key Experience Needed

Proven experience building and implementing enterprise Data Governance frameworks.
Strong experience establishing Data Ownership, Sponsorship and Stewardship models.
Hands-on implementation experience with Microsoft Purview and/or Collibra.
Experience developing Data Quality frameworks, KPIs and remediation processes.
Knowledge of metadata management, data cataloguing, lineage and classification.
Experience chairing governance forums and driving governance adoption across large organisations.
Strong stakeholder engagement skills across business and technical teams.
Understanding of Data Protection, Information Security and Risk controls.
Exposure to AI Governance, Responsible AI frameworks and AI usage policies.
Experience working within complex enterprise environments.

Key Responsibilities

Design, implement and maintain the enterprise Data Governance Framework.
Define governance policies, standards, controls and operating procedures.
Establish Data Sponsor, Data Owner and Data Steward communities across the business.
Create accountability and ownership structures for critical data assets.
Define and monitor Data Quality standards, metrics and governance controls.
Drive remediation activities through governance stakeholders and forums.
Lead the implementation and adoption of Microsoft Purview.
Establish metadata management, business glossary and data catalogue capabilities.
Develop data lineage visibility and classification standards.
Define Data and AI governance policies supporting Microsoft Copilot adoption.
Collaborate with Information Security, Data Protection and Risk teams.
Chair governance forums and communities of practice.
Drive governance awareness, adoption and data literacy initiatives.
Ensure governance processes become embedded into day-to-day business operations.