Director of Data Governance

General Statement of Duties:

The Director of Data Governance is responsible for expanding, enhancing, and coordinating Framingham State University's data governance program to ensure that institutional data are trustworthy and useful for analysis, reporting, and decision-making. This role ensures that policies, data management practices, and oversight of institutional data produce reliable, well-defined, accessible data assets for people and systems to explore, navigate, and utilize.

As a leader in fostering a data-informed culture, the Director works collaboratively with stakeholders across academic and administrative units to establish and sustain a governance framework that spans financial, human resources, student records, enrollment management, advancement, and other institutional data domains.

This position is responsible for maintaining a catalog of institutional data assets and a glossary of semantic definitions, to ensure clarity, consistency, and appropriate data usage. Additionally, this role educates stakeholders on best practices in data management and responsible use, empowering them to confidently access, interpret, and apply institutional data in their work.

Supervision Received: Associate Provost

Supervision Exercised: May supervise employees of lower rank. No direct reports currently assigned.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead data governance initiatives and facilitate communication across academic and administrative units, fostering a collaborative community of practice among data trustees, stewards, custodians, and personnel within Institutional Effectiveness, Institutional Research, and Information Technology Services.
• Acts as the subject matter expert for the university regarding the interpretation, implementation and compliance with data governance policies and regulations.
• Formulates and proposes policies to the university governance bodies.
• Develop and maintain a learning and development curriculum to train data stewards, custodians, and other key stakeholders on data governance principles, policies, and best practices.
• Lead the identification, development, and socialization of strategic data initiatives, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and priorities.
• Monitor trends and advancements in data governance, advising university leadership on best practices and recommending strategic improvements.
• Serve as the university's subject matter expert on data governance policies, regulatory compliance, and institutional data stewardship.
• Propose, develop, and formalize policies related to data governance, ensuring proper review and approval through university governance processes.
• Develop and maintain guidance documentation, including usage agreements, data access instructions, and best practice guidelines.
• Oversee the data stewardship structure, defining roles and responsibilities while providing ongoing support to data stewards.
• Maintain and oversee the institutional data catalog and glossary of semantic definitions, ensuring clarity, consistency, and appropriate data usage across the University.
• Regularly update and refine the data catalog and glossary in collaboration with Data Stewards and other institutional stakeholders to reflect evolving terminology and governance standards.
• Provide training and support to Data Trustees, Data Stewards, Data Custodians, and Users to ensure they understand data governance policies, appropriate data usage, and best practices in data management.
• Develop educational resources and conduct workshops to empower stakeholders to confidently access, interpret, and apply institutional data in analysis, reporting, and decision-making.
• Stay informed on emerging trends in data governance and recommend improvements to enhance Framingham State's data governance program.

Special Working Conditions/Physical Requirements:

All of the work associated with the duties and responsibilities for this position is ordinarily performed at Framingham State's main campus, and may be done periodically from a remote location consistent with the conditional provisions specified within University's Telework Guidelines and in accordance with an approved Telework Agreement.

Required Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and five years of related experience; or a combination of education and related experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of data governance concepts, techniques, processes, and applications.
• Knowledge and experience of data architecture, business intelligence, and analytics.
• Knowledge of higher education institutions and experience with enterprise data in a university context.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to influence and motivate constituencies that span multiple organizational boundaries.
• Demonstrated excellent planning, organizational and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated ability to make sound business decisions using good business judgment and innovative and creative problem-solving.
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills with the ability to cultivate professional and business partnerships.
• Excellent writing skills and abilities to communicate complex ideas to diverse audiences.
• Strong project planning and management skills.
• Experience in or knowledge of business process improvement methodology.
• Ability to act independently and as part of a team. A willingness to be flexible and adapt to different stakeholder needs and organizational cultures.

Additional Qualifications:

• Experience in higher education or working with student information systems (e.g., Banner).
• Familiarity with data governance frameworks and principles.
• Knowledge of integration platforms like Ethos or similar technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

This is a full-time, exempt, benefits-eligible position in the Association of Professional Administrators (APA) bargaining unit with a union title of Director. The anticipated annual starting salary is $100,000. This is an externally funded position through the Massachusetts SUCCESS Fund. Ongoing employment is contingent upon continued funding.

Framingham State University conducts criminal history and sexual offender record checks on recommended finalists prior to final employment for all positions.

Framingham State University is an equal opportunity employer. The University considers all qualified candidates without regard to race, color, sex, age, national origin, disability status, Veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other characteristics protected by law.

Members of underrepresented or minoritized groups, women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and all persons committed to equity, diversity, and inclusive excellence are strongly encouraged to apply.