Data Governance Specialist

Data Governance Specialist – Minneapolis, MN or New York, NY

Join Piper Sandler as a Data Governance Specialist and help a leading institutional middle market investment bank connect capital with opportunity to build a better future.

We are seeking a Data Governance Specialist to join the Information Risk Management group. This key position will report to the Sr Information Security Officer and be responsible for defining and enforcing data policies, standards, and procedures, ensuring data quality, privacy, security, and compliance across all data assets. The role blends strategic leadership with hands‑on technical expertise to manage, maintain, and optimize the platforms, technologies, and solutions that underpin our data governance framework, bridging business requirements and technical implementation to drive a culture of data excellence and trust.

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive data governance framework, including policies, standards, and processes for data quality, privacy, security, lifecycle management, and metadata management.
• Set the standard for data governance and data quality and formalize best data operating practices for adoption by the firm.
• Provide data governance expertise to strategic projects, business initiatives and operational changes.
• Identify and shape continuous improvement opportunities and recommendations that drive data to better serve the growing business.
• Provide thought leadership for data governance and data health with our business lines.
• Act as a primary point of contact for all data governance-related inquiries.
• Directly manage and maintain data catalog, metadata management, data quality and data lineage tools.
• Lead data remediation efforts, working with data owners and technical teams to resolve data quality and integrity issues.
• Implement and enforce data access policies within data platforms (e.g., data lakes, data warehouses, databases), ensuring role‑based access control (RBAC) and compliance with data privacy regulations.
• Research, evaluate, and propose new data governance tools and technologies that can enhance the program's efficiency and effectiveness.
• Develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the effectiveness of the data governance program.
• Establish cross‑functional partnerships with the Development Team to find opportunities to leverage data to enrich existing or new applications.
• Collaborate with legal, compliance, security, and business units to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA) and internal policies.
• Work with product and engineering leadership, key stakeholders, data owners and data stewards to build consensus through effective communications of well‑analyzed business cases and supporting materials.

• 5+ years of experience in data governance or data operations within a fast‑paced, dynamically growing organization.
• Strong knowledge of data‑driven processes, products, technology and controls in an enterprise setting.
• Track record of leading data governance and data transformation initiatives across business and IT functions.
• Experience establishing and managing a new data governance function and data capabilities.
• Demonstrated hands‑on experience with data governance platforms and tools.
• Expert problem solver with the ability to identify and triage data issues and drive tactical and strategic solutions.
• Strong communication and influencing skills with partners and peers at all levels of the organization.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to recognise and take actions that maximise value for the organization.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, marital status, status as a protected veteran or status with regard to public assistance.

The anticipated starting salary range for New York or Minnesota based candidates expressing interest in this position is $100,000 – $200,000 per year. Placement within this range is dependent upon level of experience, location and other factors. This position is eligible for annual incentive compensation which will be a part of the total compensation. Total compensation for this position will be competitive with the market.