Executive Director, Data Governance and Data Strategy

Executive Director, Data Governance and Data Strategy Dev Ops – Planning, Rose Hill, Lincoln Center Fordham University

Fordham University has an excellent reputation as a dynamic institution located in New York City. Founded in 1841, Fordham enrolls more than 16,000 undergraduate and graduate students in its 9 Colleges and Schools.

• Fordham University offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to its employees, which includes medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
• We offer tuition remission for employees and their dependents
• A generous employer match towards a 403(b)
  retirement plan
  .
• As a tax‑exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC),
  Fordham is considered a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program
  , a federal program designed to forgive student loan debt for employees of certain public and certain nonprofit employers.
• As part of its work‑life balance program, the University provides generous PTO including 15 vacation days, 12 sick days, 4 personal days, 6 summer Fridays, and holidays that include paid time off between Christmas and New year.
• University employees have access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). EAP provides no‑cost, professional, and confidential services, to help employees and family members address a variety of personal, family, life, and work‑related issues.

This is a rare opportunity to shape the data future of one of New York City’s most distinguished universities-an institution where innovation meets tradition. The Executive Director will play a pivotal role in fostering a modern, intelligent, and inclusive data environment that empowers discovery, learning, and transformation.

Reporting to the Associate VP of Dev Ops, the Executive Director of Data Governance and Strategy serves as the university’s senior leader responsible for shaping and executing a forward‑looking data strategy that enables institutional excellence, informed decision‑making, and innovation across academic and administrative domains.

This role aligns the university’s data platform and governance initiatives to ensure data is accessible, actionable, scalable, secure, and strategically aligned with institutional priorities. The Executive Director collaborates across colleges, departments, and leadership levels to leverage data as a transformative asset that advances teaching, research, and operational effectiveness.

As a trusted advisor and thought leader, the Executive Director oversees all aspects of data governance, architecture, analytics, and data integrations while leading the transition toward a cloud‑first or hybrid data architecture. The Executive Director fosters a data‑driven culture and establishes a sustainable framework for the ethical, innovative, and compliant use of information resources.

• Develops and implements a comprehensive university‑wide data strategy that supports institutional goals in research, teaching, student success, and operational excellence.
• Partners with senior academic, administrative, and technology leaders to align data initiatives with the university’s mission and strategic plan; serves as a strategic partner and advisor to deans, vice presidents, and department heads on data strategy, analytics, and governance.
• Establishes and articulates the vision for the next‑generation enterprise data platform, ensuring it supports advanced analytics, AI/ML, and real‑time insights.
• Drives innovation through the integration of ML and generative AI within the university’s data ecosystem.
• Designs and oversees a robust data governance framework that ensures quality, consistency, and compliance across all university data assets; implements clear policies for data access, lineage, metadata management, and security in alignment with regulatory and ethical standards; creates and manages a multi‑year roadmap for implementing the university’s data strategy, including measurable milestones and key performance indicators.
• Promotes data stewardship practices that balance accessibility with privacy, fostering trust across the academic and administrative…