Data Governance Lead - Remote in Colorado with Security Clearance

Who is Trace3? Trace3 is a leading Transformative IT Authority, providing unique technology solutions and consulting services to our clients. Equipped with elite engineering and dynamic innovation, we empower IT executives and their organizations to achieve competitive advantage through a process of Integrate, Automate, Innovate. Our culture at Trace3 embodies the spirit of a startup with the advantage of a scalable business.

Employees can grow their career and have fun while doing it! Trace3 is headquartered in Irvine, California. We employ more than 1,200 people all over the United States. Our major field office locations include Denver, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Lexington, Los Angeles, Louisville, Texas, San Francisco. Ready to discover the possibilities that live in technology? Come Join Us! Street-Smart
- Thriving in Dynamic Times We are flexible and resilient in a fast-changing environment. We continuously innovate and drive constructive change while keeping a focus on the "big picture." We exercise sound business judgment in making high-quality decisions in a timely and cost-effective manner. We are highly creative and can dig deep within ourselves to find positive solutions to different problems.

Juice
- The "Stuff" it takes to be a Needle Mover We get things done and drive results. We lead without a title, empowering others through a can-do attitude. We look forward to the goal, mentally mapping out every checkpoint on the pathway to success, and visualizing what the final destination looks and feels like. Teamwork
- Humble, Hungry and Smart We are humble individuals who understand how our job impacts the company's mission. We treat others with respect, admit mistakes, give credit where it's due and demonstrate transparency. We "bring the weather" by exhibiting positive leadership and solution-focused thinking. We hug people in their trials, struggles, and failures - not just their success. We appreciate the individuality of the people around us.

JOB SUMMARY:

As the Data Governance Lead, you will play a pivotal role in developing and rolling out an enterprise-wide Data Governance Framework, while tightly partnering with Legal, Privacy, Security, and Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) teams. You will also work closely with the Data Team to define, approve, and implement governance policies and standards. Your focus will be on embedding governance practices into data lifecycle management, ensuring regulatory compliance, and fostering a culture of data accountability.

SUMMARY OF

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Enterprise Data Governance Framework & Rollout
* Design, implement, and lead the rollout of a pragmatic, scalable, and adaptable enterprise Data Governance Framework.
* Develop supporting policy and standards architecture (e.g., data classification, metadata management, data access and usage policies).
* Embed governance by design into data pipelines, platforms, and data product development. Policy Definition & Enforcement
* Lead the creation, approval, and adoption of data policies in close collaboration with Legal, Privacy, Security, GRC, and the Data Team.
* Ensure alignment of governance policies with regulatory and contractual requirements (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, internal risk policies).
* Develop control frameworks to assess compliance and maturity across data domains. Data Quality & Stewardship
* Establish enterprise-wide data quality standards, metrics, and processes for issue detection and remediation.
* Empower domain-aligned data stewards and owners by providing guidance, training, and governance tools.
* Champion accountability and ownership of key data elements across the organization. Cross-Functional Collaboration
* Collaborate with business unit leaders, product managers, and engineers to operationalize governance policies across systems and workflows.
* Drive adoption of governance principles across federated data teams through forums, working groups, and training. Stakeholder Engagement & Change Management
* Clearly articulate the business value and regulatory importance of data governance to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
* Support change management initiatives to increase understanding, adoption, and integration of governance practices into daily operations.
* Lead the Data Governance Council and Data Steward Forums to sustain engagement and drive accountability. Tooling & Metrics
* Recommend and support the implementation of data governance tooling (e.g., catalog, lineage, glossary, policy manager) in partnership with the Data Team.
* Define and track KPIs to assess framework rollout progress, data quality trends, and policy adoption. REQUIRED

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

* Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Management Information Systems (MIS), Software Development, or a related technical field.
* 5 to 8 years of experience in data governance or enterprise data management roles.
* Deep expertise in designing and implementing data governance…