Information Protection Lead

We are seeking a seasoned Information Protection Lead (Data Governance)to establish, manage, and scale our enterprise-wide data governance and security framework.

This role uniquely combines strategic leadership shaping governance policies, frameworks, and organizational adoption with technical oversight of governance and data security tools such as data discovery, DSPM (Data Security Posture Management), classification, and encryption frameworks.

The Data Governance Lead will ensure data is trusted, secure, compliant, and usable across the organization to drive decision-making, innovation, and regulatory alignment.

What You'll Do:

1. Strategic Leadership (Governance & Compliance Focus)

2. Define and lead the enterprise data governance strategy in alignment with business objectives and regulatory mandates.

3. Establish a comprehensive governance framework, including policies, standards, and controls for data ownership, stewardship, and lifecycle management.
4. Form and chair data governance councils/committees to drive enterprise-wide accountability.
5. Collaborate with executives and stakeholders to embed a culture of governance and data stewardship.
6. Ensure compliance with regulatory and privacy frameworks (GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, PCI DSS, SOX).
7. Define and track key KPIs that measure governance maturity, risk posture, and policy adoption.

8. Lead training & awareness efforts to elevate governance knowledge across technical and non-technical communities.

9. Technical Oversight (Tooling & Security Enablement Focus)

10. Data Discovery & DSPM: Implement and oversee DSPM platforms to automatically discover, classify, and monitor sensitive data across cloud, SaaS, and hybrid environments.

11. Data Classification & Cataloging: Define standards for sensitive data labeling and enforce consistent classification through data catalogs and automated workflows.
12. Data Encryption & Protection: Ensure robust encryption (in transit, at rest, and in use) alongside support for masking, tokenization, and anonymization methods.
13. Integration with Security Stack: Partner with InfoSec to integrate governance tools with DLP, SIEM, IAM, API security, and cloud-native security controls.
14. Lifecycle Automation: Deploy automated workflows for archival, retention, purging, and secure disposal of redundant or stale datasets.
15. Tool Ownership: Evaluate, select, and manage governance/security tooling (e.g., Collibra, Informatica, BigID, OneTrust, Alation, AWS Macie, Azure Purview, GCP DLP).

16. Provide technical oversight in risk assessments, incident response, and data breach remediation activities related to sensitive or regulated data.

17. Team Management & Leadership

18. Manage and mentor a team of data governance professionals, including data stewards, analysts, and data security specialists.

19. Provide clear direction, performance feedback, and professional development opportunities to build a high-performing team.
20. Allocate resources and prioritize tasks to ensure timely delivery of governance initiatives and technical implementations.
21. Foster a collaborative and inclusive team culture focused on continuous learning and alignment with organizational goals.
22. Act as a role model, promoting best practices in leadership, communication, and cross-team collaboration.

What You'll Bring:

• Education: Bachelors or Masters in Data Management, Computer Science, Information Systems, or Cybersecurity.

• Experience:

• 7+ years in data governance, data management, or data security, with at least 3 in a lead role managing teams.

• Demonstrated experience implementing data discovery, lineage, catalog, DSPM, classification, and encryption solutions in enterprise or regulated environments.

• Strong knowledge of modern data architectures (data lakes, lakehouses, SaaS platforms, distributed systems).

• Technical Competencies:

• Hands-on familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their native security services.

• Deep understanding of data security concepts: least-privilege access, zero trust, sensitive data workflows, breach impact mitigation.

• Experience integrating governance with compliance auditing and reporting frameworks.

• Certifications Preferred: CDMP, DGSP, CISSP, CISM, CIPP, CCSK, or other relevant governance/security credentials.

• Leadership Skills: Excellent stakeholder management, executive communication, and the ability to drive organizational change.