Senior Program Manager, Enterprise Data Governance

Recruit Action inc.; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 99,000 - 131,000; Full time

Job summary

Recruit Action inc. is seeking a seasoned data governance program lead to drive enterprise initiatives in Toronto. You will manage the ELT Delegate Engagement Program, engage senior stakeholders, and ensure governance practices are embedded into business rhythms.

The role emphasizes collaboration, risk management, and measurable business impact. Hybrid work model in Toronto with anchors on-site Tuesday–Thursday and a full-time 37.5-hour week.

Qualifications

• 7-10+ years of overall experience in data governance, data management, or transformation initiatives.
• Experience leading enterprise data governance in large, regulated environments.
• Ability to lead multi-workstream initiatives from concept to execution.
• Ability to translate governance policies into practical business processes and controls.
• Strong executive stakeholder management, presentation, and facilitation skills.
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders in a matrix organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day execution of the ELT Delegate Engagement Program across segments and functions.
• Manage activation plans, milestones, risks, decisions, and outcomes.
• Drive onboarding through adoption of the governance operating model.
• Monitor progress and continuously improve program processes and templates.
• Build trusted relationships with senior leaders and governance teams.
• Lead onboarding sessions, governance meetings, and executive briefings.
• Provide insights and escalation to support action and accountability.
• Connect governance activities to measurable business value and risk reduction.

Skills

Program management

Stakeholder management

Data governance

Executive communication

Facilitation

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic planning

Risk and issue management

Change management

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Job description

Ready to make an impact on a major enterprise initiative in the insurance sector? Bring your expertise in data governance, stakeholder engagement, and program execution to help drive change and meaningful business outcomes.

What is in it for you:

• Salaried: $72-82 per hour.
• Incorporated Business Rate: $85-95 per hour.
• Full-time schedule of 37.5 hours per week, 7.5 hours per day.
• Hybrid work model in Toronto, Ontario.
• On-site anchor days on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Responsibilities:

Program Management and Execution

• Lead the day-to-day execution of the ELT Delegate Engagement Program across business segments and functions.
• Manage activation plans, milestones, dependencies, risks, decisions, action items, and outcomes.
• Drive progress from delegate onboarding through sustained adoption of the governance operating model.
• Monitor progress and drive continuous improvement of program processes, tools, and templates.

Stakeholder Engagement and Facilitation

• Build trusted relationships with senior business leaders, ELT Delegates, Data Owners, Data Stewards, Data Governance teams, Risk and Compliance partners, and project and program teams.
• Lead onboarding sessions, governance meetings, workshops, working sessions, and executive briefings.
• Drive stakeholder alignment, accountability, and decision‑making.

Data Governance

• Conduct data landscape and ownership assessments to identify critical data, dependencies, governance gaps, and accountability requirements.
• Establish and support data governance forums.
• Drive the resolution and escalation of data risks, issues, ownership, and accountability challenges.
• Support the adoption of governance practices and their integration into business operating rhythms and decision‑making forums.

Reporting and Executive Communications

• Prepare executive presentations, dashboards, briefings, status reports, metrics, and leadership updates.
• Provide insights, recommendations, and escalations to support action and accountability.
• Connect governance activities and program outcomes to measurable business outcomes, risk reduction, and enterprise value.

What you will need to succeed:

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Management, Data Management, Computer Science, Finance, or a related field.
• 7-10+ years of overall experience, including at least 5 years leading enterprise data governance, data management, or transformation initiatives.
• Enterprise data governance experience, including knowledge of data ownership and stewardship, critical data identification, data quality, metadata and lineage, issue management, controls, and data risk.
• Strong program and project management experience leading complex, cross‑functional initiatives in large, regulated organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex, multi‑workstream initiatives from concept through execution.
• Experience translating data governance policies and strategies into practical business processes, controls, accountabilities, and measurable outcomes.
• Familiarity with program management methods and tools.
• Strong executive stakeholder management, presentation, communication, and facilitation skills.
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and build trusted relationships in a matrixed organization.
• Ability to connect governance activities to measurable business outcomes, risk reduction, and enterprise value.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, create structure, and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Ability to simplify complex information and influence outcomes.

Preferred qualifications

• Master’s degree in Business, Information Management, Data Management, Computer Science, Finance, or a related field.
• Experience designing, implementing, or operationalizing enterprise data governance operating models, including governance forums, decision rights, accountabilities, standards, and escalation paths.
• Change management and organizational transformation experience.
• Exceptional relationship‑building and influencing skills.
• Strong communication skills and executive presence.
• Ability to establish credibility with senior stakeholders.
• Comfortable facilitating executive discussions and challenging stakeholders when necessary.
• Highly organized and disciplined in managing competing priorities.
• Action‑oriented and able to move initiatives forward with limited direction.
• Strong coordination, follow‑through, and accountability.
• Ability to simplify complex information and influence outcomes.
• Outcome‑focused approach with attention to business impact and value realization.