Data Governance & Quality Lead

Damen Shipyards Group; Vlissingen; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

8% holiday pay

Travel allowance

Pension (60% employer)

Profit sharing

Work from home up to 2 days a week

Bicycle plan

Company fitness

27 holidays and 13 ADV days

Job summary

Damen Naval is seeking a Data Governance & Quality Lead to establish and enforce data policies, standards, and processes across the data lifecycle. You will support data owners, define quality dimensions, and lead data stewards to enable reliable analytics for next‑generation ships and efficient operations.

You will collaborate with engineers, project managers, and supply chain to meet data needs, monitor metrics, and drive continuous improvement in data management at Damen Naval.

Qualifications

• Requires Bachelor’s or Master’s in IT or related field.
• At least 6 years in programs and data governance or data transformation.
• Strong knowledge of governance, compliance, and data security.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain data ownership, formulate and uphold data quality rules, develop robust data risk profiles, ensure comprehensive data security, and manage data definitions and descriptions in accordance with established governance frameworks.
• Partner with engineers, project managers, supply chain, and other key stakeholders to understand their data needs and provide definitions and documentation that contribute to informed decision-making.
• Continuously monitor key data metrics, help stewards to validate and cleanse data, and proactively address errors to maintain accuracy, completeness, consistency, and timeliness across datasets.
• Guarantee alignment with all regulatory requirements while actively identifying, assessing, and mitigating data-related risks such as breaches, misuse, and non-compliance.
• Provide ongoing support and comprehensive training to end-users on defining and resolving data quality issues and implementing best practices.
• Stay updated on the latest tools and technologies in data management, explore new methods to enhance data quality, and foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement through training and guidance.
• Document processes, methodologies, and findings for knowledge sharing.

Skills

Data governance

Data quality

Regulatory compliance

Lean Six Sigma

Industry 4.0 mindset

Data analysis tools

BI reporting systems

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in IT or related field

Tools

BI reporting tools

Data analysis software

Job description

About us

Hop aboard Damen Naval; the naval division of the family-owned Damen Shipyards Group, where 12,000 professionals work worldwide. Damen Naval delivers advanced naval vessels to clients all over the globe. By implementing the most innovative technological developments in practice, we continue to push the boundaries of the shipbuilding industry. You can be part of our team! Are you ready for duty?

• Location: Vlissingen
• Time type: Full time

The role

As the Data Governance & Quality Lead at Damen Naval, you will hold a pivotal position in establishing and enforcing the foundational policies, standards, and processes that ensure the accuracy, consistency, security, and usability of our data across its entire lifecycle. You will be instrumental in supporting data owners to define data quality dimensions, and strategically manage data stewards. By partnering closely with diverse stakeholders, you will proactively address complex data challenges and champion continuous improvement in our data management practices. Your leadership will directly enable reliable analytics and informed decision-making, crucial for the design of next-generation ships and the efficiency of our operations.

Key accountabilities

In this role, your responsibilities will include:

• Define and maintain data ownership, formulate and uphold data quality rules, develop robust data risk profiles, ensure comprehensive data security, and manage data definitions and descriptions in accordance with established governance frameworks.
• Partner closely with engineers, project managers, supply chain, and other key stakeholders to deeply understand their data needs and provide definitions and documentation that contribute to informed decision-making.
• Continuously monitor key data metrics, help stewards to validate and cleanse data, and proactively address errors to maintain accuracy, completeness, consistency, and timeliness across our datasets.
• Guarantee alignment with all regulatory requirements while actively identifying, assessing, and mitigating data-related risks such as breaches, misuse, and non-compliance.
• Provide ongoing support and comprehensive training to end-users on defining and resolving data quality issues and implementing best practices.
• Stay updated on the latest tools and technologies in data management, explore new methods to enhance data quality, and foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement through training and guidance.
• Document processes, methodologies, and findings for knowledge sharing.

Skills & experience

We are looking for candidates with the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s pr Master's degree in IT or a relevant field with at least 6 years of relevant experience.
• 3+ years of experience in program and project management, preferably within data governance, data quality, or large-scale data transformation programs.
• A strong foundation in data management principles, governance frameworks, and regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR, ISO standards).
• Familiarity with Lean Six Sigma or other process improvement methodologies, ideally tailored for Industry 4.0 and system engineering, with a proven track record in process development and improvement, preferably in ship construction or a related industry.
• Experience in the maritime, defense, or a related industry is highly valued, but an essential requirement is to possess a strong engineering mindset.
• Technical Understanding: Understanding of BI reporting systems and processes, and experience working with data analysis tools.
• Good command of both written and verbal English, with Dutch proficiency being a plus. Awareness of potential business travel, work abroad, or intercontinental assignments.
• Excellent references antecedents as a pre-employment security screening is standard part of the recruitment procedure.
• Permanent EU citizenship and passport are both required and candidates with NL/EU (work) visa or with both an EU and non-EU nationality and/or passport are not eligible in accordance with the requirements imposed by the military nature of our projects.
• A pre-assignment and security screening and investigation form part of the recruitment process.

What we offer

At Damen Naval, we highly value our employees, and we will support your professional and personal development. We also provide our employees with:

• A competitive salary and 8% holiday pay.
• 27 holidays and 13 ADV days.
• Travel allowance of 23 cents per kilometre.
• PME-pension arrangement with an employer contribution of 60%.
• Profit sharing based on company results.
• Flexibility to work from home up to two days a week.
• Additional benefits including a bicycle plan and company fitness.