Data Governance Manager

Total Quality Logistics; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Total Quality Logistics is seeking a Data Governance Manager who will design and operationalize our data governance program, focusing on data quality, certified data products, and metadata management. You’ll work hands-on with operations, technology, and commercial teams to ensure data is discoverable, trusted, and used to drive better freight decisions.

In this role you’ll define data quality standards, build a data product certification framework, and create living catalogs of data assets and

Qualifications

• 7+ years in data governance, data management, or data quality roles.
• Experience building data catalogs, metadata repositories, or knowledge graphs.
• Working knowledge of API management and data architecture concepts.
• Proven track record of building trust and adoption without heavy top-down mandates.
• Comfort operating in a fast, founder-led culture with pragmatic action.
• Excellent communication with data engineers and ops leaders.
• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Data Quality: define standards, monitoring, and remediation workflows across core domains.
• Certified Data Products: establish a data product certification framework with SLAs.
• Data & API Catalogs: build and maintain a living catalog of data assets and internal/external APIs.
• Metadata Management: implement glossaries, lineage tracking, and metadata standards.
• Knowledge Graphs: model relationships across shipments, carriers, customers, and lanes.
• Stakeholder Relationships: connect data engineering, operations, sales, and finance.
• Governance Operating Model: stand up lightweight governance councils and decision rights.
• Change Management: drive adoption through training and visible wins.

Skills

Data governance

Data quality

Stakeholder mgmt

Communication

Cross-functional collab

Education

Bachelor's in related field

Tools

Collibra

Alation

Databricks

Azure

Informatica

Neo4j

Purview

Job description

About the role:

The Data Governance Manager will design and operationalize our data governance program - with a specific focus on data quality, certified data products, data and API cataloging, metadata management, and knowledge graphs. This is not a policy-and-compliance role sitting apart from the business; it's a hands-on, relationship-driven role embedded with operations, technology, and commercial teams to ensure data is discoverable, understood, trusted, and used to drive better freight decisions. Success here is measured less by frameworks written and more by adoption earned - stakeholders choosing certified data because they trust it and trust you.

What you'll be doing:

• Data Quality: Define and enforce data quality standards, monitoring, and remediation workflows across core domains (loads, carriers, customers, pricing, tracking/visibility events). Score and communicate Data Quality enhancements to drive one or more of revenue engine, margin engine, or capital efficiency engine
• Certified Data Products: Establish a data product certification framework - clear ownership, SLAs, quality thresholds, and documentation - so teams can self-serve trusted data with confidence
• Data & API Catalogs: Build and maintain a living catalog of data assets and internal/external APIs (TMS, carrier integrations, load boards, customer portals) so teams can find, understand, and reuse data instead of re-building it
• Metadata Management: Implement business glossaries, lineage tracking, and metadata standards that make data self-explanatory to both technical and non-technical users
• Knowledge Graphs: Partner with data/engineering teams to model relationships across shipments, carriers, customers, and lanes into a knowledge graph that powers search, recommendations, and operational insight
• Stakeholder Relationships: Act as the connective tissue between data engineering, operations, sales, and finance - running working sessions, resolving competing definitions, and building genuine trust so governance is seen as an enabler, not a gatekeeper
• Governance Operating Model: Stand up lightweight, pragmatic governance councils, escalation paths, and decision rights appropriate for a fast-moving, founder-led environment
• Change Management: Drive adoption through training, documentation, and visible wins rather than mandates alone

What you need:

• 7+ years in data governance, data management, or data quality roles, ideally in logistics, freight, supply chain, or another high-transaction-volume industry
• Direct experience building or scaling data catalogs, metadata repositories, data product frameworks, or knowledge graphs (e.g., Collibra, Alation, Atlan, Informatica, Purview, Neo4j, or equivalent), with hands-on exposure to modern data platforms such as Databricks and Azure
• Working knowledge of API management and data architecture concepts - enough to partner credibly with engineering
• A track record of building trust and driving adoption in organizations without heavy top-down mandate - you lead through relationships and results, not authority
• Comfort operating in a fast, informal, founder-led culture: pragmatic, biased to action, allergic to needless bureaucracy
• Excellent communication skills - equally credible in a room with data engineers and in a room with brokers or ops leaders
• Bachelor's degree in a related field (Business, Information Systems, Data/Analytics, Supply Chain) or equivalent experience

Where you'll be:

4289 Ivy Pointe Blvd., Cincinnati, Ohio 45245

Employment visa sponsorship is unavailable for this position. Applicants requiring employment visa sponsorship now or in the future (e.g., F-1 STEM OPT, H-1B, TN, J1 etc.) will not be considered.