Enterprise Master Data Steward - Reference Data & Special Projects

Elanco Tiergesundheit AG; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation packages

Two week long shut downs (US)

8-week parental leave

Annual bonus offering

Flexible work arrangements

Job summary

Elanco, a global leader in animal health, seeks an Enterprise Master Data Steward – Reference Data & Special Projects to champion core reference data assets and uphold governance standards. Reporting to the Enterprise Data Office, you will collaborate with business and IT to implement data policies and strategic improvements, ensuring trusted data across the enterprise.

You will lead data quality initiatives, define critical data elements, and participate in data governance councils, driving

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in information systems, data, or related field.
• 8+ years' experience in a relevant business function (e.g., R&D, Manufacturing, Finance, Supply Chain).
• Strong knowledge of data governance: quality, metadata management, stewardship.
• Experience with data cataloguing tools and data quality software.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills with data issues.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder influence across teams.
• Detail-oriented with systematic thinking about data definitions and standards.

Responsibilities

• Own reference data quality and governance as primary owner.
• Represent data governance in strategic projects and special initiatives.
• Define and document critical data elements, rules, and standards.
• Monitor data quality, establish rules, and drive root-cause analysis.
• Control access to data domain per governance policies.
• Triage and resolve data-related issues with producers and consumers.
• Oversee data lifecycle for reference data in projects.
• Ensure compliance with retention policies and regulatory requirements.
• Promote data literacy across the enterprise.

Skills

Data governance

Data quality

Metadata management

Data stewardship

Data cataloguing tools

Data quality software

Analytical mindset

Communication

Attention to detail

Process improvement

Data architecture principles

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems/Data/Process

Tools

Data cataloguing tools

Data quality software

Job description

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals! As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People. At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights. Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

Your Role:

As the Enterprise Master Data Steward – Reference Data & Special Projects at Elanco, you will be a vital champion for our most critical data assets, playing a pivotal role in ensuring the quality, integrity, and usability of those assets. Reporting to the Enterprise Data Office, you will be accountable for Elanco’s core reference datasets and will be responsible for ensuring their quality, integrity, and business value. The role will partner closely with business stakeholders and IT, helping to create, implement and uphold data governance policies and standards. This role will also represent the Enterprise Data Office in strategic initiatives and special projects where there is not already appropriate coverage from other roles. In this capacity, you will ensure that we consider data governance and data stewardship proactively and will be accountable for determining our long term approach through the creation of business cases. This role is perfect for a detail-oriented professional with deep business knowledge who can act as the crucial link between business stakeholders and IT to ensure our data is trusted, understood, and used effectively. Driven by the quickening pace of innovation, Animal Health is on the verge of a revolution, powered by digital business models, technology and data. Partnering with Elanco IT, the Enterprise Data Office (EDO) will act as a catalyst for change, identifying and delivering transformative solutions to solve our biggest business problems. This includes four strategic priorities: Pipeline Acceleration: Optimise the search and approval of high impact medicines with a focus on speed, cost and precision. Manufacturing Excellence: Improve the efficiency, quality and consistency of core manufacturing processes, specifically execution and equipment effectiveness. Sales Effectiveness: Simplify the process to find, trust and consume relevant customer insights that drive sales growth and improved engagement. Productivity: Expand operating margin through efficiency by systematically reducing our operating expenses across the company, improving profitability.

Your Responsibilities:

• Reference Data Ownership: Act as the primary owner and subject matter expert for reference data, responsible for its overall quality and governance.
• Special Project Engagement: Act as the primary representative and subject matter expert for data governance in specific projects that are transforming our business and could require data governance policies, standards and procedures, identifying when and how this work will transition to others.
• Define and Document: Collaborate with business and technical teams to define and document critical data elements, business rules, and data standards in the enterprise data catalogue.
• Manage Data Quality: Proactively monitor the quality of reference data and appropriate datasets in special projects, establish data quality rules and metrics, and lead root-cause analysis to resolve data issues.
• Govern Data Access: Establish a process for review and approval of requests for access to data in your domain, ensuring compliance with Elanco’s data governance policies and security standards.
• Drive Issue Resolution: Triage and manage data-related issues, working with data producers and consumers to ensure timely and effective remediation.
• Data Lifecycle Management: Oversee the data lifecycle for reference data and appropriate datasets in special projects, from creation and acquisition to usage, archival, and eventual disposal.
• Ensure compliance with data retention policies and regulatory requirements.
• Champion Data Literacy: Promote the proper use and understanding of reference data across the enterprise, acting as a key resource and advocate for data-driven decision‑making.
• Collaborate with Governance Bodies: Participate in and provide input to the Data Council and Data Governance Committee, representing the needs and status of the Reference Data and appropriate datasets in special projects as well as the impact of the data you oversee across the enterprise.
• Serve the business: Actively contribute to the design and evolution of Elanco's data architecture, translating business requirements and strategic priorities into actionable data model and integration specifications.
• This includes proactively identifying opportunities to leverage data assets and architectural improvements to drive innovation and achieve Elanco's strategic business objectives.
• Measure Impact & Success: Collaborate with business and IT to define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) that demonstrate the business value and impact of data quality and architectural improvements on strategic outcomes.
• Champion Best Practices: Stay abreast of industry best practices and emerging technologies in data management and architecture, recommending innovative solutions to enhance Elanco's data capabilities.

What You Need to Succeed (Minimum Qualifications):

• Educational Background: A Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Data, Process, or a related field is preferred.
• Business Domain Expertise: 8+ years' experience with deep knowledge and experience in a relevant business function (e.g., R&D, Manufacturing, Commercial, Finance, Supply Chain, etc.).
• Understanding of Data Governance: A strong foundational knowledge of data governance principles, including data quality, metadata management, and data stewardship.
• Data Tools Familiarity: Experience with data cataloguing tools and data quality management software.
• Analytical Mindset: Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to investigate complex data issues and identify root causes.
• Communication and Influence: Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively and influence stakeholders across different business and technical teams.
• Attention to Detail: A highly organized and meticulous approachtomanagingthedatadefinitions, standards, and quality.
• Process‑Oriented: Experienceinprocessimprovementandademonstratedabilitytothink systematically about how data flows through the organization.
• Data‑Driven Attitude: A passion for data and a firm belief in its power to drive business outcomes. Should also possess a foundational understanding of data architecture principles, including data modeling, integration patterns, and data platform concepts, with an ability to articulate how these support business strategy.
• Issue Resolution and Escalation: Facilitate the resolution of data discrepancies, conflicts, and issues, escalating complex problems to appropriate data governance bodies or IT teams when necessary.

Additional Information:

Location: Indianapolis, IN Global HQ (Hybrid Environment) Travel: Minimal Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!

Elanco Benefits and Perks:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package focusing on financial, physical, and mental well-being while encouraging our employees to pursue our purpose! Some highlights include:

• Multiple relocation packages
• Two week long shut downs (mid-summer and year-end) in the US (in addition to PTO)
• 8-week parental leave
• 9 Employee Resource Groups
• Annual bonus offering
• Flexible work arrangements
• Up to 6% 401K matching #LI-JC1

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) is a global leader in animal health dedicated to innovating and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets, creating value for farmers, pet owners, veterinarians, stakeholders, and society as a whole. With nearly 70 years of animal health heritage, we are committed to helping our customers improve the health of animals in their care, while also making a meaningful impact on our local and global communities. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching life and our Elanco Healthy Purpose™ CSR framework – all to advance the health of animals, people and the planet. Learn more at www.elanco.com.