Vice President, Data Governance

Experian; Costa Mesa (CA); Hybrid; USD 220,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive executive level total •

Flexible time off and holidays

Medical, dental, vision, 401K matching

Job summary

Experian, a global data and technology company, seeks a VP of Data Governance to lead NA data governance maturity and Privacy Operations. You will own data cataloging, lineage, access-approval, and privacy framework operations, coordinating with Legal, IT, and business leaders.

You will mentor a team of data stewards and privacy professionals, drive enterprise-wide governance standards, and report KPIs to executives. This hybrid role spans Costa Mesa and other NA hubs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field required; advanced degree or relevant certification preferred.
• Demonstrated success building or scaling enterprise data governance programs.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the multi-year roadmap to advance data governance maturity across NA.
• Lead the design, build, and rollout of a NA-wide Data Catalog and Data Lineage platform.
• Establish and improve data governance policies, standards, and procedures.
• Oversee data access request processes and ensure regulatory compliance (CCPA/CPRA).
• Own the Privacy Framework operations for NA, including consumer rights requests and privacy portal.
• Mentor and manage a team of data stewards and privacy professionals.

Skills

Data governance

Privacy operations

Leadership

Data catalog

Data lineage

Communication of complex concepts

Business intelligence storytelling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Information Management/Computer Science/Law/Business

Advanced degree or relevant certification (CIPP/US, CIPM, CDMP) preferred

Tools

Collibra

Alation

Informatica

Job description

Experian is a global data and technology company, powering opportunities for people and businesses around the world. We operate across a range of markets, from financial services to healthcare, automotive, agribusiness, insurance, and many more. Experian invests in people and new advanced technologies to unlock the power of data. We have an amazing team of 25,200 people in 32 countries.

The Vice President, Data Governance leads Experian North America's Data Governance and Privacy Operations function. This role owns two connected mandates: advancing North America's data governance maturity through enterprise-wide data cataloging, lineage, and access-approval capabilities; and running the day-to-day operations of our Privacy Framework, including consumer rights requests, the consumer privacy portal, and the Privacy Monitoring program.

The role reports to the leader of our Data Office, and leads a team of data stewards and privacy professionals and partners closely with Legal, Compliance, IT, and business unit leaders across North America.

At Experian, we believe great work happens when people come together. We're focused on attracting talent in and around our designated hub locations who are open to collaborating with colleagues in person. Aligning employees to these talent markets helps foster collaboration, strengthen team connections, and support long-term career growth within Experian. You will reside in or near one of our collaboration hubs:

Costa Mesa, CA; San Jose, CA; Allen, TX; Austin, TX; Franklin, TN; New York, NY; Schaumberg, IL; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Seattle, WA

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute the multi-year roadmap to advance Experian NA's data governance maturity, setting measurable milestones and reporting progress to senior leadership.

• Lead the design, build, and rollout of a NA-wide Data Catalog and Data Lineage platform, partnering with IT and data engineering on architecture, implementation and adoption.

• Establish and improve data governance policies, standards, and operating procedures (data quality, metadata management, data classification) across NA business units.

• Design and enhance the process by which teams request and are granted approval for data access, balancing business agility with risk and compliance requirements.

• Own the end-to-end daily operations of Experian's Privacy Framework for NA, ensuring consistent, compliant execution across all programs.

• Oversee timely and accurate response to consumer privacy requests (access, deletion, correction, opt-out) in line with applicable regulations (e.g., CCPA/CPRA, state privacy laws) and internal SLAs.

• Manage and continuously improve the consumer-facing privacy portal, ensuring a seamless, compliant consumer experience and resolving operational or technical issues.

• Direct the Privacy Monitoring program, including ongoing risk assessments, control testing, issue tracking, and remediation across NA.

• Mentor and manage a team of data stewards and privacy professionals, setting goals, developing talent, and ensuring adequate coverage and succession planning.

• Partner cross-functionally with Legal, Compliance, Security, IT, and business leaders to align data governance and privacy operations with regulatory requirements and business objectives.

• Develop and report key metrics and dashboards (KPIs/KRIs) on data governance maturity, access approvals, consumer request turnaround, and privacy monitoring findings for executive stakeholders.

• 12+ years of progressive experience in data governance, data management, or privacy operations, including 5+ years in a people-leadership role.

• Demonstrated success building or scaling enterprise data governance programs, including data catalog, metadata management, and data lineage initiatives.

• Hands-on experience with data catalog/lineage platforms (e.g., Collibra, Alation, Informatica, etc.) and data governance tooling.

• Deep working knowledge of U.S. privacy and data protection regulations (CCPA/CPRA, state privacy laws, GLBA, FCRA) and their operational implications.

• Experience designing or operating consumer rights request processes and consumer-facing privacy portals at scale.

• Experience running a privacy monitoring or compliance testing program, including risk assessment, control design, and issue remediation.

• Strong understanding of data access governance models, including approval workflows, role-based access, and data risk classification.

• Experience leading and developing a team of data stewards, analysts, or privacy professionals, including performance management and talent development.

• Strong program and change management skills, with the ability to drive adoption of new governance processes and platforms across a large, matrixed organization.

• Experience shaping organizational strategy through financial, market, and performance analysis; building business cases and assessing decisions' P&L and long-term impact.

• Proven ability to communicate complex concepts clearly to diverse audiences and cross-functional teams to encourage adoption of business intelligence.

• Experience setting business intelligence strategy, standards, and KPIs; ensuring data quality and presenting insights to executive and board audiences.

• Bachelor's degree in a related field (Information Management, Computer Science, Law, Business) required; advanced degree or relevant certification (e.g., CIPP/US, CIPM, CDMP) preferred.

Benefits/Perks

• Comprehensive executive level total rewards package

• Flexible time off including unlimited vacation, volunteer time off, and 12 paid holidays

• Core benefits including medical, dental, vision, and matching 401K

• Explore all our exciting benefits here: https://yourexperianbenefits.com/cand-index.html

Our uniqueness is that we celebrate yours. Experian's people first, inclusive and purpose driven culture is multi award-winning; World's Best Workplaces 2025 (Fortune Global Top 25), Great Place To Work in 26 countries to name a few. Check out Experian Life on social or explore our Careers Site to understand why.

Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several U.S. geographic markets. The base pay range for this position is listed above. Within this range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors such as job-related skills, experience, and education. This position is also eligible for a variable pay opportunity and a comprehensive benefits package.

Experian is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer for all groups protected under applicable federal, state and local law, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know at the earliest opportunity.

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