Data Governance Lead 12 Month Contract (3 Month Probation)

Rosstone; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Rosstone is seeking an experienced Data Governance Lead to establish and drive enterprise-wide data governance practices. You will lead governance, data quality, stewardship, compliance, and AI data governance initiatives while fostering a culture of data accountability and informed decision-making.

The role requires 8–10 years in data management with 5+ years leading governance initiatives, and travel to operational sites will be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent (NQF 7).
• Postgraduate qualification in data management/IS/BA advantageous.
• CDMP cert (Practitioner/Master) or working towards it preferred.
• Exposure to AI governance frameworks (ISO/IEC 42001/NIST AI RMF) advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain enterprise data governance frameworks, standards and controls.
• Drive data ownership, stewardship and governance adoption across the business.
• Establish and monitor enterprise data quality standards and critical data elements.
• Lead metadata, business glossary and data catalogue initiatives.
• Govern key master data domains and improve data consistency and quality.
• Ensure compliance with data retention, privacy, and regulatory requirements.
• Manage data risks, audit findings and governance controls.
• Extend governance practices to AI/ML and analytics initiatives.
• Influence stakeholders and drive data-driven culture across the organization.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Strategic thinking

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree (NQF 7)

Postgraduate qualification in Data Management/IS/Business Admin

Tools

SAP BW/4HANA

SAP HANA

Tableau

BusinessObjects

AWS Data Lake

Data cataloguing tools

Data lineage tools

Data quality tools

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Data Governance Lead to establish and drive enterprise-wide data governance practices, ensuring data is managed as a strategic business asset. The successful candidate will lead governance, data quality, stewardship, compliance, and AI data governance initiatives while driving a culture of data accountability and informed decision-making.

Minimum Requirements

Qualifications

• Relevant Bachelor's Degree or equivalent qualification (NQF 7).
• Postgraduate qualification in Data Management, Information Systems, or Business Administration (advantageous).
• CDMP certification (Practitioner/Master) or working towards certification (preferred).
• Exposure to AI governance frameworks such as ISO/IEC 42001 or NIST AI RMF (advantageous).

Experience

• 8–10 years' experience in data management, business intelligence, or enterprise data roles.
• 5+ years leading data governance, data quality, stewardship, or master data initiatives.
• Proven experience implementing data governance frameworks in large, complex organisations.
• Experience developing governance operating models, policies, controls, and roadmaps.
• Strong stakeholder engagement across business, IT, risk, audit, and compliance.
• Experience with AI, analytics, or big data governance is advantageous.
• Mining or heavy industry experience highly advantageous.

Technical Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of DAMA-DMBOK2 principles.
• Experience with data governance, data quality, metadata management, and master data management.
• Understanding of SAP BW/4HANA, SAP HANA, BusinessObjects, Tableau, and AWS Data Lake environments.
• Knowledge of data cataloguing, lineage, and data quality tools.
• Familiarity with POPIA and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Working knowledge of AI/ML data lifecycle concepts, including bias, explainability, model drift, and data provenance.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain enterprise data governance frameworks, standards, policies, and controls.
• Drive data ownership, stewardship, and governance adoption across the business.
• Establish and monitor enterprise data quality standards and critical data elements.
• Lead metadata, business glossary, and data catalogue initiatives.
• Govern key master data domains and improve data consistency and quality.
• Ensure compliance with data retention, privacy, and regulatory requirements.
• Manage data risks, audit findings, and governance controls.
• Extend governance practices to AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics initiatives.
• Influence stakeholders and drive organisational change toward a data-driven culture.

Competencies

• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent communication and influencing ability.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving capability.High attention to detail and governance discipline.
• Ability to drive collaboration and accountability across functions.

Travel to various operational sites will be required.