Data Governance Specialist

Woolworths Financial Services; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 650 000 - 850 000; Full time

Job summary

A major retail financial services firm in Cape Town is seeking a Data Governance Specialist. This role involves designing and implementing data governance frameworks to ensure the accuracy and security of data. Responsibilities include monitoring compliance with regulations, leading data stewardship programs, and enhancing data quality. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree and 3-5 years of experience in data management, preferably in a financial or banking environment. Skills in SQL and cloud environments are advantageous.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience in a Data Management or Data Governance capacity.
• Ability to produce high-quality documentation.
• Creative and flexible approach to problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement data governance frameworks.
• Ensure data quality and security measures.
• Monitor compliance with data regulations.

Skills

Excellent communication and presentation skills

Strong analytical skills

Experience in Data Management or Data Governance

Proficiency in SQL/PostgreSQL/Redshift or Python

Education

Bachelor's degree in Risk, Business, Finance, IT or related field

Tools

AWS cloud environment

Job description

Woolworths Financial Services | Full time

Data Governance Specialist

Cape Town, South Africa | Posted on 01/05/2025

WoolworthsFinancial Services, or WFS as it is better known, is a JointVenture with Absa Bank, that supports the Woolworths retailbusiness by providing in-storecredit inthe formof the Woolworths StoreCard andoffering value-addedservices including credit cards, personal loans and short-terminsurance as well as life insurance linked to otherproducts.

Job Description

Main Purpose

The Data Governance Specialist will be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining data governance frameworks to ensure the accuracy, security, and proper use of an organization's data assets. The role is pivotal in establishing data management policies and procedures that safeguard data integrity, support compliance with regulatory requirements, and enhance data-driven decision-making across the organization. The Data Governance Specialist collaborates closely with data owners, business leaders, and IT teams to ensure a consistent and compliant approach to data handling and usage.

Key Responsibilities:

• Developing and enforcing data governance policies, standards, and practices.
  
• Design and execution of a Data Governance framework and strategy
  
• Ensuring data quality, data privacy, and security measures are upheld.
  
• Monitoring data compliance with internal and external regulations.
  
• Supporting data-related risk management and mitigation efforts.
  
• Leading initiatives for data classification, lineage, and metadata management.
  
• Driving data stewardship and data ownership programs across the WFS data community.
  
• Conducting audits and assessments to ensure ongoing compliance and governance effectiveness.
  

Requirements

Data Governance Frameworks

• Develop and implement a comprehensive datagovernance framework tailored to the organization.
  
• Establish clear policies, standards, andprocedures for data management.
  
• Regularly review and update governanceframeworks to adapt to evolving business needs and regulatory changes.
  
• Ensure alignment between governance frameworksand industry best practices.
  
• Document roles and responsibilities for dataownership, stewardship, and custodianship.
  

Metadata Management and Data Lineage

• Implement and maintain a metadata managementstrategy for the organization.
  
• Ensure data lineage is documented and traceablefrom origin to final use.
  
• Create standardized metadata definitions andstructures for key data assets.
  
• Provide visibility into the flow of data acrosssystems and processes.
  
• Ensure metadata repositories are accessible andused effectively by business and technical teams.
  

Data Quality Management

• Define metrics and benchmarks to measure andmonitor data quality across the organization.
  
• Identify and remediate data quality issues,including inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and redundancies.
  
• Implement data cleansing and enrichmentprocesses to improve data accuracy.
  
• Collaborate with business units to establishdata validation rules and controls.
  
• Provide ongoing training and support to promotea culture of data quality awareness.
  

Data Security and Privacy Management

• Collaborate with cybersecurity teams toimplement data protection mechanisms.
  
• Identify and manage risks related to databreaches or unauthorized access.
  
• Ensure data encryption, masking, andanonymization practices are in place where appropriate.
  
• Regularly assess and test data security controlsto ensure their effectiveness.
  
• Lead initiatives to enhance privacy practices,including consent management and user access rights.
  

Data Stewardship and Ownership

• Establish and maintain a data stewardshipprogram to empower data custodians across departments.
  
• Clarify data ownership responsibilities toensure accountability for data assets.
  
• Foster collaboration between data owners andstewards to improve data quality and compliance.
  
• Provide training and resources to support datastewards in their roles.
  
• Monitor and assess the effectiveness of datastewardship and ownership programs.
  

REQUIREMENTS

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum:Bachelor's degree in Risk, Business, Finance, IT or related field.
  

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum: 3 to 5 yearsof experience in a Data Management or Data Governance capacity
  
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
  
• Strong analytical skills with creative and flexible approachto problems solving
  
• Ability to produce high quality documentations
  
• Preferred: 3+ years’ experience in the Financial,Banking or FinTech industry in a risk management or data management role
  
• Experienced cloud practitioner and exposure to AWS cloudenvironment
  
• Proficiency in SQL/PostgreSQL/Redshift and/orPython