Metadata & Reference Data Lead

Absa Bank Limited; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Absa Bank Limited is seeking a Metadata and Reference Data Lead Specialist to strengthen Data Governance across Glossaries, Lineage, and Reference Data. You will partner with Data Owners, Stewards, and Technology teams to ensure clear definitions, ownership, and controls across critical data domains.

You will drive metadata enrichment, maintain documentation, and deliver governance dashboards that support risk, compliance and regulatory needs.

Qualifications

• Experience developing or maintaining a data glossary, business definitions, metadata repositories or data catalogues.
• Exposure to data lineage across systems, reports, processes or data flows.
• Experience with reference data governance, including code sets, hierarchies, ownership and change control.
• Experience working with Data Owners, Data Stewards, Technology teams and business stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain and enhance the business data glossary to ensure consistent definitions and business understanding.
• Document and validate data lineage across key systems, reports and processes.
• Coordinate Reference Data reviews to define values, hierarchies, ownership and controls.
• Collaborate with Data Owners, Stewards and System Owners to confirm definitions and metadata requirements.
• Identify and document Critical Data Elements with ownership, usage and controls.
• Maintain metadata records aligned with Data Governance standards.
• Prepare governance updates, dashboards and reports on metadata progress.
• Support audit, risk and regulatory evidence relating to data traceability and control.
• Promote governance practices and drive stakeholder engagement across teams.

Skills

Data Governance

Metadata Management

Data Lineage

Reference Data

Data Quality

Business Analysis

Reporting

Risk Management

Information Management

Collibra

Informatica

Ataccama

Microsoft Purview

Power BI

Excel

SharePoint

Education

Diploma or Degree

Tools

Collibra

Informatica

Ataccama

Microsoft Purview

Power BI

Excel

SharePoint

Job description

Absa Bank Limited is seeking a Metadata and Reference Data Lead Specialist to strengthen Data Governance across Glossaries, Lineage, and Reference Data. You will partner with Data Owners, Stewards, and Technology teams to ensure clear definitions, ownership, and controls across critical data domains.

You will drive metadata enrichment, maintain documentation, and deliver governance dashboards that support risk, compliance and regulatory needs.