Data Governance Analyst

Role: Data Governance Analyst (Stewardship & Insights) Location: Hybrid in Oak Park Heights, MN Duration: 6 months, likely to extend or convert Rate: $50 - $63/hour W2, dependent on skills and qualifications Role Summary This role sits at the center of the Data Governance Hub and is responsible for executing day-to-day governance operations while helping connect data to business context. This is a hybrid between a data steward and analyst. The person in this role is naturally curious, asks good questions, and pushes to understand how data actually flows through business processes. They don’t just execute tasks, they connect dots across systems, domains, and teams. They will work closely with data product teams and analysts to embed governance into delivery, ensuring data is discoverable, trusted, and consistently defined without slowing teams down. What You’ll Do 1. Execute Core Governance Operations • Support data classification, metadata management, and data quality processes across domains • Maintain and improve data catalog content (glossary terms, metadata, lineage, ownership) • Track governance activities, metrics, and exceptions with strong operational discipline • Ensure governance standards are applied consistently and documented clearly • Track and report on operational indicators such as adoption, completeness, domain coverage, exceptions and certification support metrics • Produce data domain readiness and operational scorecards for governance visibility (This aligns with the steward role being hands-on and execution-focused in maintaining metadata and supporting data quality.) 1. Embed Governance into Data Product Delivery • Partner directly with data product teams and analysts • Insert governance checkpoints into intake, discovery, and delivery workflows • Help teams understand what “good” looks like without owning their decisions • Ensure governance is built into the way work happens, not layered on after the fact (This reflects your hub model where governance supports and integrates into delivery rather than operating separately.) 1. Connect Data to Business Context • Learn and understand upstream/downstream systems and business processes • Ask questions to clarify definitions, calculations, and meaning of data • Identify gaps, inconsistencies, and opportunities to improve understanding • Support analysts and SMEs in refining definitions and improving data clarity (This builds on steward expectations around understanding systems, lineage, and business context.) 1. Drive Consistency and Adoption • Follow established governance standards and playbooks • Document outcomes clearly and consistently • Support working sessions to refine definitions and improve data quality • Flag issues and escalate when standards are not being met How You’ll Show Up • Curious and driven to understand how things actually work • Not satisfied with surface-level answers, connects dots across systems and teams • Detail-oriented with strong follow-through and documentation discipline • Comfortable working with both business and technical stakeholders • Practical and delivery-focused, not theoretical Required Skills & Experience • Experience in data governance, data analysis, or similar role • Strong attention to detail and ability to manage operational processes • Ability to follow standards and apply them consistently • Experience working with data across multiple systems or domains • Strong communication and facilitation skills • Intermediate SQL and Power BI / data visualization tool Nice to Have • Familiarity with data catalog tools (Atlan, Purview, Collibra, Alation) • Experience working within data product or agile delivery environments • Understanding of data quality concepts and metadata management Explicit Boundaries (Out of Scope) To keep roles clear and avoid confusion, this role does not: • Fix or correct data in source systems • Make independent data classification or data quality decisions • Interpret legal or regulatory requirements • Configure or manage security controls (Decisions remain with Data Owners and appropriate functions, while governance provides structure and support.) Why This Role Matters This role is critical to making governance real. It ensures governance is: • Embedded in delivery, not separate • Consistent across domains • Useful to analysts and business teams • Scalable without adding friction