Data Governance Board Lead

As Data Governance Board Lead, you will be the CDO’s right hand, ensuring data governance runs as a business-led function. You chair the Data Governance Council, own policies and standards, and manage senior stakeholder engagement to report progress to Strategic Leadership. You help stand up domain working groups and ensure lightweight governance that serves the business, not just IT. This role launches governance in a partnership-driven model within a global law firm. You’ll drive measurable improvements in governance coverage and adoption.

• Chair and coordinate the Data Governance Council, manage agendas, papers, decisions log and follow-up actions
• Draft, maintain and version control data governance policies, standards and the governance framework
• Ensure each domain’s governance pack meets required bar before council sign-off
• Prepare quarterly reports for Strategic Leadership and track roadmap progress
• Manage cross-enterprise stakeholder engagement to embed governance as a business function
• Coordinate domain Working Groups, including stand-up and wind-down
• Escalate governance issues beyond working group level to the CDO when needed
• Track governance KPIs and contribute to continuous improvement of the operating model

• 5+ years in a data governance, information governance, or program/business management role
• Experience running governance forums or working groups with senior stakeholders
• Track record of standing up a governance function or maturing an early-stage one
• Ability to translate technical scope into business-relevant decisions in partnership with IT
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills with senior leaders
• Change-management and communications instinct; advocate for relevance and incentives over mandates
• Strong program/secretariat skills (agenda-setting, papers, minutes, action-tracking)
• Working knowledge of data governance concepts (ownership, stewardship, quality, classification)

• stakeholder management
• influencing
• change management
• data governance concepts (ownership, stewardship, quality, classification)
• knowledge of governance frameworks (DAMA-DMBOK, DCAM)
• familiarity with Microsoft-centered data estate (Purview, Power BI)