Data Governance Specialist

About This Role

Job Summary:

We are seeking a detail-oriented and strategic Data Governance Specialist to develop, implement, and enforce enterprise-wide data governance practices across the organization. This role is essential in ensuring that organizational data is classified, secured, and managed in accordance with internal policies, industry best practices, and national regulatory requirements. The ideal candidate will bring knowledge of local and international standards, including NCSA regulations, National Information Assurance (NIA) policy, and applicable privacy laws and data protection regulations.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Data Governance Framework & Strategy

• Develop and implement the organization’s data governance framework, including stewardship models, policy enforcement, and compliance tracking.
• Define roles and responsibilities for data owners and stewards across business and technical domains.
• Establish KPIs and compliance dashboards to track data governance effectiveness across the organization value chain.

Data Classification & Metadata Management

• Design and maintain comprehensive data classification schemes in alignment with internal risk levels and external regulatory categories.
• Lead data cataloguing and metadata standardization across structured and unstructured data environments.
• Work closely with security and privacy leads to manage access and retention of data.

Policies, Standards & Procedures

• Develop and update governance policies, standards, and procedures in line with Qatari laws, NCSA directives, NIA standards, and international frameworks (e.g., ISO 27001, GDPR).
• Ensure internal documentation reflects changes in national data privacy, information assurance, and cybersecurity requirements.
• Conduct training sessions and awareness campaigns on data governance and regulatory compliance.

Cybersecurity & Data Security

• Work in partnership with cybersecurity and information security teams to align data governance policies with security standards and risk mitigation strategies.
• Define data protection requirements based on classification levels, regulatory obligations, and business risk.
• Support audits, assessments, and incident response processes related to data governance and national compliance.
• Ensure adherence to NCSA regulations and NIA policies in data handling, sharing, and storage practices.
• Ensure governance practices support compliance with cybersecurity frameworks (e.g., ISO 27001, NIST, NDMO, etc.).

Risk, Compliance & Auditing

• Conduct governance assessments, internal audits, and regulatory gap analyses.
• Conduct governance assessments, internal audits, and regulatory gap analyses.
• Coordinate with Legal, IT Security, and Compliance teams to close gaps and enforce standards.

Tooling & Technology Enablement

• Drive the evaluation and deployment of governance tools (e.g., DAM systems, metadata tagging platforms, governance dashboards).
• Integrate governance workflows into enterprise data platforms, including cloud and hybrid environments

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, & SKILLS:

• Bachelor’s degree in information management, computer science, data science, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in data governance, information compliance, or data management.
• Strong knowledge of data classification, lifecycle management, metadata, and policy development.
• Proven understanding of Qatar’s national regulations, including:
• NCSA frameworks and policies
• National Information Assurance (NIA) standards
• Local privacy and data protection regulations
• Knowledge of international standards (e.g., ISO 27001, GDPR, NIST).

Preferred Certifications:

• CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional – DAMA) *
• DCAM (EDM Council)
• CIPM/CIPP (IAPP Privacy Certifications)
• ISO 27001 Lead Implementer or Auditor
• ITIL, COBIT, or other cybersecurity governance frameworks

Functional Competencies

• Data governance framework development, stewardship modeling, and compliance oversight
• Data classification, metadata management, and cataloging across enterprise environments
• Policy, standards, and procedure creation aligned with national and international regulations
• Risk assessment, audit coordination, and governance tooling implementation (DAM, metadata, dashboards)

Behavioral Competencies

• Strong analytical thinking with high attention to detail and regulatory awareness
• Effective communication and collaboration across technical, legal, and compliance functions
• Proactive problem-solving with accountability for data integrity and quality outcomes
• Adaptability and continuous learning mindset in data governance, cybersecurity, and regulatory domains