Data Governance Analyst
ASCENDING Richmond, Virginia, United States
IT Services and IT Consulting · 11-50 employees
About the role
The Data Governance Analyst will support the Enterprise Data Management Program by curating metadata, managing business glossary terms, and ensuring alignment between technical and business definitions. They will also perform advanced data profiling, validate data quality, and facilitate workshops to strengthen data governance practices across the organization.
What they look for
Requirements
Candidates must possess several years of experience in data governance or analysis, along with advanced proficiency in SQL and Microsoft Excel. Strong process documentation skills and the ability to engage effectively with cross-functional business and IT teams are essential for this role.
Full description
Data Governance Analyst (Contract) Remote - Must reside in Central Virginia and be able to come onsite on demand 1 year contract W2 or 1099
We are looking for a Data Governance Analyst to support our Enterprise Data Management Program, with a focus on Data Governance practices and comprehensive data analysis. This role will partner with key stakeholders to curate enterprise metadata, manage business glossary terms, and ensure alignment between technical and business definitions. The right candidate will thrive in a cross-functional environment, bringing strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and excellent communication to drive data quality and governance initiatives across the organization. In this role, you will perform advanced data analysis, profiling, and cross-source validation to identify anomalies, support data quality rules and controls, and drive issue documentation and escalation. You will maintain governance artifacts and meeting records, investigate data issues to produce clear, actionable insights, and assist in setting up workshops and change management efforts that strengthen metadata management, data quality, and data literacy across the organization.
To be successful in this role, you MUST possess:• Several years in Data Governance, Data Management, Data Analysis, or related domains
- Advanced SQL proficiency; able to write complex joins, aggregation, and profiling queries
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, with expertise in handling analytical functions within the tool
- Demonstrated experience with metadata management and business glossaries
- Strong process documentation capabilities (procedures, processes, workflows)
- Excellent communication (written & verbal) and task management skills; comfortable with cross-functional business/IT engagement
The ideal candidate would also have experience in:• Working experience in a DevOps development environment, preferably Microsoft-based
- Hands-on experience with an Enterprise Data Catalog tool (e.g., Alation, Collibra, Microsoft Purview)
- Experience with a Data Quality Scorecard/Rules Engine tool
- Exposure to data lineage, reference data, and data stewardship models
- Understanding of data governance frameworks (policies, standards, controls) and regulatory drivers (e.g., privacy, risk, compliance)
- Experience facilitating data stewardship forums and familiarity with DevOps Boards (e.g., Azure DevOps) for backlog, tasks, and issue tracking
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
