Manager Data Management

Lead Data Management

For a large-scale programme, we are urgently looking for an experienced Lead Data Management professional. In this role, you will be responsible for setting up, operationalising and further developing Data Management and Data Governance within a complex organisation.

The assignment requires a strong subject-matter leader who can translate strategic frameworks into workable governance, processes, standards and concrete implementations. You will combine in-depth Data Management expertise with strong stakeholder management and functional leadership of a multidisciplinary team.

Assignment Details

• Start: asap / to discuss
• Contract: Freelance
• Duration: 18 months
• Hours: 36 hours per week
• Location: Various locations across the Netherlands
• On-site presence: Approximately 3 to 4 days per week on-site, particularly during the initial phase of the assignment
• Screening: VGB-B security clearance is mandatory; the assignment can only start after successful completion of the screening

The Role

As Lead Data Management, you will report to the Programme Lead and work closely with, among others, the Change Manager and advisors involved in adoption and implementation.

You will provide functional and subject-matter leadership to a Data Management team consisting of:

• 1 Senior Data Management Advisor
• 2 FTE Data Stewards
• 1 Data Analyst
• 1 Process & Information Analyst

The main focus of the assignment is to establish and operationalise the Data Management capability and Data Governance. In addition to strong subject-matter expertise, experience working in organisations undergoing change and strong stakeholder management skills are therefore essential.

Responsibilities

Your responsibilities will include:

• Shaping, operationalising and further developing Data Management and Data Governance.
• Providing functional leadership and subject-matter guidance to the multidisciplinary Data Management team.
• Providing direction across Data Management capabilities, including:
• Data Governance
• Metadata Management
• Data Quality
• Data Assets and KDEs
• Data Sharing
• Data Accountability and Mandating
• Translating DAMA-DMBOK, policies and governance frameworks into pragmatic processes, standards, templates and ways of working.
• Ensuring the consistency, quality and feasibility of deliverables.
• Identifying and helping resolve issues related to ownership, mandates and decision-making.
• Preparing substantive recommendations, choices and decision points for programme and organisational governance.
• Supporting handover, adoption and sustainable embedding within the organisation.
• Maintaining stakeholder relationships at strategic, tactical and operational levels.
• Reporting on progress, quality, risks and decision points to the Programme Lead.

Expected Results Within the First 3–6 Months

During the initial phase, the Lead Data Management professional is expected to demonstrate tangible progress in:

• Establishing and operationalising the Data Management capability.
• Implementing a functioning Data Governance structure.
• Defining clear roles, responsibilities and mandates.
• Establishing processes, standards, templates and ways of working.
• Delivering the first concrete implementations within the programme.
• Creating clarity around data ownership and decision-making.
• Establishing a strong foundation for further implementation and sustainable embedding within the Ministry of Defence.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for a candidate with:

• Demonstrable experience in Data Management within complex organisations.
• Extensive experience setting up, implementing and further developing Data Management and Data Governance.
• In-depth knowledge of and practical experience with the DAMA-DMBOK framework.
• A CDMP certification or demonstrably relevant/equivalent certification.
• If a relevant certification is not yet held, the willingness to obtain it on their own initiative before the start of the project.
• Demonstrable experience providing subject-matter and functional leadership to multidisciplinary Data Management teams.
• Strong stakeholder management skills at strategic, tactical and operational levels.
• Experience translating strategic frameworks and policies into practically applicable governance, processes and standards.
• The ability to create buy-in and facilitate decision-making within a complex environment.

What Is Decisive?

The ideal candidate combines Data Governance, Data Management capability building, leadership and stakeholder management.

However, the strongest emphasis is on demonstrable experience building and actually operationalising Data Management and Data Governance from the ground up within large and complex organisations, combined with strong stakeholder management.

This is explicitly not a purely policy-oriented or advisory role. The candidate must be capable of making governance and Data Management actually work in the organisation.