Data Governance Managers

Aspiring data governance managers must obtain one to three years of experience in a lower-level data governance position. Participating in an internship and/or cooperative education program will also provide useful experience.

Data governance managers need a wide range of technical and soft skills to be successful in their work. The tech association ISACA reports that the top technical skills for data governance managers requested by employers include data governance, management, and analysis; SQL (programming language); Collibra (Software); metadata; metadata management; and data lineage. Additionally, managers must be familiar with data governance tools and technologies (e.g., data dictionaries, data catalogs, business glossaries, data governance platforms) and data governance best practices. They also need a deep understanding of data security and compliance regulations.

Important soft skills for data governance managers include the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with interdisciplinary teams and departments, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, a detail-oriented personality, patience, creativity, and leadership and project management abilities.