Program Manager - Data Governance

McGough is a respected partner that brings six generations of experience to high profile, unique and complex construction projects. We take great pride in our people and their extraordinary expertise in planning, development, construction and facility management. McGough employee tenure reflects the commitment and pride we share in our work. Ask anyone who knows us - the caliber of our people sets us apart.

PROGRAM MANAGER - DATA GOVERNANCE

The Program Manager - Data Governance & Enablement establishes and operates McGough's data governance program, ensuring data is trusted, well-defined, and used responsibly across the organization. This role defines governance standards, facilitates data stewardship, and leads governance councils that align business and technical teams on data ownership, access, and usage. Acting as both facilitator and program operator, the Program Manager ensures governance practices are adopted in a way that enables analytics, rather than slowing it down. Operating across Analytics, Data Engineering, and business teams, this role balances enablement with risk awareness-ensuring data remains accessible, well-governed, and aligned with enterprise expectations. This role is expected to operate heavily in a foundational capacity, establishing governance structure, standards, and adoption practices as McGough's data capabilities mature.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required:

• 5+ years of experience in data governance, data management, analytics programs, or related enterprise data roles.
• Experience designing and implementing data quality/governance frameworks or operating models.
• Strong understanding of data lifecycle concepts including quality, metadata, stewardship, and data as a product.
• Proven ability to influence, educate, and align stakeholders across technical and business teams without direct authority.
• Experience standing up governance structures, documentation standards, or stewardship models in growing data environments.
• Experience facilitating cross-functional working groups, councils, or decision forums.
• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Data Management, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience).

Preferred:

• Experience with data cataloging, metadata management, or lineage tools.
• Experience partnering with Legal, Security, and IT teams.
• Familiarity with Snowflake, Tableau, or modern data/analytics ecosystems.
• Background in construction or project-based data environments.
• Experience working in regulated industries such as banking, healthcare, or financial services.
• Experience with Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) frameworks or tools.

Skills:

• Highly skilled communicator; able to translate complex data concepts for diverse audiences.
• Strong facilitation and workshop leadership skills.
• Pragmatic change leader focused on adoption, trust, and clarity.
• Creative, calm problem-solver with strong analytical and program management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build data literacy and drive organizational change.
• Proactive, detail-oriented, and self-directed; capable of managing multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Strong organizational discipline with the ability to structure ambiguity and enforce consistency across teams.
• Detail-oriented with a focus on identifying gaps, inconsistencies, and risks in data usage and processes.

OFFICE AND TRAVEL:

• Position can be remote or based in McGough's Raleigh, NC or Roseville, MN Office.
• McGough supports a hybrid work schedule, with exact days and times defined by manager and team.
• Travel is expected to be approximately 25% consisting of quarterly trips to McGough's headquarters for various training or team building activities. Additional travel to various national office locations may be required as determined by the individual and their manager.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS:

Program Leadership & Facilitation:

• Establish and operate McGough's data governance model, including stewardship structure, decision frameworks, and governance cadence.
• Facilitate governance councils and working groups to align on data ownership, definitions, and usage.
• Serve as the central coordinator for governance across business, analytics, and engineering teams.
• Ensure governance is embedded into new systems, pilots, and analytics initiatives before they scale to enterprise use.
• Ensure governance decisions are reached through established councils and escalate unresolved conflicts with clear recommendations.
• Establish and maintain the hierarchy of policies, standards, and guidelines, ensuring clarity in what is mandatory versus recommended.

Stewardship, Enablement & Data Literacy:

• Educate business teams on data ownership, stewardship, and responsible data usage.
• Develop practical guidance, playbooks, and shared language for how data should be defined and used.
• Partner with Analytics Enablement to reinforce governance concepts within training and onboarding.
• Drive adoption of governance practices through influence and facilitation, not enforcement.
• Facilitate alignment on key data definitions and KPIs, ensuring consistency across teams while business stakeholders retain ownership.
• Coordinate across executive leadership, domain stewards, and technical teams to ensure alignment and accountability.

Standards, Risk and Monitoring:

• Own the selection, rollout, and ongoing management of the enterprise data catalog, ensuring it is actively used and aligned with governance standards.
• Define and maintain standards for data access, security alignment, and responsible usage.
• Establish governance checkpoints for systems, integrations, and analytics assets transitioning to enterprise use.
• Monitor adherence to governance standards and escalate risks, inconsistencies, or gaps.
• Track governance adoption, including stewardship participation, catalog usage, and data quality alignment.
• Ensure enterprise data assets meet expectations for discoverability, lineage awareness, and trust.
• Incorporate governance, risk, and compliance considerations into data standards, working with Legal, Security, and IT as needed.
• Identify and flag inconsistencies, ownership gaps, and misuse of data across the organization.
• Define and differentiate governance types, including policies (mandatory), standards (required practices), and guidelines (recommended processes).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical requirements listed here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Position involves sitting for extended periods of time at employee's workstation and during meetings as well as while traveling, either by plane or car. Employee needs to be able to lift to 20 pounds as frequently as needed to move objects; dexterity to write and manipulate computer keyboard and mouse; ability to hear and speak clearly; and ability to distinguish between colors on graphs and charts.

Employee may be required to visit construction jobsites which may expose the employee to dirt, dust, uneven surfaces, outdoor weather conditions and extreme temperatures.

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In alignment with our commitment to pay transparency, the base salary range for this position is $138,000 to $163,000, excluding fringe benefits or potential bonuses. If you join McGough, your final base salary will be determined by several factors, including geography, location, skills, education, and experience. Furthermore, we place significant value on pay equity among our current team members as part of any final job offer.

Please note that the range provided above reflects the hiring range for this role. Hiring near the top end of this range would be atypical, as we aim to allow room for future salary growth. Additionally, McGough offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. This includes insurance coverage for medical, dental, vision, life, and disability. We also provide generous retirement plans, voluntary benefit plans, parental leave, substantial paid time off, and holiday pay.

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