Data Lead - Data Governance/MDG

Pay Rate: up to $99.75/hr on w2 (No C2C or 3rd parties)

Location: fully onsite in Foster City, CA

Helping an on-demand, autonomous ride-hailing company find a Data Lead - Data Governance/MDG to support the next phase of enterprise data maturity across Manufacturing Operations.

In this role, you'll assess the current data management environment, define a scalable governance model, and develop a roadmap for implementing stronger master data governance capabilities.

The ideal candidate has hands-on experience with enterprise data governance, data quality, workflow design, stewardship, and MDM or MDG platforms. SAP MDG experience is strongly preferred, though candidates with comparable platform and implementation experience will also be considered.

As a Data Lead - Data Governance/MDG, you'll:

• Assess existing data management processes, tools, workflows, controls, and governance practices.
• Conduct a gap analysis between current MDM capabilities and target-state MDG requirements, including workflows, approvals, stewardship, audit trails, data quality, duplicate prevention, and governance controls.
• Evaluate SAP MDG and comparable MDM or MDG platforms against business needs, the existing SAP landscape, and manufacturing operations requirements.
• Partner with Enterprise Data Governance, Business Applications, SAP functional teams, PLM and 3DX owners, data stewards, and process owners to define the target-state governance model.
• Develop the business case and phased roadmap for MDG, including scope, value drivers, dependencies, risks, and implementation priorities.
• Define governance requirements across material master, supplier and vendor, customer and service, and other Manufacturing Operations data domains.
• Document data ownership, stewardship responsibilities, approval workflows, change-control requirements, and governance checkpoints.
• Identify opportunities to reduce manual data enrichment, standardize approvals, improve data quality, and strengthen auditability.
• Prioritize MDG use cases based on business impact, data readiness, process maturity, and system dependencies.
• Translate business and process needs into functional and technical requirements for MDG or MDM implementation.
• Define data quality rules, validation checks, duplicate-detection requirements, reporting needs, and exception-management processes.
• Facilitate stakeholder workshops to align on process design, ownership, governance requirements, and implementation priorities.
• Develop executive-ready recommendations, documentation, and roadmap materials.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree with 8 to 10 years of experience in data management, data governance, enterprise data governance, SAP data, or related data management roles.
• Strong understanding of data governance concepts, including ownership, stewardship, workflow, approvals, data quality, auditability, and change control.
• Experience supporting or implementing enterprise MDM/MDG platforms; SAP MDG experience is strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of SAP data processes across one or more domains such as material , MM, PP, QM, EWM, TM, FSM, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, quality, or service operations.
• Experience conducting current-state assessments, gap analyses, capability assessments, and roadmap development.
• Ability to translate business process needs into data governance and system requirements.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with business teams, IT/BizApps, data governance, SAP functional teams, and system owners.
• Experience facilitating workshops, documenting requirements, and building executive-ready recommendations.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment where processes and operating models are still maturing.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Hands-on experience with SAP MDG implementation, configuration, process design, or business ownership.
• Experience with SAP S/4HANA data governance and data lifecycle management.
• Experience in manufacturing, automotive, robotics, aerospace, supply chain, logistics, or high-tech manufacturing environments.
• Familiarity with PLM-to-SAP data flows, especially 3DX, BOM, part, material, and release-governance processes.
• Experience defining data domain models, data quality rules, duplicate prevention controls, and stewardship operating models.
• Experience supporting business case development for enterprise data platforms or governance capabilities. Familiarity with data cataloging, data lineage, metadata management, and data quality tooling.
• Key Deliverables Current-state assessment of client's existing MDM implementation and governance model.
• Gap analysis between current MDM capabilities and target-state MDG capabilities. MDG/MDM capability evaluation, including SAP MDG fit assessment.
• Recommended target-state data governance operating model. Prioritized MDG roadmap with implementation phases, dependencies, risks, and value drivers.
• Business requirements for workflow, approvals, data quality, stewardship, duplicate prevention, auditability, and reporting. Executive-ready recommendation for leadership review and decision-making.