Data Governance Lead

Hippo Insurance•Austin, TX

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Hippo is a growing insurance company building a data governance program from the ground up. This is a leadership opportunity to shape how data is trusted, protected, and used across the business — establishing the practices, standards, and platform capabilities that make reliable data the default, not the exception. You will be our first dedicated governance hire, working closely with a team of data engineers and reporting to the Head of Data Foundations & Governance. The role balances rigorous governance fundamentals with a forward-looking approach: embedding controls directly into the platform, enabling self-serve analytics, and building the trustworthy data foundation our AI ambitions require. You will have budget for tooling and a clear mandate to build this program from the ground up. The ideal candidate believes that good governance enables rather than restricts, is practical and builder-minded, comfortable operating in ambiguity, curious about modern data and AI capabilities, and communicates clearly with any audience.

Requirements

6–10 years in data governance, data management, or a closely adjacent discipline, with experience leading or building a program — not just contributing to one.
Strong command of core governance domains: data quality, metadata management, lineage, classification, access control, and data lifecycle.
Ability to express and enforce governance standards in code — schema contracts, pipeline quality rules, metadata requirements — not just policy documents.
Technical fluency to work credibly alongside data engineers is essential.
Hands-on experience with modern data platforms and catalog or observability tooling (e.g. Secoda, Monte Carlo, Alation, Ataccama, or similar).

Nice To Haves

Insurance or regulated industry experience a plus
Familiarity with CCPA, state DOI requirements, or similar compliance frameworks is valued.

Responsibilities

Define and lead a data governance strategy that protects customers, mitigates risk, and enables the business to use data with confidence.
Build the foundational program including ownership models, data standards, classification, quality, and retention, in a pragmatic, scalable way.
Serve as the primary governance voice for risk, legal, and compliance leadership; translate complex data issues into clear business context.
Champion governance-as-code: embedding policies, quality rules, and data controls directly into pipelines.
Work alongside data engineers to operationalize governance through our catalog, observability, and transformation tools.
Think creatively about how governance standards can be enforced automatically in code, through schema contracts, quality rules in pipelines, and metadata requirements.
Build toward an environment where governed data is the natural output of how we build — not a separate oversight layer — including how governance will need to evolve as we introduce AI-driven access to data.
Drive data quality and reliability so that teams across the business can find, understand, and use data without friction.
Create a data product model that packages critical datasets as well-governed, well-documented assets accessible to all.
Lay the groundwork for responsible use of AI and analytics, ensuring data is traceable, well-understood, and fit for purpose.

Benefits

Relocation Assistance
Multiple medical plans to choose from
100% employer covered dental & vision plans for our team members and their families
401(k)-retirement plan
Short & long-term disability
Employer-paid life insurance
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for health and dependent care
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Equity compensation
Training and internal career growth opportunities
Flexible Time Off
12 weeks of parental leave for primary and secondary caregivers
Snacks and drinks available
Catered lunches for onsite employees