Data Governance Specialist

The Canada Life Assurance Company • Toronto, ON

1d • CA$80,400 - CA$130,400 • Hybrid

About The Position

We are looking for a Data Governance Specialist to support the delivery and adoption of enterprise data governance capabilities. This role is hands‑on and execution‑focused, responsible for implementing metadata management and data quality practices that ensure data is accurate, discoverable, and fit for business use. As part of the Data Governance function, you will work closely with Data Stewards, business stakeholders, and technology teams to operationalize metadata and data quality frameworks. You will contribute to building strong governance foundations by supporting cataloging, lineage, data quality monitoring, and issue resolution processes.

Requirements

• A university or college education in Information/Data Science, Data Management, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3–5 years of experience in data governance, metadata management, or data quality.
• Foundational knowledge of metadata management concepts (cataloging, lineage, glossary, classification).
• Strong hands‑on experience with SQL for data analysis, profiling, and data quality rule development.
• Hands‑on experience or exposure to data governance tools such as informatica.
• Familiarity with data quality tools and techniques, including rule creation and monitoring.
• Understanding of data governance principles, including data quality, privacy, classification, and compliance.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and business stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities.
• Reliability Status Security Clearance – this can only be completed with candidates who receive an offer of employment. This is a personal security status that is required as a condition of employment before an employee can gain access to Protected B information, assets or work sites as outlined by the Government of Canada website. The cost of submitting these checks will be covered by Canada Life.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting Informatica (including DQ capabilities) or similar tools.
• Experience developing DQ rule using SQL.
• Experience working with data stewards and governance programs in an enterprise setting.
• Knowledge of data transformation or migration validation practices.

Responsibilities

• Support the implementation and maintenance of metadata management practices, standards, and processes.
• Contribute to data cataloging activities, ensuring data assets are properly classified, indexed, and documented.
• Assist in developing and maintaining business glossaries, critical data elements (CDEs), and metadata taxonomies.
• Support creation and validation of technical lineage and metadata relationships across systems.
• Help onboard and integrate technical metadata from data platforms into governance tools.
• Participate in metadata audits and quality checks, ensuring completeness and accuracy.
• Follow established metadata lifecycle processes, including updates, approvals, and impact tracking.
• Translate business data quality requirements into technical rule logic and executable SQL validations within data platforms and governance tools.
• Support the execution of data quality (DQ) processes, working with Data Stewards and stakeholders to ensure adherence to standards.
• Assist in defining and applying data quality rules, thresholds, and validation checks for critical data elements.
• Monitor and support automated data quality reporting and controls, identifying issues for investigation.
• Perform data quality analysis and investigations, including root cause identification and recommendations for remediation.
• Support data validation activities, including reconciliation between legacy and target systems during transformations.
• Contribute to DQ reporting and dashboards, tracking issues, trends, and improvement opportunities.
• Assist in implementing and maintaining DQ processes within governance tools (e.g., Informatica).
• Maintain documentation and contribute to continuous improvement of DQ processes and frameworks.
• Collaborate with Data Stewards, business teams, and platform teams to support governance rollout and adoption.
• Assist in onboarding business units to metadata and data quality tools and processes.
• Support the development of training materials, procedures, and knowledge base content.
• Provide day‑to‑day support for metadata and DQ tools, including issue triage and resolution.
• Ensure adherence to data governance policies, privacy requirements, and classification standards.
• Identify and escalate risks, issues, and gaps related to metadata and data quality.

Benefits

• Career Development: Opportunities for career advancement, access to industry-leading learning programs and up to $2,000 annually towards education reimbursement.
• Health & Wellness: Flexible health and dental benefits, plus a $5,000 mental health benefit to support your well-being.
• Time Off: In addition to regular vacation and personal days, we support community involvement with a volunteer day.
• Financial Security: Company-matching pension plan, share ownership program and additional investment options.
• Rewards and Recognition: Employee recognition programs, service milestone celebrations, employee discounts and more!
• Emphasis on Community: We provide a workplace where employees feel connected and supported through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), mentorship programs, social clubs and events.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree