Lead, Data Governance

Pearson•Hoboken, NJ

2h•$200,000 - $220,000

About The Position

Pearson's data organization is undergoing a significant transformation, with master data serving as its core. This role is not about maintaining the status quo but about redefining how a global education company defines, trusts, and utilizes its most critical data assets. The Lead, Data Governance (Master Data Management) will spearhead this initiative by establishing the strategy, defining the architecture, and driving the execution of Pearson's enterprise master data capabilities. The initial focus will be on the Customer domain, addressing existing complexities while simultaneously developing frameworks for governing Product, Supplier, and other essential domains in a novel manner. This is a senior, player-coach position requiring both the pragmatism to resolve current issues and the ambition to revolutionize enterprise data management. The individual will shape Pearson's philosophy on trusted, reusable, and governed data, and build the necessary systems, products, processes, and culture to achieve this vision. Operating as a thought leader, this role will influence senior stakeholders on the value of data as a strategic product, shifting the organization's perspective from viewing data as an operational byproduct to a primary asset. This position is part of Global Data, a team focused on modernization, working at the intersection of data engineering, data products, analytics, and business units globally, with the potential to enact substantial change.

Requirements

10–15 years of experience in data management, with significant depth in Master Data Management
Hands-on experience with MDM platforms such as Informatica
Deep knowledge of Oracle and Salesforce as source systems and MDM consumers (SFDC – Data360 and Agentforce)
Proven experience designing match and merge logic, deduplication, and golden record processes
Large Scale Customer Master / Customer 360 transformations
Deep understanding of data governance frameworks, data stewardship, and data ownership models
Experience with ETL/ELT pipelines, API integration patterns, and cloud data platforms
Track record of driving data quality programs at scale in complex enterprise environments
Ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence senior stakeholders without direct authority
Experience managing legacy system environments while driving modernization
Strong communication skills - able to translate technical concepts for business audiences and vice versa

Nice To Haves

Experience with data product thinking and self-service analytics enablement
Familiarity with Customer360 or similar enterprise customer data initiatives
Experience with GCP (Looker)
Experience with metadata management tools and data lineage platforms
Knowledge of real-time and streaming data architectures

Responsibilities

Define and execute the enterprise master data strategy across the Customer domain and beyond (product, supplier, employee, finance) with a phased roadmap for domain expansion.
Design and implement MDM architecture standards that serve Pearson's global needs while enabling business units to achieve their goals.
Build and operate a data governance framework including stewardship models, data ownership policies, and dispute resolution processes across BUs.
Define system-of-record vs. system-of-use vs. system-of-truth across Salesforce, Oracle, E-commerce, and other integrated platforms.
Drive data model re-design reducing MDM data bloat and ensuring streamlined field use across all BUs and functions.
Oversee metadata management and data lineage practices to ensure traceability and auditability across the data estate.
Identify automation opportunities as it relates to master data CRUD or Data quality.
Lead the design and build of a holistic view of the Pearson customer, a foundational data product that powers self-service analytics across the business.
Create and champion new approaches to accessing and consuming master data, enabling business users to answer their own questions without reliance on data teams.
Drive the design and adoption of golden record and deduplication processes, match and merge logic that produces a trusted, unified view of each customer across all Pearson systems.
Define and enforce data quality standards across master data domains, profiling, monitoring, cleansing, and continuous improvement.
Lead the design of match and merge processes to identify, resolve, and prevent duplicate records across source systems.
Stand up a data stewardship program that embeds accountability for data quality within business units, not just central IT.
Partner with engineering and operations teams to drive production support for legacy MDM systems while the organization transitions to modern platforms.
Ensure master data flows correctly across Oracle, Salesforce, and other enterprise systems, managing integration patterns, data synchronization, and API-based consumption.
Oversee the design and maintenance of data ingestion pipelines that feed master data from source systems into the MDM platform.
Support master data migration programs ensuring data quality, standard processes, and approvals are in place before creating or updating data.
Act as the primary MDM partner to business units, translating complex data capabilities into business value and influencing across a matrixed organization.
Drive the cultural and operational change required for MDM transformation, as MDM programs succeed or fail based on adoption, not just technology.
Serve as the bridge between technical data teams and business stakeholders, with a deep understanding of both Pearson's data landscape and the commercial needs of its business units.
Serve as the central MDM lead across all major enterprise programs and ensure alignment of requirements and dependencies across the programs.
Define and track KPIs tied to business outcomes and MDM value realization.