Sr. Manager Global Master Data Management

Vertiv•Westerville, OH

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Master Data Management — Item Domain is responsible for leading the global strategy, operations, and governance of item master data across all regions and business functions. This role will own the item domain end-to-end — from establishing a centralized item master repository and globalizing lifecycle management processes, to driving data quality, de-duplication, and cross-regional harmonization in a highly complex environment. Today, item master data processes are largely regional, performed by different business units across geographies with limited standardization. No centralized master repository exists, and significant operational inconsistencies persist across regions. This role will lead the transformation from a fragmented, regionally-driven model to a globally governed, harmonized item data capability — while respecting regional nuances and business-specific requirements. This role will collaborate with item domain leadership — including the domain leader (business) and MDM leader (IT) — to establish the framework and strategy around four key dimensions: data, process, application improvements, and organizational change management. The Senior Manager will then create and execute a roadmap that drives changes across all four dimensions, ensuring a holistic approach to improving the business user experience, driving efficiency, and enabling globalization. Execution will involve close collaboration with system and business SMEs to implement the use cases defined in the roadmap. The Senior Manager will lead a team of data stewards, business analysts, and report analysts, and will collaborate closely with item domain leader and data owners across multiple business units to define business rules, data standards, and quality requirements. This role also partner with the global process owner for item lifecycle management to drive operational efficiency and consistency.

Requirements

Minimum 10 years of experience in master data management, data governance, or data operations
Proven track record of leading data domain teams and managing cross-functional stakeholders
Experience creating and executing roadmaps that span data, process, application, and organizational change management dimensions
Demonstrated ability to drive holistic business transformation beyond just data — including process redesign, application improvements, and change management
Demonstrated ability to build and scale teams in complex, multi-country environments
Experience with large-scale data migrations, bulk data processing, and data model changes
Proven ability to drive cross-regional harmonization and standardization initiatives
Deep understanding of item master data including item lifecycle, BOMs, item classification, and product hierarchy
Experience defining business rules, data standards, and data quality requirements with business stakeholders
Proficiency in data quality management — profiling, monitoring, remediation, and reporting
Working knowledge of SQL and ability to understand data flows across systems
Experience with at least one MDM platform or data management tool
Understanding of data governance frameworks and stewardship operating models
Proven ability to lead and develop teams of data stewards, analysts, and specialists
Strong stakeholder management skills across diverse business functions and regions
Ability to influence without direct authority and drive consensus among competing priorities
Excellent written and verbal communication skills for both technical and business audiences
Experience operating as a domain process owner with accountability for end-to-end outcomes

Nice To Haves

Multi-domain MDM experience (customer, supplier, contact, item)
Manufacturing industry experience across multiple countries and regions
Experience establishing a master data repository where none previously existed
Familiarity with product lifecycle management (PLM) and ERP integration with item master
Experience with data governance council participation and domain governance setup
Knowledge of global data privacy regulations and compliance requirements
Experience working with offshore vendor partners on large-scale data initiatives
Certification in data management or governance (e.g., CDMP, DGSP)

Responsibilities

Define and execute the global item domain strategy, including roadmap for centralization, harmonization, and governance
Lead the globalization of item lifecycle management processes while accommodating regional nuances
Drive cross-regional harmonization to eliminate operational inconsistencies in item data management
Establish the item master repository as the authoritative source for item golden records across the enterprise
Create and execute a roadmap that drives improvements across four dimensions: data, process, applications, and organizational change management
Collaborate with item domain leadership (domain leader: business; MDM leader: IT) to establish the framework and strategy for the item domain
Partner with system and business SMEs to implement use cases defined in the roadmap
Address all aspects of the business user experience to drive efficiency and globalization
Collaborate with item domain data owners to define business rules, data standards, and data quality requirements
Drive item data de-duplication and ensure consistent data quality across all systems
Define and monitor item attribution completeness requirements across business units (engineering, sales, legal, finance, accounting, marketing)
Establish data quality metrics and reporting to track progress and identify areas requiring remediation
Lead data certification processes to ensure accuracy and reliability of item master data
Oversee item assignment to product hierarchy and ensure alignment across business functions
Manage item lifecycle processes including creation, modification, classification, and retirement
Perform and oversee data model changes, bulk data processing, and data migrations
Drive BOM (Bill of Materials) data integrity and alignment with item master records
Ensure item data supports downstream operational and analytical needs across all consuming systems
Drive data projects within the item domain from initiation through delivery
Lead large-scale data migrations and onboarding of new systems and organizations to the item master
Coordinate with the MDM engineering team on platform capabilities needed for item domain initiatives
Ensure project deliverables meet quality standards and align with the broader MDM roadmap
Lead and manage a team of resources including data stewards, business analysts, and report analysts
Set team priorities, manage workload, and ensure delivery against program milestones
Hire, develop, and retain talent to build a high-performing global item data team
Foster a culture of accountability, data ownership, and continuous improvement
Scale the team's capabilities to support global operations beyond the current North America scope
Maintain and report on operational and data quality KPIs
Partner with item domain data owners across all regions and business functions collaborating with engineering, sales, legal, finance, accounting, marketing, and operations on domain-specific requirements
Work with the Data Governance Council to establish governance structures for the item domain
Engage IT and platform teams to ensure technical solutions support item domain business requirements
Drive alignment and consensus across stakeholders with competing priorities and regional perspectives