Senior Director, Customer & Vendor Data Governance

Job Summary 

The Senior Director, Customer & Vendor Data Governance is responsible for defining and executing the enterprise strategy, governance, and technology roadmap for Customer and Vendor Master Data across the global enterprise. This role leads the modernization of master data capabilities, ensuring trusted, governed, and scalable data assets that support business operations, analytics, regulatory compliance, and partner collaboration. 

The Senior Director partners closely with Finance, Procurement, Sales, Supply Chain, Data & Analytics, Technology, and external bottling partners to establish data standards, improve data quality, and enable seamless data sharing across the ecosystem. This position leads a global team and drives transformation initiatives spanning data governance, master data management (MDM), business processes, and application modernization. 

Key Responsibilities 

Enterprise Data Governance Leadership 

• Define and execute the enterprise Customer and Vendor Data Governance strategy and roadmap. 

• Establish and maintain global policies, standards, controls, and operating procedures for customer, vendor, reference, and hierarchical data domains. 

• Ensure governance frameworks align with regulatory, privacy, and industry best practices. 

• Promote adoption of data governance principles and educate business stakeholders on the value of governed data assets.

Master Data Management & Platform Modernization 

• Lead modernization and transformation of the Customer and Vendor Master Data ecosystem through scalable, self-service, and automation-enabled solutions. 

• Own the architecture, implementation, support, and continuous improvement of master data platforms and related applications. 

• Drive platform simplification, process standardization, and improved user experiences to increase business agility and data accuracy. 

• Evaluate emerging technologies and industry solutions to enhance enterprise master data capabilities. 

Data Quality & Business Enablement 

• Partner with business leaders to define and execute data quality strategies, metrics, and improvement programs. 

• Establish processes for monitoring, measuring, and improving data quality across customer and vendor domains. 

• Ensure trusted master data is available to support operational processes, reporting, analytics, and decision-making. 

• Identify opportunities to improve business outcomes through better data management and governance practices. 

Cross-Functional Leadership & Stakeholder Management 

• Lead and develop a global team responsible for customer and vendor data governance and applications. 

• Partner with Finance, Sales, Procurement, Master Data Operations, Technology, Analytics, and external partners to align priorities and drive enterprise outcomes. 

• Influence senior leaders to establish strategic alignment, prioritize investments, and drive adoption of governance initiatives. 

• Manage communications related to Customer and Vendor Master Data across the enterprise and external partner ecosystem. 

Program & Portfolio Management 

• Develop business cases and investment strategies supporting master data transformation initiatives. 

• Lead large-scale programs involving ERP, CRM, MDM, and data platform implementations. 

• Manage vendor relationships, strategic partnerships, and service providers to ensure delivery of high-quality outcomes. 

• Deliver initiatives within agreed scope, timelines, budget, and business value expectations. 

Education Requirements 

• Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Data Management, Business Administration, or a related field. 

• Master's Degree preferred. 

• Professional certifications in Data Management, Data Governance, Project Management, or Enterprise Architecture are preferred. 

Related Work Experience 

• 10+ years of progressive experience in Data Governance, Master Data Management, Data Management, or Enterprise Applications. 

• 5+ years of leadership experience managing global teams and enterprise-scale data programs. 

• Proven experience leading Customer and Vendor Master Data initiatives within large, complex organizations. 

• Demonstrated success implementing and supporting enterprise platforms such as Informatica MDM, SAP ERP, Salesforce CRM, or similar business systems. 

• Experience designing and executing enterprise data governance programs, operating models, and organizational change initiatives. 

• Proven track record of developing business cases, securing stakeholder alignment, and delivering measurable business outcomes. 

• Experience managing cross-functional programs involving technology, operations, and business stakeholders. 

Skills 

       Technical & Functional Skills 

• Customer and Vendor Master Data Management 

• Enterprise Data Governance 

• Data Quality Management 

• Reference Data and Hierarchy Management 

• Metadata Management 

• Data Architecture and Information Management 

• ERP, CRM, and MDM Platforms 

• Regulatory, Compliance, and Privacy Requirements 

• Data Modernization and Digital Transformation 

Leadership & Business Skills 

• Strategic Planning and Roadmap Development 

• Program and Portfolio Management 

• Organizational Change Leadership 

• Executive Stakeholder Management 

• Vendor and Partner Management 

• Business Case Development 

• Financial and Operational Acumen 

• Cross-Functional Collaboration 

• Negotiation and Influence 

• Talent Development and Team Leadership