Enterprise Data Governance Program Manager

Special Instructions to Applicants:
All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application preferably in PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:
Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston Texas Rice University is ranked among the nations top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system that supports students intellectually emotionally and culturally through social events intramural sports student plays lecture series courses and student government. Developing close-knit diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rices culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name RICE Responsibility Integrity Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:
The Enterprise Data Governance Program Manager serves as a strategic and collaborative leader advancing the universitys vision for trusted accessible and data-informed decision-making across the institution. This role leads the development and continuous evolution of the universitys enterprise data governance framework promoting strong data stewardship quality integrity security and regulatory compliance in alignment with FERPA HIPAA GDPR and institutional standards. Working closely with academic administrative research legal and technology partners the Program Manager helps foster a culture of transparency accountability collaboration and continuous improvement while serving as a trusted advisor to stakeholders across the university community.

In addition to leading governance initiatives the Program Manager plays a key role in strengthening institutional analytics and business intelligence by coordinating projects engaging stakeholders and advancing data literacy. The position oversees the design and delivery of training programs focused on Tableau Power BI data visualization institutional business rules and best practices for data utilization helping translate complex technical concepts into practical and meaningful guidance for diverse audiences. The ideal candidate brings strong analytical and communication skills experience navigating complex organizations and a passion for empowering others through data collaboration innovation and service in support of the universitys mission and long-term strategic goals.

Ideal Candidate Statement:
The ideal candidate for the Enterprise Data Governance Program Manager is a thoughtful collaborative and strategically minded professional passionate about advancing data-informed decision-making in a complex higher education environment. This individual brings a strong foundation in enterprise data governance business intelligence analytics enablement and project coordination along with the ability to build trusted partnerships across academic administrative research legal and technology communities. The successful candidate demonstrates both technical fluency and strong interpersonal skills with the ability to translate complex data concepts into practical actionable guidance that empowers stakeholders at all levels of the institution.
The ideal candidate is equally comfortable leading governance initiatives managing projects across enterprise data and business intelligence portfolios facilitating cross-functional collaboration and delivering engaging training programs related to Tableau Power BI data literacy and institutional business rules. They possess excellent communication analytical and critical thinking skills along with sound judgment and a commitment to service transparency and continuous improvement. Experience working in higher education or similarly complex organizations is highly valued particularly in environments that require balancing governance innovation compliance stakeholder engagement and portfolio-level project management. Above all the ideal candidate is a trusted partner and servant leader who is energized by building sustainable data practices fostering institutional accountability and helping the university community make confident informed decisions through data.

Workplace Requirements:
Hybrid position: This position is offered as a hybrid role combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support Rice policy 440 work arrangements may be subject to change.

Travel Requirements:
Meet each quarter in a fiscal year for at least one week on campus for planning and discussion.

Hiring Range: $125000 $135000 per year
*Exempt (salaried) positions underFLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelors degree

  • In lieu of the education requirement additional related experience above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis

• 4 years of experience

  • In lieu of the experience requirement additional related education above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis

• Leads a team in accomplishing systems analysis functional and technical design programming testing and production systems support tasks for the university

• Knowledge of computer system capabilities business processes and workflows; current knowledge of rapidly changing computer technology

• Extensive experience with enterprise applications and understanding of database-driven applications

• Ability to design and document complex business systems

• Proven problem-solving and analytical thinking skills with the ability to approach problems logically and systematically

• Strong understanding of the software development life cycle

• Project management skills as needed

• Skill in conducting interviews and facilitating group meetings

• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal including the ability to bridge functional and technical resources by communicating effectively with individuals of varying systems expertise and business needs

• Strong listening negotiation and conflict resolution skills

Skills:

• Complex problem-solving skills to identify complex problems and review related information to develop evaluate and implement solutions

• Excellent analytical skills to arrange information or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules

• Active listening skills including giving full attention to what is being said taking time to understand points being made asking questions as appropriate and not interrupting

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including report preparation and presentation to gather information and share recommendations and outcomes

• Excellent critical thinking skills to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions conclusions or approaches to problems

• Deductive reasoning skills to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers

• Excellent judgment and decision-making skills to consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions and choose the most appropriate one

• Proficiency in business intelligence tools such as Tableau Power BI or similar platforms

• Strong understanding of data management principles and practices

• Familiarity with data visualization techniques and tools

• Knowledge of data privacy laws and regulations such as GDPR FERPA or HIPAA

• Ability to design develop and deliver effective training programs tailored to diverse audiences

• Capability to assess training effectiveness and adjust programs as needed

• Adaptability to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment

• Ability to develop implement and maintain data governance policies and procedures

• Competence in ensuring compliance with data governance standards and regulatory requirements

• Ability to troubleshoot data-related issues and provide solutions

• Capacity to serve as a resource for data utilization and best practices

• Strong collaborative skills to work effectively with IT legal academic departments and other stakeholders

• Ability to foster a culture of continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making across the university

Preferences:

• Masters degree in Computer Science Information Technology Business Administration or a related field

• Over five years of experience in business intelligence data analytics or a related field

• Demonstrated experience in a higher education environment

• Proven track record of successfully implementing data governance frameworks in complex organizations

• Advanced proficiency in multiple business intelligence tools (e.g. Tableau Power BI Qlik)

• Extensive experience in developing e-learning content and using learning management systems (LMS)

• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex datasets and provide actionable insights

Essential Functions:

• Lead the development implementation and continuous enhancement of the universitys enterprise data governance framework including policies standards and practices that promote data integrity security stewardship and compliance with institutional and regulatory requirements such as FERPA GDPR and HIPAA. Partner closely with IT legal academic and administrative stakeholders to strengthen data quality standards address data-related challenges and cultivate a culture of responsible and trusted data stewardship across the institution.

• Design develop and deliver engaging training and enablement programs focused on business intelligence tools such as Tableau Power BI data visualization practices institutional business rules and data literacy. Create and maintain a variety of learning resources including presentations guides e-learning modules documentation and online materials while providing personalized and group-based training experiences tailored to diverse university audiences.

• Provide project management and coordination support for Office of Institutional Data Evaluation Analytics and Strategy (IDEAS) initiatives and enterprise business intelligence efforts. Manage and support projects across data analytics governance and business intelligence portfolios by coordinating timelines deliverables stakeholder communication documentation reporting risks and dependencies to promote transparency visibility and informed decision-making.

• Plan manage and lead analyses of business processes operational workflows and organizational functions to identify opportunities for improvement and operational effectiveness. Serve as a trusted advisor to university leadership supervisors managers and stakeholders by providing thoughtful consultation and practical recommendations related to systems processes analytics and data-informed strategies that support institutional priorities and sound decision-making.

• Continuously assess and enhance the effectiveness of governance practices training programs and enablement initiatives through feedback assessments metrics and evolving institutional needs. Stay informed on emerging trends and best practices in data governance analytics business intelligence and higher education compliance while fostering a culture centered on continuous learning collaboration innovation and data-informed decision-making across the university community.

• Serve as a collaborative leadership and advisory resource by mentoring colleagues supporting cross-functional partnerships and strengthening communication and engagement across departments to advance data literacy accessibility and effective data utilization throughout the institution.

• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned in support of the universitys mission and strategic objectives.

Rice University HR Benefits: Mission and Values: Mission and Values Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race color religion age sex sexual orientation gender identity national or ethnic origin genetic information disability or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process please get in touch with Rice Universitys Human Resources Office via email at for support.

If you have any additional questions please email us at . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.