Key Skills

Job Description

Head of Data Governance & Architecture Location: Amsterdam or Heerlen (home base of your choice) Hours: 40 hours per week Start date: to be agreed Duration: to be agreed Salary: €13,000 - €15,000 gross per month based on 40 hours, excluding holiday allowance Working model: Hybrid (fully on site during onboarding, 2 days per week at the office thereafter) Do you want to make data governance work in practice, and lay the foundation for the responsible use of AI? On behalf of a large asset manager in the pension sector, we are looking for a Head of Data Governance & Architecture. The COO organisation is building a new organisation, and within the Data Office you will lead the team that operationalises data governance across the organisation. Your goal is trusted data at scale: data that is well defined, clearly owned, traceable, of sufficient quality and used in line with internal policies and external regulation. Because AI solutions depend entirely on reliable and transparent data, you will connect established data governance with the governance needed for AI. What will you do? You lead a multidisciplinary team of specialists in data governance, metadata management, data quality, business data analysis, data architecture and data modelling. Your responsibilities include: Further developing, implementing and operationalising the foundations of data governance. Embedding ownership, lifecycle controls, metadata, lineage and data quality across the organisation. Translating emerging AI governance requirements into workable arrangements, such as responsible use and effective oversight. Ensuring that data architecture and data modelling support governance outcomes, in line with the principles and decisions of Enterprise Architecture and the Design Authority. Working closely with Data Owners, Data Stewards, AI Leads, data product teams, the AI Centre of Excellence and risk, compliance and legal stakeholders. Guiding the organisation from fragmented practices towards a transparent, scalable and governed data landscape. Leading, developing and inspiring your team. What do you bring? You combine strategic thinking with practical execution. You create clarity and direction, and enable teams to deliver value in a controlled and pragmatic way. In addition, you have: A completed university degree (master's level). Extensive experience leading a multidisciplinary data team. Proven experience putting data governance into practice, including ownership, stewardship, metadata, lineage and data quality. Knowledge of and affinity with AI governance and related regulation. Experience working within an architecture governance structure, such as an Enterprise Architecture function or Design Authority. Excellent stakeholder skills, from the teams on the ground to senior management. Professional proficiency in both Dutch and English. Nice to have Experience in the financial sector, preferably at an asset manager or pension provider. Knowledge of frameworks such as DAMA-DMBOK or DCAM, or a certification such as CDMP. Experience setting up a Data Office or a comparable function. This role offers the opportunity to build the governance foundation for both data-driven decision making and AI-enabled ways of working, within an organisation that is being shaped right now. Your work will determine how responsibly and scalably the organisation uses data and AI in the years ahead. Interested or have questions about this role? Apply or contact [email protected].

Core Responsibilities

Lead a multidisciplinary team to develop and operationalize data governance, embedding ownership, lifecycle controls, metadata, lineage, and data quality across the organization. Align data architecture and modeling with governance and AI oversight needs, collaborate with business and control stakeholders, and guide the organization toward a transparent, scalable data landscape.

Requirements

Requires a master's-level university degree, extensive experience leading multidisciplinary data teams, and proven practical experience implementing data governance. Candidates should understand AI governance and related regulation, have experience with architecture governance, demonstrate strong stakeholder skills, and be professionally proficient in Dutch and English.