Data Governance Specialist JP055313

Data Governance Specialist – Brussels | Hybrid

We are looking for an experienced Data Governance Specialist to strengthen a data governance and data strategy initiative within a complex organisation.

Location: Brussels
Work model: Hybrid – 2 to 3 days on-site per week
Duration: ASAP – 30 June 2027
Workload: Full-time
Daily rate: €750–€950/day
Experience: 7+ years in Data Governance / Data Quality

Key Responsibilities

The Data Governance Specialist will play a central role in defining, implementing and maintaining a pragmatic data governance framework, with a strong focus on data quality, security, compliance and business value.

Data governance & critical data

• Inventory, map and classify critical data, including data flows and dependencies.
• Define and maintain data governance policies, standards and procedures.
• Establish requirements for protecting data according to classification levels.
• Define and enforce data access rules based on business needs and least-privilege principles.
• Support access reviews and controls for critical data.
• Promote awareness and adoption of good data management practices.

Data strategy & governance implementation

• Embed data governance principles into business and Data & Analytics initiatives.
• Ensure data quality, discoverability, accessibility and documentation.
• Define and maintain governance roles, responsibilities and processes.
• Support Master Data Management (MDM), data lineage and data modelling.
• Contribute to the selection, implementation and adoption of data governance tools.

Required Experience & Skills

• 7+ years of experience in Data Governance and Data Quality.
• Strong knowledge of data governance frameworks such as DAMA-DMBOK.
• Hands-on experience with data governance and metadata management tools such as Collibra, Informatica, OvalEdge or equivalent.
• Strong understanding of data management methodologies and technologies.
• Excellent documentation and presentation skills.
• Strong stakeholder management, negotiation and communication skills.
• Ability to explain complex data governance concepts in simple business terms.
• Experience with change management and organisational adoption.
• Strong leadership and ability to work independently.
• Ability to build relationships and align business, IT and data stakeholders.

Nice to Have

• Knowledge of NIS2 and cybersecurity-related data governance.
• Knowledge of GDPR, ISO/IEC 38505, ISO 8000 or similar standards.
• Experience with UML data modelling.
• Experience with ArchiMate and data-flow modelling.
• Experience in a regulated environment such as finance, healthcare or the public sector.

Languages

• Dutch and/or French: Native or bilingual proficiency
• English: Professional working proficiency

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for a senior data governance professional who can operate strategically while remaining pragmatic and hands-on. You should be comfortable working across business and IT, engaging senior stakeholders, driving governance adoption and translating complex data requirements into practical processes and standards.