Senior Data Governance Strategist

The Office of Data and Innovation’s CalData Policy and Programs team focuses on statewide policies and programs that directly impact the effectiveness of data teams across the state, including topics such as ethical AI use, data governance, privacy, data standards, evaluation metrics definition, and analysis best practices.  

Under the Assistant Chief Data Officer, the Senior Data Governance Strategist (ITS III) serves as CalData’s senior technical consultant for digital governance implementation and adoption. The incumbent operates with substantial independence and initiative to translate approved statewide governance standards and strategic objectives into practical implementation guidance, reference models, reusable tools, and measurable practices that support departmental adoption. Functioning as a specialized advisor to cross-functional partners and departmental teams, this position provides expert technical consultation, conducts research and analysis, and develops implementation frameworks that strengthen interoperability, data quality, privacy, security, and responsible data use. The work performed has a significant impact on how departments operationalize governance standards and leverage technology effectively, while remaining aligned with established statewide policy and enterprise architectural direction.

Location: ODI staff reside throughout California. The employee’s workstation is located in Sacramento,CA or Oakland, CA. Travel to the Sacramento headquarters may be required as needed. This position provides telework opportunities in accordance with agency telework policies.

Annual salary: $114,084 – $152,880 based on experience and qualifications

Benefits: The state offers many benefits, including pension, health benefits (including after retirement), life insurance, employee assistance program, and much more.

Last day to apply: Final filing date is 5/5/2026.

What you’ll do

• Bring a service-oriented approach and a deep passion for public service to every project.

• Balance a mindset for policy with the practical instincts of an implementer to get things done.
• Empower others to succeed by sharing your expertise and mentorship.
• Ground state policies and standards in real-world technical practice.
• Drive continuous improvement with a bias toward action and an iterative, product-oriented mindset.
• Champion the improved use of data to better serve the people of California.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

We have a guide to the civil service application process. It covers:

• How to apply
• Civil service exams
• Interviews

Desirable qualifications

• Enterprise data and analytics governance experience, including standards development, implementation planning, and change management.
• Experience designing and implementing data models and enterprise data models using standardized modeling tools and best practices.
• Experience planning, developing, and maintaining data strategies to support business analysis and performance measurement.
• Knowledge of metadata management, lineage, data quality, and master/reference data concepts and tooling.
• Experience translating policy and business requirements into technical requirements, reference architectures, and reusable implementation artifacts.
• Knowledge of information security and privacy principles for data systems, including access controls and compliance considerations.
• Experience evaluating and recommending analytics and data management platforms, including modern cloud data stacks and BI ecosystems.
• Experience successfully leading complex, multi-stakeholder technical initiatives and providing strategic/tactical technical direction.
• Understanding of responsible data and AI practices, including equity impacts and mitigation strategies
• Enjoys collaborative processes and building shared understanding across data, IT, security/privacy, and program stakeholders.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Analytical and investigative mindset; intellectual curiosity about emerging technologies.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including technical documentation.
• Ability to learn and apply new technologies and approaches rapidly.
• Demonstrated ability working with diverse groups of stakeholders and facilitating consensus.
• Comfort with ambiguity, risk, and iterative delivery.
• Ability to work independently and provide technical leadership within a small team.
• Commitment to equity and the use of data to meet the needs of all Californians.
• Experience mentoring and coaching peers and project teams.
• Experience working with different communication styles and navigating conflict constructively.
• Hands-on expertise in BI tools (i.e. Power BI) and enterprise BI governance (data models, enterprise design, deployment pipelines).
• Analytic and engineering scripting skills (SQL, Python, and/or R) and familiarity with version control.
• Experience with data catalog, metadata, or data quality tools (or comparable platforms)
• Experience with cloud analytics platforms and modern data engineering patterns (ELT/ETL, orchestration).
• Experience facilitating metric definition and analytics modeling conversations.
• Familiarity with agile delivery methods for analytics and data governance, and with security/privacy standards as applied to data systems.

About ODI

We deliver better services to Californians through technology and design. We do so through close partnership with other state departments. Our goal is to create programs and products that are more equitable and effective. We listen to Californians who use a program now or may do so tomorrow and learn about what they need.

We:

• Build tools and products
• Create and enhance digital services
• Conduct research
• Identify data solutions
• Offer training

We are a cross-discipline staff with blended backgrounds in:

• Design
• Engineering
• Product
• Operations
• Data
• Research
• Policy
• Strategy

Learn more about ODI’s vision and mission.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion at ODI

Diversity, equity, and inclusion help us deliver better government services to Californians.

• Fostering diversity inspires better ideas and more innovative thinking.
• Feeling included nurtures a shared sense of community. This drives us to take collective action on challenging problems.
• Prioritizing equity ensures we build solutions for people whose needs are often overlooked.

We acknowledge our history and present of implicit and structural injustice, bias, and discrimination. We see, hear, and accept each other and the lived experiences we bring to our work. We support each other in learning and developing so we can help all Californians thrive.

We understand this work is never done. That’s why we commit to constant improvement.