Director - Data Steward (Data Office)

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and leadership behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. As part of Team Amex, you’ll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career. Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express. 

Team Description

The Global Merchant & Network Services (GMNS) organization is responsible for managing relationships with millions of Merchants and Partners around the world that facilitate American Express acceptance and enabling the day-to-day operations of our company’s payment network.  The people, processes, and technology that support this vital function are evolving to improve the merchant experience and economics. Within GMNS, the Global Strategy, Operations & Performance (GSOP) team’s mission is to deliver a best-in-class premium merchant member experience that will get merchant to not only accept American Express but openly welcome and recommend us to their customers.

The GMNS Data Office is responsible for bringing GMNS critical data elements and applications under the Enterprise Data Management Operating Policy (AEMP70) and Enterprise Data Risk Management Policy (AEMP79) compliance. Our team is dedicated to helping American Express leverage the true value of data through application of Data Management and Governance principles. 

Role Description

As a Data Steward you will lead the team responsible for the day-to-day compliance with the Enterprise Data Risk Management Policy within their domains/business units. You and your team are responsible for identifying critical data, maintaining data definitions, classifying data, supporting data sourcing / usage requests, evaluating Data Risk Controls, and confirming Data Incidents are remediated. You will partner across various business units, technology teams, and product/platform teams to define and implement the data governance strategy, monitor and manage data risks, resolve data/platform issues, and drive consistency, usability, and governance of specific product data across the organization.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Advance the established data governance principles, policies, and programs for stewardship, advocacy and custodianship of data
  
• Manage all Data Risks for the business unit, in coordination with relevant supporting roles, as described in the Enterprise Data Risk Management Policy
  
• Understanding, complying, and executing their role and responsibilities as defined under the Enterprise Data Risk Management Policy
  
• Establishing, maintaining, and testing the effectiveness of controls to manage data risk within the established Data Risk Appetite limits for their Business Unit
  
• Facilitate Data Incident capture and coordination by planning Data Incident remediation activities, monitoring Data Incident status for reporting, and support testing and validation
  
• Coordinate with Business Units and other Business Unit Data Offices to ensure System level Lineage is documented completely and accurately
  
• Collaborate with data owners and users to modify or implement new repeatable and reliable business processes to implement truly effective data management
  
• Partner with Third-Party Risk Management to monitor and validate that Third Parties adhere to Enterprise Data Risk Management requirements
  
• Harmonize key policies and guidelines (e.g. Data Quality, Data Definition, Data Creation, Data Sharing, Data Usage policies) with the processes necessary to carry out those policies, in collaboration with multi-functional partners
  
• Develop and produce key metrics scorecards and program status communications for the full suite of teams within Data Office
  

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, analytics, information systems, computer science, engineering, or any other data-related field. Master Degree preferred

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• 8+ years of direct work experience in large scale/enterprise data projects, with at least 4 years of direct experience relating to creation and execution of formal data governance and/or data management programs
  
• Consistent record of understanding business challenges and strategies and connecting those to data and capabilities
  
• Strong working knowledge of current and upcoming data governance, data management and data product techniques and trends, with a point of view on the evolving concepts and standard methodologies
  
• Senior level program management experience, with partners across a diverse, global set of business units
  
• Demonstrable experience of driving meaningful improvements in business value through data management and strategy
  
• Ability to work with white space to design and complete solutions to solve sophisticated challenges.
  
• High-caliber communication skills, both in terms of preparing and delivering a strategic vision and updates to large groups and senior leader
  
• Ability to put enterprise thinking first, connect the role’s agenda to enterprise priorities and balance the needs of customers, partners, colleagues & shareholders
  
• Demonstrated learning agility, ability to make decisions quickly and with the highest level of integrity
  
• Eagerness to test, learn, fail and improve is crucial
  
• Must have a positive, collaborative leadership style with colleague and customer first attitude
  

• Certification as a Data Management Professional (CDMP) or other similar data management certification preferred.

• Certifications and experience working within the Collibra Data Intelligence Platform, MANTA, or other similar Data Governance tools preferred.

• Incident management and reporting, risk/data risk management, data architecture, data breach management, data classification and handling, data quality monitoring and improvement, and data governance/compliance management experience preferred
  

• Competitive base salaries 
• Bonus incentives 
• Support for financial-well-being and retirement 
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits (depending on location) 
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need 
• Generous paid parental leave policies (depending on your location) 
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location) 
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program 
• Career development and training opportunities