Data Governance Specialist

The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has raised over $1.9 billion and launched more than 1,300 programs impacting a variety of health threats from chronic disease conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer, to infectious diseases like rotavirus and HIV, to emergency responses, including COVID-19 and Ebola. The CDC Foundation managed hundreds of programs in the United States and in more than 90 countries last year. Visit www.cdcfoundation.org for more information.  

Location: Remote, must be based in the United States

Salary Range: $81,000-117,875 plus benefits

Position Type: Grant funded, limited-term opportunity

Position End Date: June 30, 2025

The Data Governance Specialist will drive the development of a tailored public health data governance framework that is aligned with industry standards and regulatory requirements. Working within the Alaska Division of Public Health (DPH), Data Modernization Team, the Data Governance Specialist will collaborate to conduct a comprehensive assessment of current data governance practices, policies and procedures to identify gaps and risks.

The Data Governance Specialist will play a critical role in bridging gaps between siloed systems, developing structured policies and procedures, leading training initiatives to empower staff and help foster a culture of data stewardship and trust in data driven decision-making. This position will also ensure business processes are in place to provide data that has completeness, integrity, shared understood definitions, and proper handling to ensure risk is mitigated in turning data into a shared informational asset. Furthermore, the Data Governance Specialist will build collaboration and partnership with other Divisions within the Department of Health (DOH), IT, and the Chief Health Data Officer, to ensure that DPH work aligns with the data governance vision at the Department level.

The Data Governance Specialist will be hired by the CDC Foundation and assigned to the Alaska Division of Public Health, Data Modernization Team. This position is eligible for a fully remote work arrangement for U.S. based candidates.

· Coordinate and facilitate collaboration across cross-functional teams in the development and delivery of a tailored public health data governance framework.

· Conduct a comprehensive assessment of current data governance practices, policies and procedures to identify gaps and risks.

· With input from existing staff, lead the development of clear policies, procedures and guidelines for data management, privacy, security and compliance.

· Ensure data stewards and key partners have the training and resources to perform effectively on their data management, quality, and governance responsibilities.

· Develop training and education that creates a culture where data governance is a shared responsibility, supported by consistent agency processes.

· Define access policies and optimize data-related workflows and communication.

· Define clear roles and responsibilities to ensure standards and best practices are followed.

· Coordinate meetings; prepare agendas, take minutes, assign follow up tasks and ensure progress on action items.

· Effectively communicate insights and plans to cross-functional team members and management.

· Serve as liaison across DOH’s divisions and programs to provide guidance on agency data governance standards and processes and to ensure that data related business requirements for protecting sensitive

data are clearly defined, communicated, well understood and considered as part of operational prioritization and planning.

· Bachelor’s degree in health administration, computer science, information systems, computer engineering, operations management or related field required. MBA or other related advanced degree preferred.

· Minimum of 5 years of related experience in data governance, data management, or data quality.

· Experience developing and documenting data governance processes and procedures.

· Advanced understanding of data management, confidentiality, compliance, laws and regulations such as, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) act

· Experience coordinating data governance for or directly managing data management documentation for data systems, metadata, and metadata standards (e.g. file layouts, data dictionaries, data attributes, data user policies, data management policies)

· Experience collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams for information gathering, input, and decision making around change and risk management initiatives and roll-out.

· Strong understanding of data-related technical concepts and legacy systems.

· Outstanding interpersonal and teamwork skills; and the ability to develop productive working relationships with colleagues and partners.

· Experience working in a virtual environment with remote partners and teams.

· Proficiency in Microsoft Office.

· Preferred certification in one or more of the following:

o Certified Information Professional (CIP)

o Certified Information Privacy Professional and Manager (CIPP, CIPM)

o Information Governance Professional Certification (IGP)

o Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP)

This role is involved in a dynamic public health program. As such, roles and responsibilities are subject to change as situations evolve. Roles and responsibilities listed above may be expanded upon or updated to match priorities and needs, once written approval is received by the CDC Foundation in order to best support the public health programming.