Data Architect with Steward Exp

Job Responsibilities/Duties

The Enterprise Data Steward will support VDOT’s Data Program by working directly with assigned data stewards across the agency to strengthen data management practices, improve data quality, and prepare datasets for quality measurement within our data governance tool. In this role, the staff member will facilitate regular meetings with division-level stewards, guide them through required stewardship activities, assist in developing scoping documentation, data dictionaries, and business rules. The staff member will also provide training and hands-on support to build data literacy and stewardship competency. This position serves as the primary liaison between assigned business divisions and the agency’s Data Program, ensuring stewardship activities are well-coordinated, consistent, and aligned with enterprise data quality priorities. The work focuses on coaching, coordination, and applying data management expertise to help stewards prepare their datasets for enterprise data quality measurement. In addition, this role requires direct client?facing experience, as the Enterprise Data Steward will be responsible for managing relationships with internal data stewards, setting expectations, ensuring follow?through on deliverables, and building trust across diverse business areas. The selected candidate must have demonstrated success serving as the primary point of contact for clients and leading them through structured processes and deliverables.

Key Responsibilities and Required Abilities

• Serve as the primary client-facing representative for assigned divisions, owning the relationship, leading discussions, setting expectations, and ensuring delivery of all required stewardship activities.
• Build effective, trust?based relationships with internal customers by communicating clearly, facilitating conversations with both technical and non?technical staff, and guiding stewards through complex data-related tasks.
• Lead client interactions with accountability for deliverables, ensuring that stewards understand priorities, timelines, and governance expectations.
• Coordinate and support assigned data stewards by facilitating monthly check?ins, guiding the creation of required artifacts (scoping, data dictionaries, business rules), serving as the primary liaison between divisions and the Data Program, and assisting stewards in preparing datasets for data quality measurement within the agency’s data governance tool.
• Provide training, coaching, and support on data management, data quality concepts, and data stewardship practices.
• Support agencywide data quality and stewardship by providing subject?area guidance for defining and measuring data quality, collaborating with system owners and SMEs to resolve complex data issues, promoting data literacy and consistent data management practices, and ensuring stewardship activities follow established standards, frameworks, and governance processes.

Knowledge and Experience Needed

• Strong understanding of data management principles, data quality concepts, and stewardship processes.
• Demonstrated experience serving as the primary client contact, responsible for relationship management, stakeholder engagement, and delivery of customer?driven outcomes.
• Ability to communicate clearly verbally and in writing, facilitate group discussions, and guide non-technical staff in data-related work.
• Experience helping users create or improve data dictionaries, business rules, or similar documentation.
• Ability to coordinate activities across divisions, manage priorities, and maintain organized documentation.
• Experience working in data governance, data stewardship, or a similar business-facing data role.

Tools & Additional Skills

• Familiarity with Collibra (preferred but not required; training can be provided).
• Proficiency with standard productivity tools (Excel, SharePoint, Teams, etc.).