Director, Data Management

When you join Sallie Mae, you become a champion for all students.

We're on a mission to power confidence as students begin their unique journey. To help them plan their higher education, successfully finish, and prepare for life after school. To help them Start smart. Learn big.

Students need guidance navigating this important time in their life. They need someone who acknowledges that their education path is unique. They need a partner willing to evolve and not only meet but surpass their expectations. We're changing. Because students need a better way.

We're looking for people who are excited to drive this transformation. To break barriers and think of new ways to adapt, help, and create better experiences for students-and for each other.

This is where diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives matter. It's where you're empowered to bring your authentic self to work.

Feeling your best allows you to do your best. Our benefits take care of the whole you-from physical and mental to financial and professional. You'll get opportunities to further your education and career, support for you and your family (including your pets!), paid time off to volunteer for the things that matter to you, and more.

We're obsessed with impact and making a real difference. For us, that means putting relationships first, asking "why not?" when tackling challenges, and continuously learning new skills.

Come do more than join something, change something. For students, for future generations, for the future of education.

What You'll Contribute

The Director, Data Management will be responsible for the development, implementation, and maintenance of robust data management systems, processes, and policies.

What You'll Do

• Develop and implement a comprehensive data management strategy aligned with the organization's objectives and industry best practices.
• Establish and maintain data management policies, procedures, and standards to ensure data integrity, security, and compliance with relevant regulations.
• Oversee the design and implementation of data governance frameworks, including data quality management, data lifecycle management, and metadata management.
• Lead the development and maintenance of data architectures, data models, and data dictionaries to enable efficient data storage, retrieval, and analysis.
• Collaborate with IT teams to ensure the availability, scalability, and performance of data management systems and infrastructure.
• Provide strategic guidance and leadership to the data management team, including hiring, training, and performance management.
• Identify opportunities for leveraging data analytics and advanced technologies to drive data-driven decision-making and optimize business processes.
• Monitor and evaluate data management performance metrics and implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance data management capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and Lead Data Governance Strategy:
• Design, implement, and maintain a comprehensive data governance program aligned with organizational goals and regulatory requirements.
• Policy and Standards Management:
• Establish and update data governance policies, standards, and procedures, ensuring consistent application across the enterprise.
• Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement:
• Work closely with business leaders, IT, compliance, and legal teams to align data governance with business needs and regulatory requirements.
• Regulatory Compliance:
• Monitor and ensure compliance with data-related regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA) and internal policies.
• Risk Management:
• Identify and mitigate data risks, including privacy, security, and operational risks, through effective controls and governance practices.
• Change Management and Training:
• Lead change management efforts and provide training to promote a data-driven culture and increase data literacy across the organization.
• Metrics and Reporting:
• Define and track key data governance metrics. Provide regular reports and insights to executive leadership and stakeholders.

The above information is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this job; it is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees in this role.

What you have

Minimum: Indicate minimum education, skills and experience required.

• Strong knowledge of data management principles, methodologies, and best practices, including data governance, data quality management, and data integration.
• Extensive experience with data modeling, database design, and data architecture.
• Familiarity with data management tools and technologies, such as data warehouses, ETL processes, master data management, and business intelligence platforms.
• Proficiency in data privacy and security practices, as well as regulatory requirements.
• Demonstrated experience in leading and managing data management projects and teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate business requirements into data solutions.

Preferred: Indicate "nice to haves" regarding education, skills, and experience.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field.
• 7 years of experience in data management roles.

The Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prohibits discrimination by employers, in compensation and employment opportunities, against qualified individuals with disabilities who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the "essential functions" of a job. A function may be essential for any of several reasons, including: the job exists to perform that function, the employee holding the job was hired for his/her expertise in performing the function, or only a limited number of employees are available to perform that function.

Feeling your best helps you do your best:

Our benefits take care of the whole you-so you can build your work around your life (not the other way around!).

• Competitive base salaries
• Bonus incentives
• Generous PTO, Floating Holidays and 12 Federal Holidays observed
• Support for financial-well-being and retirement 401k with employer match
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, hospital indemnity, critical illness, pet insurance and more
• Employer paid short-term/long-term disability and basic life insurance
• Flexible hybrid working arrangements.
• Paid parental leave and adoption reimbursement programs
• Free access to on-site staffed fitness centers (in Delaware) and gym subsidy (for locations outside Delaware)
• Confidential counseling support (EAP), Health Advocacy services and Wellness program with financial incentives
• Tuition Reimbursement and Family Scholarship Programs
• Career development and training opportunities

Not the right fit? Let us know you're interested in a future opportunity by clicking Introduce Yourself in the top-right corner of the page or create an account to set up email alerts as new job postings become available that meet your interest!

Sallie Mae is proud to be an equal opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, gender identity, disability, Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Click here to view the U.S. Pay Transparency Policy, here for federal job applicant notices, and here to view the California Employee Privacy Notice.

Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation please call and choose option 9. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.