Senior Data Governance Specialist

At Bayer we’re visionaries, driven to solve the world’s toughest challenges and striving for a world where ,Health for all, Hunger for none’ is no longer a dream, but a real possibility. We’re doing it with energy, curiosity and sheer dedication, always learning from unique perspectives of those around us, expanding our thinking, growing our capabilities and redefining ‘impossible’. There are so many reasons to join us. If you’re hungry to build a varied and meaningful career in a community of brilliant and diverse minds to make a real difference, there’s only one choice.

Senior Data Governance Specialist 

As Senior Data Governance Specialist, you will be a part of Bayer's Pharma Data & AI Team. You will own and evolve the enterprise data catalog and governance operating model for Bayer’s Pharma Commercial Data Platform, enabling trusted, well-documented, and discoverable data products across domains. You will drive metadata, lineage, and policy automation jointly with other members of the data excellence chapter to scale data mesh practices and increase adoption.

YOUR TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own the data catalog operating model (e.g. domains, communities, roles, workflows in Collibra) and ensure consistent metadata, glossary, and policy management across data products.

• Define and enforce cataloging standards for datasets, pipelines, metrics, lineage, classifications, and access policies, aligned to data mesh principles.

• Integrate the catalog with key platforms (e.g. Snowflake, Databricks, dbt, Dagster) to automate lineage, technical metadata harvest, and status synchronization.

• Partner with security teams to align access models and catalog policies with OpenID Connect (Microsoft Entra ID) and AWS Cognito-backed authorization schemes.

• Collaborate with the data quality & metadata lead to implement and enhance metadata quality KPIs (e.g. completeness, freshness, lineage coverage) and drive remediation programs to improve trust and discoverability.

• Curate high-value semantic assets (business glossary, KPIs, certified datasets) and ensure consistency between semantic layers (e.g., BI models) and catalog.

• Govern sensitive data classification/tagging, retention, and usage policies; align with secrets management practices (HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager) and audit needs.

• Provide enablement (e.g. training, playbooks, office hours) and measure catalog adoption and satisfaction, driving continuous improvement based on feedback and usage analytics.

• Collaborate with data product, engineering, analytics, and compliance teams to resolve governance gaps and scale best practices.

• Stay current with technology trends by evaluating new solutions through proofs of concept and collaborating across teams (e.g to assess open source catalog options or to define data fabric needs).

WHO YOU ARE

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, or a related field.

• 5+ years in data management, including 2+ years with enterprise data cataloging or metadata platforms at scale in complex environments.

• Expert in solutions like Collibra; proven success integrating catalog standards (datasets, pipelines, metrics, lineage, classifications, access policies) and automating metadata ingestion using orchestration tools and APIs across cloud and hybrid platforms (e.g. Snowflake, Databricks, dbt, Dagster).

• Extensive knowledge of data governance frameworks (DAMA, data mesh), with hands-on experience architecting scalable federated asset models, workflows, and policy controls for product teams.

• Skilled in managing sensitive data classification, retention, and usage, partnering with security teams to ensure auditability and compliance within pharmaceutical contexts.

• Ability to design and implement metadata quality monitoring, lineage coverage metrics, semantic asset curation (business glossary, KPIs, certified datasets), and drive remediation programs to improve trust and discoverability.

• Excellent communicator with experience working in cross-functional and geographically distributed teams, facilitating communities of practice, influencing adoption, and translating technical concepts for non-technical audiences.

• Experienced in creating enablement materials and driving continuous improvement based on stakeholder feedback and tech trends.

• Strong analytical skills for problem-solving and scalable solution automation in dynamic, multi-platform data environments.

• Demonstrated enthusiasm for quickly learning and adopting new technologies, evaluating emerging tools (including open-source options), and contributing to the evolution of data fabric and catalog operating models.

• Familiarity with pharmaceutical data compliance requirements and best practices is preferred.

• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies.

• Self-driven, structured approach to managing multiple priorities and reliably meeting deadlines.

WHAT DO WE OFFER:

• A flexible, hybrid work model 

• Great workplace in a new modern office in Warsaw

• Career development, 360° Feedback & Mentoring programme

• Wide access to professional development tools, trainings, & conferences

• Company Bonus & Reward Structure 

• Increased tax-deductible costs for authors of copyrighted works

• VIP Medical Care Package (including Dental & Mental health)

• Life & Travel Insurance

• Pension plan

• Co-financed sport card - FitProfit

• Meals Subsidy in Office 

• Budget for Home Office Setup & Maintenance

• Access to Company Game Room equipped with table tennis, soccer table, Sony PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles setup with premium game passes, and massage chairs

• Tailored-made support in relocation to Warsaw when needed

• Please send your CV in English