[Hiring] Senior Associate - Data Governance & Stewardship Lead @New York Life Insurance Co

Role Description

The GBS Data Governance and Stewardship Leader will establish and scale a sustainable data governance framework as part of the Center of Excellence (COE). This role is responsible for driving data definitions and quality, delivering best‑practice training, and ensuring adherence to governance policies across the organization. As a key member of the COE Data & Analytics team, the leader will partner with IT and business teams to ensure that data can be trusted, remains secure, and is effectively leveraged to support strategic and operational decision‑making.

We are seeking an experienced Data Governance and Stewardship professional to lead the development and execution of a data governance and management framework. This role ensures data consistency, compliance, and integrity across financial and operational domains, including Sales, Underwriting, Operations, Claims, Actuarial, and Finance.

Working closely with business leaders, technology teams, and data professionals, this role supports New York Life’s Data Strategy by enhancing data discoverability, quality, and compliance.

• Develop and lead the implementation of the data governance roadmap.
• Play a key role in establishing a division-wide data governance framework.
• Support the mission and goals of the cross-functional Data Governance Council.
• Collaborate with data product managers, SMEs, and engineers to capture business context.
• Expand metadata repository to include source-to-target data lineage mapping.
• Drive adoption of governance tools through training sessions and user enablement.
• Support Governance Technologies: Assist in the implementation and maintenance of platforms such as Data Catalog, Master/Reference Data Management, and Data Quality tools.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in data governance, stewardship, or data management.
• Proven experience leading data governance and management initiatives in complex environments.
• Strong Insurance Industry Experience (Group Benefits Industry strongly preferred).
• Strong understanding of data lifecycle management, data quality frameworks, metadata management, and data classification.
• Skilled in data lineage, master data management (MDM), and data cataloging tools.
• Experience implementing and operating a data governance framework across business and technology.
• Experience building governance in federated data environments and across complex/hybrid data ownership structures.
• Strong experience in people and relationship management.
• Familiarity with SQL, Python, and data modeling concepts.
• Strong understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements.
• Hands-on experience with Atlan or similar metadata management tools.

Requirements

• Develop and execute a data governance framework that aligns with corporate priorities, regulatory compliance, and business needs.
• Build and manage a network of business and technical data stewards.
• Help bring the Data Governance and Data Management framework to life.
• Partner with New York Life’s Corporate Data Governance and Data Management teams.
• Oversee data quality initiatives including management of consolidated data sets.
• Provide data and business analysis support to harmonize data across applications.
• Promote accountability and best practices for data stewardship across the organization.
• Establish data definitions, naming conventions, classification schemas, and metadata standards.
• Ensure compliance with privacy, security, and regulatory requirements.
• Serve as a liaison between Business and Technology.
• Assess and implement data governance technologies as needed.
• Lead communication, training, and engagement to cultivate a data ownership mindset.
• Monitor and measure the effectiveness and maturity of the data governance program.

Benefits

• Full package of benefits for employees, including leave programs, adoption assistance, and student loan repayment programs.
• Annual discretionary bonus eligibility.
• Incentive program participation eligibility.