Catalog Assistant Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

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Job Summary

The Metadata / Data Cataloging Analyst (Senior Consultant) supports enterprise metadata baselining, data catalog tool evaluation, and governance workflow operationalization by executing structured metadata intake, normalization, validation, and evidence-based documentation across DHA stakeholders. This role is hands-on: conducting in-person/virtual interviews with system owners, data stewards, and SMEs to capture and standardize technical, business, operational, and security metadata in catalog-ready formats; and supporting steward validation cycles to ensure accuracy and completeness.

In addition, this role performs hands-on evaluation of data catalog solutions as part of an Analysis of Alternatives (AoA), including requirements-to-capability mapping, demos, evidence capture, gap documentation, and synthesis of tradeoffs aligned to DHA priorities (e.g., integration, lineage, governance workflows, access/security, usability, and vendor support).

The role also contributes to optional governance and lifecycle pilots by supporting federated stewardship readiness assessments (e.g., role clarity, escalation paths, policy execution, and audit traceability) and by helping define and exercise data product lifecycle workflows (e.g., publication, discovery, change control, versioning, SLA alignment, and deprecation), including measurement of compliance to quality and semantic tagging protocols.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute structured metadata intake & normalization: Conduct in-person/virtual interviews and working sessions with system owners, data stewards, custodians, and SMEs to elicit, capture, and normalize technical, business, operational, and security metadata; reconcile findings with available artifacts (e.g., inventories, data dictionaries) to produce catalog-ready metadata records.

• Standards-aligned metadata structuring: Apply standardized intake templates and ensure metadata is structured in catalog-ready formats aligned to recognized metadata standards (e.g., ISO/IEC 11179 and DCAT-US) and schema categories (technical, business, operational, security), including ownership/stewardship and sensitivity indicators as applicable.

• Steward validation cycles & quality controls: Drive completeness/consistency checks, document discrepancies, and coordinate steward validation cycles to confirm definitions, resolve gaps, and improve metadata reliability prior to repository or catalog ingestion.

• Embedded engagement model: Embed with system owners and designated stewards to improve metadata accuracy and completeness, support rapid clarification loops, and ensure metadata reflects real operational usage and constraints.

• Hands-on catalog tool evaluation: Perform structured evaluation of catalog solutions across discovery, lineage, governance workflows, UX, and APIs; capture evidence through demos and testing; document strengths, gaps, and constraints; and contribute to comparative scoring inputs aligned to requirement taxonomies (functional, integration, infrastructure/compute, access/security, vendor support/cost).

• AoA workshop and documentation support: Support criteria refinement sessions, requirement prioritization inputs, and synthesis of findings into decision-quality artifacts (e.g., evaluation notes, evidence logs, comparison matrices, and recommendation inputs).

• Federated governance & workforce readiness pilot support: Support pilot experiments with federated stewardship roles; assist in capturing observations and metrics on role clarity, policy execution, escalation paths, stewardship effectiveness, metadata lineage demonstration, and policy audit traceability; contribute to pilot reporting outputs.

• Data product lifecycle workflow support: Help define, test, and refine prototype workflows for data product creation, publication, discovery, change control, versioning, SLA enforcement, and deprecation; support measurement of compliance to data quality rules, role-based controls, and semantic tagging protocols.

• Program operations & stakeholder coordination: Maintain meeting agendas, stakeholder rosters, minutes, and decision/action logs; maintain RACI and risk/issue/action tracking; support facilitation logistics across in-person/virtual sessions; and maintain document control and versioning discipline.

• Reporting support: Prepare inputs for monthly and quarterly reporting; maintain supporting artifacts and evidence repositories required for status and governance reporting.

What you will need:

• US Citizenship is required.

• Bachelor’s degree obtained.

• Must be able to OBTAIN and MAINTAIN a Federal or DoD “PUBLIC TRUST”. Candidates with an ACTIVE SECRET CLEARANCE OR PUBLIC TRUST or suitability are preferred.

• 5+ years of experience in data management, data governance, metadata management, and/or data cataloging work in complex environments.

• Demonstrated experience supporting data cataloging/metadata management initiatives, including metadata intake, business glossary/data dictionary concepts, stewardship workflows, and metadata quality practices.

• Hands-on familiarity with one or more leading data catalog / metadata platforms (e.g., Collibra, Alation, Microsoft Purview, Informatica Axon/EDC) and the ability to evaluate solution capabilities using structured criteria.

• Working knowledge of metadata standards and structured approaches to defining and managing metadata (including capturing technical and business metadata, stewardship attributes, and sensitivity markers).

• Working proficiency with SQL and strong comfort with technical concepts such as APIs and integration patterns (sufficient to coordinate with engineers/architects and interpret system artifacts).

• Experience operating in structured delivery methods (Agile preferred), including managing action items, risks/issues, and producing clear stakeholder-ready documentation.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to conduct interviews, facilitate working sessions, document evidence, and translate technical metadata into consistent, business-consumable forms.

• Ability to meet the project’s client security and access requirements.

What Would Be Nice to Have:

• Direct experience conducting or supporting catalog tool evaluations / AoAs, including criteria development, demo scripts, evidence logs, scoring, and synthesis of tradeoffs into decision-ready recommendations.

• Bachelor’s degree in information systems, Computer Science, Data/Information Management, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).

• Familiarity with federated governance concepts and readiness pilots (e.g., stewardship role clarity, escalation paths, policy execution, lineage demonstration, audit traceability).

• Familiarity with data product lifecycle governance concepts (e.g., workflow design for publish/discover/change control/deprecate; versioning; SLA alignment; semantic tagging; data quality compliance measurement).

• Experience building or administering structured metadata repositories/workflows in SharePoint/PowerApps/Power Automate or similar low-code environments used for interim metadata capture and validation.

• Background in regulated environments (healthcare preferred) and comfort working with metadata classification concepts related to PHI/PII/CUI and audit-oriented documentation.

• Relevant certifications (e.g., DAMA/CDMP) or formal training in data governance, metadata management, taxonomy/ontology, or information architecture.

What We Offer:

Guidehouse offers a comprehensive, total rewards package that includes competitive compensation and a flexible benefits package that reflects our commitment to creating a diverse and supportive workplace.

Benefits include:

• Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance

• Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays

• Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus

• Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance

• 401(k) Retirement Plan

• Basic Life & Supplemental Life

• Health Savings Account, Dental/Vision & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts

• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability

• Student Loan PayDown

• Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development & Learning Opportunities

• Skills Development & Certifications

• Employee Referral Program

• Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach

• Emergency Back-Up Childcare Program

• Mobility Stipend

About Guidehouse

Guidehouse is an Equal Opportunity Employer–Protected Veterans, Individuals with Disabilities or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.

Guidehouse will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law or ordinance including the Fair Chance Ordinance of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

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