Reference Data Jobs in Houston, TX (NOW HIRING)

TheData GovernanceManageris responsible forestablishing, operationalizing, and continuously improving the organization's enterprise data governance andapplicationdata management capabilities. This role willleadthe development of governance processes, data stewardship practices, data quality initiatives, and master data programs that ensure trusted, consistent, and business-aligned data across the enterprise.

This position serves as the bridge between business and technology teams, partnering closely with Operations, Engineering, Land, Finance, Regulatory, HSE, and IT to define and govern critical data assets. The Manager willbe responsible forimplementing governance frameworks,maintainingenterprise data standards, overseeing data quality management, and ensuring the integrity of master and reference data domains including wells, facilities, assets, vendors, customers, employees, and financial hierarchies.

Withdeepunderstanding of upstream oil and gas data domains and enterprise data management practices, this role will play a critical part in accelerating the company's journey toward becoming a data-driven, technology-enabled enterprise. This position aligns closely with the enterprise data strategyandgovernanceobjectivesestablishedby the Director of Data & Analytics.

Key Responsibilities:

EnterpriseData Management

• Lead the enterprise Master Data Management strategy and execution across key business domains including wells, assets, facilities, production, land, finance, vendors, and employees.

• Establish andmaintainmaster data models, hierarchies, business definitions, ownership structures, and governance processes.

• Partner with business stakeholders to define andmaintainauthoritative systems of record and systems of reference.

• Develop and manage data matching, survivorship, deduplication, and record stewardship processes.

• Define and enforce standards for master and reference data creation, maintenance, and retirement.

• Support enterprise initiatives involving acquisitions, divestitures, and system integrations by ensuring consistent master data management practices.

• Drive the creation of a trusted "single source of truth" for critical enterprise data domains.

Data Governance Program Leadership

• Develop and operationalize an enterprise data governance framework including policies, standards, controls, stewardship models, and governance councils.

• Facilitate governance committees and working groups to drive alignment across business units.

• Define roles and responsibilities for data owners, stewards, custodians, and consumers.

• Establish governance workflows for data issue resolution, policy enforcement, and exception management.

• Create andmaintainenterprise data standards, business glossaries, and metadata management processes.

• Drive adoption of governance practices across both business and technology teams.

• Promote data accountability and stewardship as core organizational capabilities.

Data Quality & Data Trust

• Define and manage enterprise data quality strategies, metrics, scorecards, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Establish data quality monitoring processes for completeness, accuracy, consistency, validity, timeliness, and uniqueness.

• Partner with Data Engineering,Analytics and Digital Enablement, and business teams toidentifyand remediate data quality issues.

• Implement root-cause analysis processes to reduce recurring data issues.

• Develop reporting and dashboards that provide visibility into data quality trends and governance effectiveness.

• Establish data quality KPIs and governance performance measures.

Metadata, Catalog & Data Lifecycle Management

• Lead the implementation and ongoing management of enterprise metadata, business glossary, and data catalog capabilities.

• Maintain data lineage documentation across critical business processes and systems.

• Partner with architecture and engineering teams to ensure metadata standards are embedded into the data platform.

• Supportinformationlifecycle management activities including classification, retention, archival, and disposition processes.

Business Partnership & Data Stewardship

• Partner directly with business leaders and subject matter experts to define critical data elements, business rules, and governance priorities.

• Build and lead a network of business data stewards across the organization.

• Facilitate data governance training and awareness programs.

• Support enterprise reporting, analytics, regulatory reporting, and operational decision-making through improved data quality and governance.

Compliance, Risk & Data Controls

• Ensure governance processessupportregulatory, financial, operational, and audit requirements.

• Partner with Cybersecurity, Compliance, and Internal Audit teams to support data-related controls and risk management activities.

• Assistinestablishingdata classification, privacy, and information protection standards.

• Support audit activities involving data controls, data lineage, and governance processes.

• Monitor adherence to governance policies and standards across the enterprise.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and develop a team of data governance analysts, MDM specialists, and data stewards.

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and data ownership.

• Establish clear goals, performance expectations, and development plans for team members.

• Drive organizational adoption of governance and data management best practices.

Qualifications & Experience:

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business, Engineering, Data Management, ora relatedfield.

• Master'sdegree is a strong plus.

• Relevant certifications such as CDMP,PPDMor equivalent are preferred.

Experience:

• 7+ years of experience in data governance, master data management, data quality, or enterprise data management.

• 3+ years of leadership experience managing governance programs, MDM initiatives, or data management teams.

• Industry experience in upstream oil and gas is strongly preferred.

• Experience implementing enterprise data governance frameworks and stewardship programs.

• Proven success leading cross-functional enterprise data initiatives.

• Experience supporting cloud-based data platforms, preferably Snowflake or comparable environments.

Skills & Competencies:

• Deep understanding of data governance frameworks, stewardship models, metadata management, and master data management principles.

• Strong knowledge of oil and gas data domains including wells, facilities, production, land, reserves, finance, and HSE.

• Experience with data catalog, lineage, metadata, and data quality tools.

• Strong understanding of data modeling, business process management, and enterprise architecture concepts.

• Ability to balance governance rigor with practical business outcomes.

• Excellent stakeholder management and facilitation skills.

• Strong communicationand organizational change management capabilities.

• Ability to influence business and technical leaders at all levels of the organization.

• Strategic thinker with a pragmatic, business-aligned execution style.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements:

• Primarily office-based with occasional travel to field offices and operational sites as needed.

• Potential exposure to remote and high-risk environments, requiring adherence to safety protocols.

• May involve walking, climbing, bending, or handling equipment during site visits.

• Possible exposureto varying weather conditions (heat, cold, rain) while on-site at field offices.

• Availability for emergency response and incident management, including after-hours support when required.