# Lead, Data Governance

**Company:** [Alpaca](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/alpaca)
**Location:** Remote
**Role:** Data Engineering
**Experience:** 5+ years
**Skills:** Data Governance, Data Security, GRC, Data Classification, Access Control, SQL, Lakehouse, Data Warehousing, Apache Ranger, Trino, Cube, Metabase, GCP, GDPR, SOC 2
**Posted:** 2026-08-12

> Leads data governance and security across the lakehouse, analytics stack, and internal data products, establishing classification, access, quality, and compliance controls. Requires 5+ years in data governance, data security, GRC, or privacy engineering and experience with modern data platforms and audits.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities

- Build and maintain data governance policies, classification standards, ownership models, and exception processes aligned with Security and Privacy requirements.
- Own data access governance for the lakehouse and analytics stack, including entitlement standards, periodic access reviews, and least-privilege access across Trino, Apache Ranger, Cube, Metabase, and related tools.
- Partner with Data Engineering on Ranger policies, schema restrictions, and service account management.
- Set data quality standards and help Data teams track and improve performance against them.
- Maintain data inventory, metadata, and lineage documentation for compliance and audit purposes.
- Review data-related vendors and new analytics or AI use cases with Security, Privacy, and Legal.
- Support sensitive and cross-border data requests, including PII handling and regional data flows.
- Prepare evidence for SOC 2, ISO 27001, CSA STAR, partner security reviews, and regulatory exams.
- Track data risks and control gaps through the Enterprise Risk Management program.
- Serve as a governance partner for Data and Security on access, classification, and tooling questions.
- Help define guardrails for AI and agentic use of corporate data in analytics workflows.

## Requirements

- **5+ years** of experience in data governance, data security, GRC, privacy engineering, or a related field.
- At least **2 years** working with modern data platforms, including lakehouses or warehouses, SQL engines, BI tools, or semantic layers.
- Knowledge of data governance frameworks such as DAMA-DMBOK and NIST, with the ability to apply them in a fast-moving company.
- Experience building or operating data classification, access control, or entitlement review programs.
- Familiarity with cloud data platforms; GCP experience is a plus.
- Working knowledge of privacy and regulatory requirements in financial services, including GDPR, CCPA, and cross-border transfers.
- Experience supporting SOC 2, ISO 27001, or similar audits.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with engineering teams and advocate for strong controls without creating unnecessary bottlenecks.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable in a fast-paced remote environment.
- Comfortable working as an individual contributor with no direct reports.

## Nice-to-Haves

- Fintech, brokerage, or regulated financial services experience.
- Hands-on experience with Trino, Apache Ranger, dbt, Cube, Metabase, Airflow, or Iceberg.
- Experience reviewing AI/ML and analytics tools.
- Privacy program or vendor/DPA review experience.
- CIPT, CIPM, CISM, CISSP, CDMP, CRISC, or similar certification.
- Experience as the first governance hire at a growing company.
- Experience with Japan or EU data residency and cross-border data issues.
- Exposure to enterprise risk management or operational risk.
- Experience working on remote or distributed teams.

## Compensation and Benefits

- Competitive salary and stock options.
- Health benefits.
- One-time **$500 USD** new-hire home-office setup benefit.
- **$150 USD per month** stipend via a Brex Card.

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