DATA GOVERNANCE SPECIALIST

Senior Data Governance / Data Management / Cybersecurity

Location: Brussels, Belgium
Project environment: Public / Critical Infrastructure / Transport
Seniority: Senior / Expert
Experience: 7+ years
Languages: French and/or Dutch – English is an advantage

NANO IT CyberSecurity is currently selecting an experienced Data Governance Specialist for a strategic European project involving a major organisation operating within a critical and highly regulated environment.

The assignment sits at the intersection of Data Governance, Cybersecurity, Risk Management, Regulatory Compliance and Data Management.

The objective is to strengthen the organisation’s ability to identify, classify, protect, govern and effectively use its critical data while supporting the implementation of a pragmatic and sustainable Data Governance framework.

The role has a strong connection with NIS2 requirements, data protection, information security and the broader Data Strategy.

THE MISSION

The Data Governance Specialist will play a central role in defining, implementing and maintaining the organisation’s Data Governance framework.

The position requires close collaboration with stakeholders across:

• Cybersecurity / CISO
• Data Protection / DPO
• Data & Analytics
• IT and Data Management
• Business stakeholders
• Document & Information Management
• Risk and Compliance

The primary focus will be on establishing effective governance and protection mechanisms for critical and sensitive data, while progressively embedding Data Governance principles into business and Data initiatives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Data Governance & Critical Data Identification

You will contribute to the identification and governance of the organisation’s most critical data assets.

Responsibilities include:

• Inventory and mapping of critical data.
• Identification of data owners, custodians and responsible stakeholders.
• Classification of data according to business criticality, sensitivity and regulatory requirements.
• Mapping of data flows, dependencies and relationships.
• Identification of critical data processing activities.
• Definition and maintenance of Data Governance policies, standards and procedures.
• Establishment of governance principles applicable across business and IT environments.
• Supporting the definition of data ownership and accountability.

2. Data Protection & Security

You will work closely with cybersecurity and information security stakeholders to ensure that appropriate protection mechanisms are defined for critical data.

Responsibilities include:

• Defining data protection requirements based on data classification.
• Supporting the implementation of appropriate security controls.
• Contributing to backup, recovery and resilience requirements.
• Supporting the identification of risks associated with critical data.
• Ensuring that data protection requirements are integrated into relevant projects and processes.
• Supporting alignment between Data Governance and Cybersecurity requirements.
• Contributing to regulatory compliance, particularly in relation to NIS2 and applicable data protection requirements.

3. Data Access Management

The role also covers governance of access to critical and sensitive information.

You will contribute to:

• Defining data access principles according to business requirements.
• Applying the least-privilege principle.
• Supporting access governance and accountability.
• Reviewing access rights to critical data.
• Defining rules for appropriate access, use and sharing of data.
• Working with IT and security teams to ensure that access controls are aligned with data classification.
• Supporting periodic access reviews and governance processes.

4. Data Governance Adoption & Change Management

Data Governance is not only a framework or set of policies. The successful candidate will be expected to support its adoption throughout the organisation.

Responsibilities include:

• Raising awareness of data governance principles.
• Supporting training and communication activities.
• Helping business teams understand their responsibilities regarding data.
• Promoting good practices around data ownership, quality and protection.
• Supporting organisational change and adoption.
• Explaining complex governance concepts in clear and practical terms.
• Building relationships with stakeholders across different business and technical communities.

DATA STRATEGY & DATA MANAGEMENT

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