Assistant Director, Data Governance

[What the role is]

The National Library Board (NLB) nurtures Readers for Life, Learning Communities and a Knowledgeable Nation by promoting reading, learning and history through our network of 28 libraries across Singapore, the National Library and the National Archives of Singapore.

At NLB, you can look forward to a flexible, hybrid work environment with rewarding, impactful deliverables that improve the lives of the community. With caring colleagues, you will be in an ideal environment for professional development, innovation and impact.
We can offer you:
• A chance to Impact the Community, bridge gaps and empower everyone with the opportunity for learning and discovery.
• An opportunity to Innovate and Push Boundaries. We value ideas, curiosity and a passion for innovation to transform our libraries and archives.
• An organisation that Cares for your Growth and Wellbeing through investment in staff development and wellbeing in a supportive and collaborative environment.

The Data Governance AD is responsible for overseeing and implementing NLB’s data governance strategy, to ensure that NLB’s data capture, fusion and usage are reliable, secure, and of high quality, and to chart, document and iterate NLB’s overall data model.
Beyond the Data Office, you will work closely with the Technology Services Group (TSG) to develop the tools needed to effectively monitor the reliability and accuracy of our data.
The role also involves working with all NLB departments to establish and maintain data governance policies, procedures, and standards. You will be involved in upstream procurement, helping business users to scope their data requirements, as well as evaluating the capabilities of prospective vendors to to provide NLB with data necessary for operations, reporting, and analytics. You will also work closely with the eventual appointed vendors and TSG to ensure the accurate and timely transfer of data to the organization's data warehouse.

[What you will be working on]

1. Data Privacy -& Protection:

• Implement IM8 data privacy policies and procedures to protect sensitive information.
• Conduct annual data risk assessments to identify and mitigate potential data privacy risks e.g. Privacy Impact Assessments.
• Collaborate with the IT department to implement and maintain appropriate data security controls and data encryption measures.
• Train employees on data classification, privacy best practices and raise awareness about the importance of personal data protection.

2. Data Quality and Vendor Management:

• Work closely with colleagues across various departments to understand their data requirements. and translate those data requirements into procurement-related requirements and specifications.
• Work with data engineer to develop data ingestion that supports data catalog and data lineage.
• Work closely with vendors to establish data transfer processes and agreements that meet the organization’s data quality, analytics and security needs.
• Provide guidance and support to colleagues in their interactions with vendors to resolve data quality issues and improve data capture processes with reference to IM8 and data strategy by CDO.

3. Data Governance Framework Implementation

• Maintain existing data governance framework that have clearly defined roles, responsibilities, policies, and procedures for managing data across the organization.
• Provide secretariat support to data governance committee and working groups to foster collaboration and decision-making on data-related issues.
• Assist the committee in data lifecycle management processes, including data creation, storage, sharing, archiving, and disposal

4.  Data Architecture and Data Flow:

• Map data collection points e.g. where data are capture and determine the data is sufficient to support operation and analytics needs.
• Ensure the setup of data transfer mechanisms and documentation comprising data dictionaries, metadata repositories, and other documentation (each maintained by respective responsible parties) to ensure a clear understanding of data definitions, lineage, and relationships.
• Work with data leads and subject matter experts to ensure the consistent application of data governance policies and standards across systems and processes

5. Continuous Improvement:

• Monitor and measure the effectiveness of data governance initiatives and keep data inventories for improvements.
• Stay up-to-date with industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in data governance and security and apply these on data retention so that the data is managed consistently and reliably.
• Foster a culture of data-driven decision-making and promote the value of data as a strategic asset throughout the organization.

[What we are looking for]

• Good understanding of data governance, data systems and data models. Preferably a Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP), CIPM (Certified Information Privacy Manager), CIPP (Certified Information Privacy Professional), CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), or data governance related qualifications.
• Practical experience in data governance / management
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience in data governance, data management, or a related role
  • Strong experience with data protection & privacy, metadata management, and data warehousing concepts
• Solid understanding of data governance principles, frameworks, and best practices
• Commitment to communicate and educate colleagues on these principles, frameworks and best practices so as to advance the data maturity of the organisation as a whole.
• In-depth knowledge of data security regulations and standards, such as PDPA, Public Sector Governance Act, IM8, DAMA-DMBOK, ISO 27001:2013, ISO 38505-1:2017 or COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies).
• Familiarity with data quality management techniques and tools
• Excellent communication, presentation, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills
• A mindset of constant investigation, curiosity, and pushing for incremental gains of all kinds. 

Successful applicant will be appointed on a contract till 31 Dec 2026.