Vice President, Data Governance

The Zenith Data Governance team sits at the center of our data ecosystem, partnering with Analytics, Engineering, and Technology Activation to ensure data is accurate, consistent, and accessible.

We establish and maintain standardized processes for data management, define and document key business rules, and ensure they are applied consistently to maintain trust in the data.

This foundation enables effective campaign optimization and compelling storytelling-helping clients clearly understand the impact of their marketing investments., As a Data Governance Vice President, you will be responsible for driving client success, aligning departmental initiatives with corporate objectives, fostering a culture of leadership, accountability and innovation.

In this role, you will:

• Serve as a mentor, manager, project leader, and thought leader-balancing strategic direction with hands-on execution
• Contribute significant intellectual leadership by designing, implementing and maintaining standardized processes and protocols that enable scalable and efficient data management
• Participate in expanding department reach and support business growth by developing and enabling new offerings/tools and by driving innovation that enhance operational effectiveness and competitive advantage for the practice
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and its execution with your teams to enable higher efficiency for your clients
• Lead, mentor and develop senior managers, build a high-performing leadership team and ensure performance goals are met
• Cultivate and manage relationships with key clients, partners, and industry stakeholders to support growth and market positioning
• Establish and monitor success indicators to assess and report on departmental success to senior executives
• Work closely with your team to ensure day-to-day deliverables are executed effectively and on time

There’s no single mold for success on our team. Strong candidates typically share a few key traits: curiosity about emerging technologies and media, a data-driven mindset, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

We’re looking for an experienced, collaborative, and growth-oriented leader who brings fresh perspectives, communicates ideas effectively, and embraces challenges with a continuous learning mindset.

This role requires hands-on experience in a media agency environment, with deep expertise in media analytics (digital and offline), data structures, and modern data/tech infrastructure. You should be able to effectively translate and manage complex data to ensure scalable and efficient use.

The ideal candidate brings a strong track record of operational excellence, innovation, stewardship, and team development at a senior level and is comfortable in client-facing roles., 10+ years of media agency experience across digital and offline channels, with demonstrated progression in scope, responsibility and leadership

• 5+ years of people leadership experience, including managing people managers and/or senior individual contributors, with a proven ability to build high-performing, accountable teams
• Understanding of digital advertising channels (Search, Display, Social, Video, etc.), with deep expertise in at least one area
• Ability to define and lead data governance strategies for large, global multi-market media portfolios, aligning governance standards with business, analytics, technology, and client objectives
• Experience establishing taxonomy standards, including defining, enforcing, and evolving campaign and placement taxonomies; leading change management, documentation, education, and adoption
• Strong understanding of data governance practices, including documentation standards, data dictionaries, and logic mapping
• Strong executive communication skills and leadership presence, with the ability to translate complex concepts for both internal stakeholders and external clients
• Demonstrated ability to deliver world-class client service by translating client and partner needs into scalable solutions and ensuring high-quality execution with urgency and accountability
• Proven track record of proactively identifying opportunities and gaps, building actionable roadmaps with clear timelines, developing frameworks, managing complexity, and driving initiatives forward independently
• Experience working closely with product and engineering teams to prioritize projects, balance technical constraints, and drive delivery against roadmap commitments
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Exceptional leadership and communication abilities
• Experience querying and managing SQL databases
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, including macros, advanced formulas, pivot tables, and analysis of large, complex datasets
• Bachelor’s degree required; degree in a related field preferred (STEM, Economics, Marketing, MIS, BI, or similar)
• Experience working on global, multi-market accounts highly preferred