Chief Data Officer - General Counsel 3

At the State of Minnesota, employees play a critical role in developing policies, providing essential services, and working to improve the well-being and quality of life for all Minnesotans. The State of Minnesota is committed to equity and inclusion, and invests in employees by providing benefits, support resources, and training and development opportunities.

Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) is seeking a Chief Data Officer (CDO) to serve as the State of Minnesota’s enterprise leader for statewide data strategy, governance, and ethical use. This position will set the vision for how data can strengthen program integrity and overall government performance. As the lead of the Minnesota Data Strategy Team, the CDO will build the legal, technical, and operational foundation that allows agencies to securely and responsibly use and share data, while guiding commissioners, executives, and cross-sector partners through complex policy and privacy considerations.

This role pairs strategic leadership with practical problem-solving, setting a statewide vision for data infrastructure by building collaboration across a federated data environment. The CDO will be a trusted advisor on law, ethics, and information policy, driving long-term improvements of the state’s data ecosystem and helping ensure Minnesotans benefit from well-governed, high-quality data., * Providing executive leadership for the Minnesota Data Strategy Team (MDST), directing managers, staff, and cross-agency partners to implement statewide data governance and privacy priorities

• Establishing strategic, operational, and legal direction for the MDST, incorporating input from commissioners and executive leaders while making final determinations on statewide priorities
• Advising senior leaders on the strategic, legal, and ethical considerations of data sharing and use, and directing implementation of governance mechanisms that balance innovation, privacy, risk mitigation, and accountability
• Serving as the statewide point of escalation for complex, novel, or cross-agency legal issues affecting enterprise data sharing and governance
• Establishing and implementing an enterprise data strategy that integrates national best practices in data governance, sharing, and use consistent with state and federal information policy and law
• Building the enterprise legal frameworks, technical infrastructure, and agreements required for secure, privacy-protective, and responsible data sharing across agencies
• Advancing the enterprise workforce’s capability to access and use data effectively to improve service delivery

All MMB Leaders are expected to demonstrate and develop the six competency themes from the Enterprise-Wide Leader Competency Model: (https://mn.gov/mmb-stat/enterprise-talent-development/career-development/Enterprise-Leader-Competency-Definition-Guide.pdf)

• Leading Self
• Leading Others
• Leading the Organization
• Leading Outside the Organization
• Leading with DEAI
• Getting Work Done

Telework (https://mn.gov/mmb-stat/policies/1422-telework.pdf) options for this position are dependent on where the employee lives. With approval, employees that live within 50 miles from the primary work location may telework up to 50%. Employees that live 50 miles or more from the primary location and live in Minnesota may telework more than 50% with approval., It is the policy of Minnesota Management and Budget that a successful candidate must pass all required checks prior to employment which may consist of the below checks:

• SEMA4 records check (applies to current and past state employees only)
• Criminal history check
• Reference check
• Social Security and address verification
• Education verification
• Conflict of interest review
• Other legally or internal policy required checks

A criminal history does not automatically disqualify candidates, and each case will be reviewed individually on a case-by-case basis and in alignment with fair and equitable hiring practices.

Minnesota Management & Budget does not participate in E-Verify. Minnesota Management & Budget will not sponsor applicant work visas, including F-1 STEM OPT extensions. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

To facilitate proper years of service crediting, please ensure that your resume clearly describes your experience in the areas listed and indicates the beginning and ending month and year for each job held. Candidates must clearly demonstrate all the following qualifications on their resume. Resume tips are available here. To be considered for the Chief Data Officer position, applicants must submit a cover letter.

• At least six (6) years of experience developing or overseeing governance structures, data-sharing frameworks, or major policy or technology implementations involving multiple stakeholders or organizations
• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school and actively licensed and in good standing to practice law in the State of Minnesota (or ability to obtain licensure prior to end of standard one-year probationary period)., * Demonstrated senior-level experience in leading teams and large coalitions through complex organizational change, including designing and driving strategy through periods of significant structural, technological, or policy transformation.
• Experience leading teams to analyze and set direction on complex issues at the intersection of policy, technology, and law, applying rigorous legal and technical analysis, negotiation, and sound judgment to forge a shared vision among parties with divergent interests.
• Advanced ability to interpret statutes, regulations, and policy frameworks, including privacy law, and translate them into practical, actionable guidance for executives, legal teams, and technical stakeholders.
• Writing and communication skills sufficient to represent significant projects with authority, distilling complex technical and legal information into clear, credible narratives for executives, subject matter experts, legislators, external partners, and the public.
• Demonstrated respect for diversity and a deep commitment to fostering an inclusive and collaborative work environment., MMB values diverse perspectives and encourages all qualified candidates to apply, even if they do not meet 100% of the preferred qualifications. Your unique skills and background might be just what we need!
• Experience designing or overseeing fraud prevention, detection, or risk mitigation frameworks, including data-sharing agreements, analytics, or controls used to safeguard institutions.
• Familiarity with data governance, including data quality standards, data classification, stewardship models, or data lifecycle management.
• Experience advising or directing technology implementation, data infrastructure, or IT modernization initiatives, including budget, procurement, or vendor management.
• Demonstrated ability to ground organizational decisions in evidence, including using analysis or evaluation results to improve public services.
• Experience engaging legislators, public sector leaders, or high-level policy bodies on statutory, policy, or technical issues related to data governance, sharing, or use.
• Substantive familiarity with the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act or comparable policy regimes.