expert, business analytics.

Every year, we help hundreds of thousands of people find rewarding jobs in the ever-changing world of work.We understand the importance of a job in peoples lifes and we want to help them find work that feels good. And we’ll help them continue to grow as their needs and ambitions change.At Randstad, our value comes from our people and that is why we put them first. We are proud of our learning culture and career architecture framework that encourages ours team to develop both personally and professionally.We believe that talent grows when presented with opportunity and this is why we encourage our people to think beyond their role. We have created a culture that enables talent to flourish, encouraging entrepreneurship, fostering team spirit, and continually building mutual trust.Job Context and PurposeIn an increasingly data-driven environment, the quality, accessibility and governance of our organizational data assets are paramount to achieving our strategic objectives, adopting AI and maintaining regulatory compliance. This Principal Data Steward role is central to this mission. The primary purpose of this position is to establish, champion, and drive the success of our decentralized Data Stewardship program, where a dedicated Principal Data Steward is assigned to our major business verticals, serving as the driver for data governance within their respective area. You will serve as the unifying leader for a broad community of business data stewards embedded across various business domains, primarily Enterprise Operation, but also covering sales, finance, GBS and more. Providing the essential strategic direction, standardized processes, and technical guidance (particularly through the ownership of the data catalog tool (Atlan). This role is critical for transforming our data into a trusted, well-governed corporate asset, ensuring that all data users have a clear understanding of what the data means, where it comes from, and how it can be reliably used for confident decision-making and ai opportunities, across all business verticals.Key Responsibilities1. Community leadership and program managementLead and mentor: lead, mentor, and foster a collaborative environment for the community of decentralized business data stewards (30-50) embedded across various business domains, with specific focus to the data needs and stewardship activities for the client portfolio within the assigned business vertical(s) of Enterprise Operations. Manage, mentor, and develop a community of business data stewards, fostering a culture of high data quality, innovation, and data savvyness.Central Liaison: serve as the primary point of contact and central liaison for all data stewardship-related matters within the assigned business vertical(s), ensuring the concerns and requirements of clients and our Enterprise Operations are prioritized and effectively addressed.Program Management: manage the overall data stewardship program, including performance monitoring, issue escalation, and reporting on key data quality and governance metrics to senior leadership, highlighting performance and data risk.2. Strategy and GovernanceStrategic Direction: drive the strategic vision for data stewardship in alignment with the organization's business objectives and operational focus in the assigned vertical(s), ensuring policies directly support the efficiency and accuracy requirements of Randstad Enterprise and it’s clients.Thought Leadership: act as a recognized thought leader and subject matter expert, proactively researching emerging data governance methodologies and best practices to drive continuous innovation in data management strategy and policy development, helping to establish our data culture and ambition to be a data driven company.Policy and Standards: driving the consensus, adoption and enforcing organization-wide data policies, standards, and best practices relating to Data Quality, Data Access, and Data Compliance. Manage the knowledge and best practice sharing activities within the assigned business vertical(s).Process standardization and adoption: act as the primary representative for your business vertical(s) in meetings with the central Data Governance Process Owners (Data Quality, Data Access Control, Data Compliance) and the broader data & technology functions. You will articulate your vertical's unique data requirements and challenges to influence the definition and standardization of data stewardship processes and methodologies. Once defined, you will drive the adoption and implementation of these enterprise standards within your vertical, ensuring seamless integration into core workflows.3. Data Catalog OwnershipCatalog Administration: act as the primary owner and administrator of the organization’s data catalog tool.Coordination: manage and coordinate the effective use and deployment of the data catalog tool across the entire organization, focusing on maximizing utility and data literacy within Enterprise Operations.Documentation Oversight: oversee and enforce the creation and maintenance of business glossaries, comprehensive data lineage, and technical and business metadata within the tool, for all of Randstad Enterprise, prioritizing data assets critical to Enterprise Operations.Coaching and Onboarding: lead coaching and onboarding efforts for business data stewards and other data users on how to effectively use the data catalog for discovery and governance adherence, developing tailored training for Enterprise Operations teams, in partnership with the Data Adoption team.4. Data Ingestion and LineageCoordination: Collaborate with client and inhouse technology teams to ensure “Shift-Left Data Quality" (implementing quality checks at the source/ingestion layer) of source systems to ensure the data is meaningful and trusted for our clients and our internal organization.5. Collaboration and CommunicationCross-Functional Partnership: act as the central communication hub between the business data stewards, Business Intelligence partners, Data Engineering teams, business leaders, and the central Data Governance functions.Feedback Loop: communicate policy updates to the business domains, gather crucial feedback on data governance standards, and ensure a two-way flow of information to continuously improve the program, actively soliciting feedback and requirements from Enterprise Operations stakeholders to shape governance direction.Stakeholders & PartnersEnterprise Operations: Business Data StewardsRegional Managing Directors, CSD/VPs, Account Directors, Team Leads and Talent AdvisorsOperational Excellence leaders & teamsOther Randstad Enterprise business departments:GBS leaders and their teamsGlobal Finance leaders and their teamsProfessional Services leaders and their teamsSales, Solution Design leaders and their teamsEDO and EDAO leaders and their teamsProfileEducation and ExperienceMaster’s degree (or equivalent professional experience). 5+ years of experience in relevant data functions (data stewardship, data governance)Proven experience leading global or multi-regional initiatives or programs.Demonstrated success in designing and implementing enterprise-wide change or transformation.Strong understanding of data stewardship, data engineering, data governance, data quality, data consumption processes.Experience working in complex, matrixed, and cross-functional organizations.Proven ability to manage senior stakeholders and translate strategic vision into actionable outcomes.Experience in the Staffing, HR Tech, or Services Industry, is a plus however not required.Key Behavioural CompetenciesStrategic Thinking & Influence – Anticipates business needs, connects data culture initiatives to enterprise outcomes, and influences senior stakeholders to drive alignment.Leadership & Coaching – Empowers, mentors, and develops capability in colleagues and business stakeholders.Collaboration & Stakeholder Management – Builds strong relationships across functions, geographies, and levels; able to influence without authority and co-create solutions with multiple stakeholders.Adaptability & Learning Agility – Thrives in a fast-changing environment; quickly learns new tools, technologies, and business contexts to stay ahead of evolving needs.Change Leadership – Acts as an advocate for new ways of working; motivates others to experiment, learn, and embrace data and AI-driven decision-making.Key Technical CompetenciesThe Data Catalog is the primary tool for a large stewardship network, making proficiency essential.Catalog Administration: deep, practical expertise in administering a modern Data Catalog. This includes setting up user roles, managing permissions and configuring workflows.Technical Metadata Harvesting: ability to help configure connections and automated metadata ingestion from various source systems (databases, data lakes, cloud environments) into the Data Catalog.Business Glossary & Semantic Layer: technical know-how to structure the business glossary, link business terms to technical data elements (metadata), and ensure data lineage is captured accurately within the catalog.Data QualityData Profiling & AnalysisRule Definition & ImplementationData Quality Monitoring & ScorecardsRoot Cause AnalysisData Classification & Taggingexperience implementing and enforcing data classification frameworks (e.g., PII, Confidential) by applying metadata tags that govern downstream usage and access.Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) understanding of how to define and manage access controls (permissions, user groups)Data Masking/Anonymization Techniques: Technical knowledge of tools and methods (like hashing, tokenization, or format-preserving encryption) used to de-identify data for non-production environments or specific compliance use cases.Regulatory Knowledge Application: While a business skill, the technical application of regulations like GDPR (Right to Erasure, Data Subject Access Requests) or HIPAA is critical. This involves understanding the required data structures and technical workflow processes needed for compliance.Foundational Data Infrastructure & QueryingTo lead and manage the technical environment, the Principal Data Steward needs foundational knowledge of how data systems work.Understanding of Data Architecture: Familiarity with modern data platforms (Cloud Data Warehouses, Data Lakes, Lakehouses) and data integration patterns (ETL/ELT). This is crucial for guiding the business stewards on where to find trusted data.Program & Portfolio ManagementSkilled in managing global initiatives, timelines, and stakeholder expectations.Defines KPIs, tracks adoption trends, and reports outcomes to leadership.Distinguishing CompetenciesVisionary Enablement Leadership: balances strategic foresight with practical execution, building a long-term foundation for data culture.Enterprise Influence: trusted by senior stakeholders to shape direction and priorities.Cross-Cultural Influence: leads global initiatives with empathy, adaptability, and cultural awareness.Thought Leadership in Data Culture: serves as an ambassador for Randstad’s data and AI transformation both internally and externally.Is this the job for you? We would love to hear from you! Please apply directly to the role and we will get in touch with you. ...