Senior Data Governance Officer

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 191 member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. IFRC uses the Triple R – response, resilience and respect – to deliver on Strategy 2030. IFRC responds to disasters and crises, ensuring timely, coordinated and locally led humanitarian action. IFRC supports its members in building community resilience in the areas of climate and environment, health and wellbeing, and migration and displacement. IFRC promotes respect for our fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality, including in our work on values, power and inclusion. The IFRC focuses throughout on our core mandate – our raison d’être – of strategic and operational coordination, humanitarian diplomacy, National Society development, and accountability.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General and has its Headquarters in Geneva and five regional offices in Africa (Nairobi); the Americas (Panama); Asia Pacific (Kuala Lumpur); Europe (Budapest); and MENA (Beirut) as well as representation offices, service centres and delegations across the globe.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

Background to the position

In virtually all countries, people increasingly rely on and expect a diverse range of digital services (e.g., through their mobile devices) to interact with local government, companies, and community organizations and services. This disruption is already happening to humanitarian assistance. Yet, the Digital Divide remains a persistent and significant challenge at both national and local levels.

The need for a successful and large-scale digital transformation is urgent. And Digitally Transforming the IFRC and its 191 members is a complex process which requires collaborative action and support across the membership. Therefore, the IFRC recently developed a Digital Transformation Strategy which was approved by the IFRC Governing Board in May 2021.  

The Digital Transformation Department (DTD) has full leadership responsibility for the implementation of the digital transformation strategy and the positive impact it will have on the 191 National Society members of the IFRC. The DTD provides strategic leadership and guides the IFRC Secretariat as well as the members network to adapt and innovate humanitarian services, drawing on digital services, data-enabled decision-making, and other opportunities for digital transformation in support of the IFRC’s Strategy 2030. In addition, the DTD is responsible for the development and implementation of business transformation, information technology and digitalization services throughout the IFRC Secretariat, thereby supporting the same transformation in 191 NSs, setting the vision, and drawing stakeholders together on this digital journey. 

(...Continued from Organizational Context)

The incumbent reports into the AI and Data management unit (“AI & Data unit”), that is accountable to the Director of the DTD. The other units and teams reporting to the DT Director include the Enterprise Architecture, Strategy & Planning unit, the Digital development and management unit, the Infrastructure & Security Team and the Global Service Desk and Endpoint Management team. Under the leadership of the Director, these units and teams serve as members of the global DTD management team, along with the CISO and Regional DT managers. 

The AI & Data unit is responsible to deliver greater value from IFRC’s data, and ensures the development and implementation of IFRCs data and AI governance and strategy, in close collaboration with the IFRC’s Data Protection Office and through indirect management of data professionals in other departments. The unit oversees all data operations, data product lifecycles and manages the organisation’s data platform, as well as the coordination and support to AI initiatives.

The Senior Data Governance Officer will also interact extensively with internal and external AI and data experts, private sector, academia, external suppliers, vendors and consultants who are sourced to deliver data-related activities. 

Job Purpose

The Senior Data Governance Officer is responsible for developing, implementing, and enforcing organizational data governance frameworks, policies, and standards that ensure data is managed securely, ethically, and in compliance with global regulations. This role serves as the primary steward of IFRC's data governance program, translating strategic governance objectives into practical policies, processes, and procedures that enable safe, ethical data utilization across the organization and protect vulnerable populations. The Data Governance Officer will establish data governance structures, manage roles and responsibilities, consider any applicable regulatory compliance, to assist with improving data quality and security, and foster a culture of data responsibility aligned with IFRC's humanitarian principles and commitment to privacy and dignity. The incumbent will support in developing the organizational approach to the distribution of data capabilities and roles.

Data Governance Framework & Strategy

• Design and implement comprehensive organizational data governance framework, including policies, standards and compliance requirements, aligned with organizational strategy, humanitarian principles, and relevant requirements.
• Develop governance roadmaps outlining phased implementation of policies, standards, and controls with clear milestones and success metrics.
• Establish governance scope, identifying critical data assets, stakeholder roles, and organizational priorities requiring governance attention.
• Create and maintain governance policies covering data classification, ownership, stewardship, quality, security, access, and lifecycle management.
• Develop governance principles reflecting IFRC's humanitarian values, including principles of data protection, dignity, transparency, and accountability.

Data Classification and Sensitivity Management

• Develop classification standards and guidance for categorizing data based on sensitivity, criticality, and relevant requirements.
• Design and implement sensitivity labeling strategies using Microsoft Information Protection and related tools integrated within Microsoft Fabric and Purview.
• Create clear labeling guidelines that are easily understood across the organization.

Data Privacy and Compliance

• Support the Data Protection Office with implementation of IFRC’s Policy on the Protection of Personal Data.
• Support Data Protection Officer (DPO) with governance policy input, and compliance documentation.
• Support Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) processes for new data initiatives, ensuring privacy by design principles Draft incident response and data breach protocols in coordination with the DPO and CISO, ensuring timely notification and mitigation in accordance with relevant requirements.

Roles, Responsibilities and Accountability

• Establish, assign and document organizational data governance structure with clear role definitions (Data Owners, Data Stewards, Data Custodians, Data Users) and create related RACI matrices.
• Support in the development of organizational approach to distribute Data, Analytics and AI capabilities and roles, across dimensions back-end, supporting and front-end as well as centralized, decentralized and emerging roles.
• Provide steward training and onboarding covering governance policies, data quality management, compliance, and communication expectations.
• Establish governance committees and forums (e.g., Data Governance Council, domain steward groups) to facilitate coordination and decision-making.
• Monitor role performance and accountability, providing coaching and support to ensure effective governance execution.

Data Quality Standards and Monitoring

• Define organizational data quality standards and dimensions (accuracy, completeness, consistency, timeliness, validity, uniqueness).
• Establish and automate data quality metrics, rules and validation checks aligned with business use cases and decision-making requirements.
• Develop data quality assessment and monitoring protocols identifying critical data assets and quality requirements.
• Establish data quality governance processes including issue identification, escalation, resolution, and continuous improvement.
• Monitor data quality metrics, reporting on trends and issues to governance committees and data stewards.

Asset Inventory and Cataloging

• Oversee the development and maintenance of enterprise data asset inventory.

• Establish standards for data asset documentation including business definitions, data lineage, and usage guidance.
• Implement and maintain Microsoft Purview data catalog systems for centralized data asset discovery, classification, and governance.
• Coordinate cataloging activities across the organization, ensuring data assets are properly documented and discoverable.
• Monitor catalog usage and provide training to support effective data discovery and asset management.

Access Management and Information Security

• Develop guidelines for secure information sharing with internal teams, partners, vendors, and external stakeholders, including third-party information sharing agreements.
• Build and maintain tools and automation to monitor and audit access patterns, investigating and addressing potential violations of access governance policies.
• Support implementation of technical security and privacy controls including access controls (including row and column access controls), encryption, pseudonymization, anonymization, and masking where appropriate.
• Coordinate with cybersecurity teams on access controls in Microsoft Fabric and related platforms.

Governance Policy Development and Maintenance

• Create and implement data governance policies addressing data collection, processing, storage, access, sharing, retention, and deletion.
• Develop policies specific to sensitive data categories (examples: beneficiary data, health information, location data) with appropriate safeguards.
• Monitor policy compliance, investigating deviations and implementing corrective actions.
• Maintain policy library and version control, ensuring staff access current guidance.

Stakeholder Communication and Training

• Develop stakeholder communication strategy for data governance initiatives targeting different audiences (leadership, business units, technical teams).
• Deliver data governance training to staff, data stewards, and leadership covering policies, roles, responsibilities, and compliance expectations.
• Provide guidance to business units and technical teams on governance policy interpretation and application.

Microsoft Fabric Governance Administration

• Configure governance settings in Microsoft Purview, including domains, roles, and permissions.
• Establish data catalog taxonomies and governance domain structures aligned with organizational data strategy.
• Define and enforce data quality policies within Microsoft Fabric and other data systems (such as Azure SQL, Dataverse, etc.)
• Develop automated collection of data lineage and utilize data lineage for impact analysis in Microsoft Fabric and other data systems (such as Azure SQL, Power BI, Dataverse, etc.) to support governance decisions.
• Ensure sensitivity labels are applied consistently across Fabric workspaces, Power BI, and other data systems.

Duties applicable to all staff

1. Work actively towards the achievement of IFRC’s goals. 
2. Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles.
3. Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager.
   

Required

• Degree in computer science, software engineering, data science, statistics, mathematics, or related field.

Preferred

• Certifications in data governance and data stewardship.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or similar credentials.
• Microsoft certifications related to data governance, compliance and Purview.

Required

• 5+ years of professional experience developing and implementing data governance frameworks, policies, or standards in enterprise environments.
• Experience establishing data governance in organizations with complex data environments or regulatory requirements.
• Experience working in at least one regulated industry sector (healthcare, finance, international development), humanitarian organizations preferred.
• Experience with diverse stakeholder management including executives, technical teams, and business units.
• Familiarity with data classification, sensitivity labeling, and access control concepts.
• Knowledge of data quality dimensions, metrics, and assessment approaches.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Purview, data catalog, and governance tooling.

Preferred

• Understanding of multinational compliance requirements and ability to navigate complex regulatory landscapes.
• Deep understanding of data governance frameworks, principles, and best practices. Knowledge of data privacy regulations including GDPR, HIPAA, and national data protection laws.   
• Understanding of humanitarian data protection principles and vulnerable population considerations.  
• Experience with Microsoft Fabric governance capabilities and integration with organizational governance.  
• Experience in project and program management.
• Experience in training and coaching to support stakeholder’s adoption of technology and processes.

Required

• Understanding of data capabilities, (stewardship) roles, responsibilities, and management.
• Problem-Solving: Ability to break down complex humanitarian challenges into solvable ML problems.
• Knowledge of data security principles, encryption, and privacy-preserving techniques (including anonymization, masking, etc.)
• Writing skills for policy documentation that is clear, comprehensive, and accessible.
• Communication: Skill in translating technical findings to non-technical stakeholders.
• Collaboration: Ability to work effectively across data science, engineering, and business teams.
• Continuous Learning: Drive to stay current with rapid AI/ML field evolution.
• Attention to Detail: Precision in code quality, data validation, and model documentation.

Preferred

• Understanding of vendor management and third-party data governance requirements.
• Change management and organizational development experience.
• Understanding of humanitarian context, operational challenges, and impact measurement.
• Understanding of humanitarian operations and field deployment contexts.
• Familiarity with agile development practices and iterative model improvement.
• Compliance & Risk Management: Understanding of regulatory requirements and risk mitigation strategies.
• Process Design: Capability to establish repeatable governance processes and workflows.

Languages

Required

• Fluent spoken and written English.

Preferred

• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic).

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability.

Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust.

Application Instruction

Please submit your application in English only.