Senior Manager, Data Governance & Taxonomy

Description

Position Summary:

We are seeking a hands-on data leader to join our eCommerce Solutions team as Senior Manager, Data Governance & Taxonomy. This role will own the development and enforcement of data governance policies, lead taxonomy strategy and expansion, and ensure scalable, high-quality data practices to support AD’s product content network across multiple industries.

Working collaboratively with the Product Content Manager and reporting to the Director, Product Content Management, this position plays a key role in ensuring that AD’s taxonomy and data governance practices evolve to meet the needs of our 200+ independent distributor members. The Senior Manager will guide the strategy for taxonomy governance, data structure expansion, and scalable data management policies plus will roll up their sleeves to execute hands-on analysis.

The ideal candidate will bring deep experience in data quality management, digital product taxonomy, and Product Information Management (PIM) platforms paired with the ability to bridge strategy and execution to deliver trusted, scalable data solutions.

Primary Responsibilities:

1. Taxonomy Strategy & Expansion:
Lead taxonomy expansion efforts to support new industry verticals and evolving member needs. Own the evolution and maintenance of AD’s product taxonomy and attribute schema. Collaborate with supplier and member data teams and industry experts to enrich and optimize classification logic.

2. Data Governance Leadership:
Define, implement and enforce data governance policies across taxonomy, attributes, normalization and classification. Develop and maintain documentation for data standards, metadata rules, and governance playbooks. Conduct regular data integrity audits and system health checks across product content platforms. Partner with internal and external teams to ensure consistent adherence to AD data models and rules.

3. Member Enablement &

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

Collaborate with the Product Content Manager and Technical Product Specialists to analyze data gaps, improve classification accuracy and attribute coverage, and align on SKU build strategy to ensure overall data readiness. Represent governance and taxonomy requirements in internal and external stakeholder meetings. Respond to internal and member data requests with accurate insights and deliverables.

4. Technical Execution:
Write and execute advanced SQL queries for auditing, analysis, and troubleshooting. Leverage Python and/or SQL for automation, enrichment, and content transformation. Support scalable backend logic and validations for taxonomy enhancements and content workflows. Build and manage QA workflows for new vertical launches and product content rule changes.

Requirements

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

1. Deep knowledge of taxonomy, metadata standards, and data quality practices.

2. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and documentation skills.

3. Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to represent governance and taxonomy requirements to both technical and business stakeholders.

4. Advanced proficiency in SQL for auditing, analysis, and troubleshooting.

5. Familiarity with Python (e.g., Pandas, transformation logic) strongly preferred for automation and enrichment.

6. Hands-on experience with PIM systems (Enterworks strongly preferred) and content syndication workflows.

Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Information Science, Library Science, Data Science, Business Analytics, or a related field (advanced degree a plus).

2. Equivalent professional experience in taxonomy development, metadata standards, knowledge organization, or data governance will also be considered.

3. 7–8+ years of professional experience in data governance, product taxonomy, digital product data management, or closely related disciplines.

4. Demonstrated experience leading taxonomy strategy and governance frameworks, preferably in B2B, distribution, or product content–driven industries.

5. Proven track record of cross-functional leadership, working with product, supplier, and member-facing teams.

Additional Comments:

1. The position is based out of our corporate office in Wayne, PA, where we have a hybrid work schedule (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays in office with Mondays and Fridays remote); typical hours are 8:00a – 5:00p M-F

2. Travel:
Annually up to 10% of the time for company meetings and events

AD is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. Qualified candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, military or veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. At AD, we support a collaborative and inclusive environment. We value open participation from individuals with different ideas, experiences, and perspectives which we believe make AD a better place to work.