Senior Manager, Product Data Governance & Master Data Strategy

The Senior Manager, Product Data Governance & Master Data Strategy is responsible for establishing and leading the global business strategy, governance, standards, and operating model for product and item master data across Vertiv's product development ecosystem.

This role serves as the business owner for the Item Domain, ensuring that product, engineering, manufacturing, service, and commercial functions operate from a common set of globally governed item definitions, standards, and lifecycle processes. The position is accountable for driving business alignment across functions, improving data quality and process compliance, enabling digital transformation initiatives, and ensuring item master data effectively supports product development, manufacturing, supply chain, service, and aftermarket operations.

The role will partner closely with Information Technology, Enterprise Data & Analytics, ERP, PLM, and MDM teams to define business requirements, prioritize system enhancements, establish governance frameworks, and develop a strategic roadmap that drives improvements across data, processes, applications, and organizational capabilities.

The successful candidate will lead cross-functional initiatives to standardize item creation, classification, lifecycle management, product structures, and BOM governance while enabling scalable global operations and supporting future business growth.

Key Responsibilities Product Data Strategy & Governance

• Define and execute the global business strategy for Product and Item Master Data.
• Establish governance, policies, standards, and decision frameworks for the Item Domain.
• Serve as the business owner and primary point of accountability for item data quality, consistency, and usability.
• Develop and maintain a multi-year roadmap focused on business process improvement, data quality, system enablement, and organizational adoption.
• Partner with IT and MDM leadership to align business priorities with platform capabilities and investment plans.
• Lead the transition from regional and business-unit-specific practices to a globally aligned operating model.

Product Lifecycle & Item Management

• Own global business processes governing item creation, modification, classification, release, and retirement.
• Define item lifecycle requirements that support Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), ERP, manufacturing, sourcing, and service operations.
• Establish governance for product structures, BOM relationships, and product hierarchy definitions.
• Ensure item master processes support Engineering BOMs (EBOMs), Manufacturing BOMs (MBOMs), Service BOMs (SBOMs), and downstream system requirements.
• Drive standardization and simplification of item attributes, classifications, and business rules.

Data Quality & Operational Excellence

• Establish enterprise-wide item data quality standards, metrics, and performance targets.
• Drive initiatives to improve data completeness, accuracy, consistency, and compliance.
• Lead efforts to reduce duplicate items, improve reuse of existing components, and increase standardization across product families.
• Develop monitoring, reporting, and governance mechanisms to identify and resolve data quality issues.
• Partner with engineering, operations, procurement, and service teams to address root causes of recurring data issues.

Cross-Functional Business Leadership

• Lead cross-functional governance forums involving Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Service, Quality, Finance, and IT stakeholders.
• Align business requirements and priorities across regions and product lines.
• Facilitate decision-making related to item standards, naming conventions, classifications, ownership models, and lifecycle policies.
• Act as the primary business representative for enterprise programs impacting product master data.
• Promote accountability and ownership of data within functional organizations.

Digital Transformation & Business Enablement

• Define business requirements for PLM, ERP, MDM, and related digital technology investments.
• Partner with IT and system teams to prioritize enhancements that improve user experience, process efficiency, and data quality.
• Support system implementations, acquisitions, migrations, and global transformation initiatives.
• Ensure item data strategies align with enterprise objectives for digital thread, product traceability, and operational scalability.
• Champion adoption of emerging technologies, including AI-enabled data quality, automation, and governance capabilities.

Organizational Change & Capability Development

• Establish business stewardship and ownership models for the Item Domain.
• Develop training, communications, and change management plans to drive adoption of global standards.
• Build organizational awareness of data governance responsibilities and best practices.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Mentor and develop team members responsible for product data governance and process excellence.

Required Qualifications Experience

• Minimum 10 years of experience in product data management, engineering operations, product lifecycle management, master data governance, or related disciplines.
• Experience leading enterprise-wide process transformation initiatives across multiple functions and regions.
• Demonstrated success establishing governance frameworks, operating models, and business process ownership.
• Experience developing and executing strategic roadmaps spanning people, process, data, and technology.
• Strong track record influencing senior leaders and driving organizational alignment across complex global organizations.
• Experience supporting PLM, ERP, MDM, or product information management initiatives.

Domain Expertise

• Deep understanding of product lifecycle processes, item management, and product data governance.
• Experience with Engineering BOMs, Manufacturing BOMs, Service BOMs, product structures, and configuration management.
• Knowledge of engineering change management, product release processes, and lifecycle governance.
• Understanding of master data governance principles, stewardship models, and data quality management.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, supply chain, and service operations through effective product data management.

Leadership & Communication

• Strong executive presence and ability to influence without direct authority.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and governance bodies.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to translate complex business requirements into actionable strategies and execution plans.
• Demonstrated ability to drive accountability and sustainable organizational change.

Preferred Qualifications

• Manufacturing industry experience within a global enterprise environment.
• Experience leading product data governance, BOM governance, or product lifecycle initiatives.
• Familiarity with PLM platforms, ERP systems, and enterprise MDM solutions.
• Experience establishing global standards and governance models across multiple regions.
• Knowledge of digital thread, configuration management, and engineering data management principles.
• Master's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business Administration, or related field.

The successful candidate will embrace Vertiv’s Core Principals & Behaviors to help execute our Strategic Priorities. 

OUR CORE PRINCIPALS: Safety.  Integrity.  Respect.  Teamwork.  Inclusion.

VERTIV BEHAVIORS

• Own it
• Act with urgency
• Foster a customer-first mindset
• Think big and execute
• Lead by example
• Drive continuous improvement
• Learn and seek out development
• Promote transparent & open communication 

About Vertiv

Vertiv (NYSE: VRT) brings together hardware, software, analytics and ongoing services to enable its customers’ vital applications to run continuously, perform optimally and grow with their business needs.  Vertiv solves the most important challenges facing today’s data centers, communication networks and commercial and industrial facilities with a portfolio of power, cooling and IT infrastructure solutions and services that extend from the cloud to the edge of the network. Headquartered in Westerville, Ohio, USA, Vertiv employs around 34,000 people and does business in more than 130 countries. Visit Vertiv.com to learn more.   

Work Authorization

No calls or agencies please. Vertiv will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States. This is not a position for which sponsorship will be provided. Individuals with temporary visas such as E, F-1, H-1, H-2, L, B, J, or TN or who need sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, are not eligible for hire.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Vertiv is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We promote equal opportunities for all with respect to hiring, terms of employment, mobility, training, compensation, and occupational health, without discrimination as to age, race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity / expression (including transgender status or sexual stereotypes), genetic information, citizenship status, national origin, protected veteran status, political affiliation, or disability. If you have a disability and are having difficulty accessing or using this website to apply for a position, you can request help by sending an email to [email protected].

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