Data Governance Manager

Summary

In Places, we don’t sit back and let things happen, we make things happen, and we do this in service to all Apple employees and customers. Our team is a diverse and nimble group that manages Apple’s retail stores, workplaces, and workplace services. We develop and manage Apple’s global real estate portfolio, lead all related capital construction projects, provide outstanding facilities and site services, develop and lead sustainability initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of all Apple facilities, including commute and renewable energy programs, and do everything we can to ensure the health and safety of all Apple personnel, facilities, and customers in our facilities around the world.

Come join our Places Operations Team, connecting people, tools, and services to enable our teams to do their life’s best work. You will have a meaningful role in transforming spaces into our corporate offices and maintain the high quality services expected at Apple. Our goal is to ensure these workplaces run smoothly, so everyone at Apple can focus on what they do best. Join us, and together, we’ll make it possible for Apple’s physical spaces to reflect the same simplicity and style as our products.

We are seeking an experienced, collaborative, self-driven person to join our team as a Data Governance Manager to lead the development of a data governance and data quality foundation across multiple Business Units (BUs) within our Places organization, enabling our broader AI transformation strategy. This role is focused on strategy definition, process optimization, cross-functional coordination at scale, and execution.

Description

Imagine shaping the future of data-driven decision making across Apple’s Places portfolio. As a Data Governance Manager, you will lead initiatives that ensure our data is trusted, well-governed, and fit for purpose at scale. At Apple, your leadership will enable high-quality insights that power strategic planning, operational excellence, and long-term portfolio decisions. Join us to build the foundations that allow our spaces—and the data behind them—to reflect the simplicity, accuracy, and excellence of Apple products.

Responsibilities

• Establish and execute a Places-wide data governance and quality strategy across multiple BUs, transforming fragmented spatial and location data into trusted, high-integrity assets optimized for analytics and AI ingestion.
• Define scalable data quality standards at the BU level and partner closely with engineering and product teams to implement and operationalize a unified, enterprise-wide data glossary.
• Create proactive governance systems that continuously monitor data integrity, data quality, and access controls, collaborating directly with engineering partners through technical execution.
• Author and implement organizational governance playbooks that establish clear roles and responsibilities across teams, ensuring data governance standards are embedded into end-to-end project planning, execution, and delivery.
• Foster and maintain strong partnerships across BUs, PMO, and Engineering teams to identify critical data challenges, align on priorities, and manage day-to-day program delivery, schedules, and risk mitigation.

Minimum Qualifications

• 10–15+ years of experience in data analytics, enterprise data strategy, and execution
• 3+ years of specialized experience in data governance, data quality frameworks, and AI-readiness transformation.
• Proven track record of leading complex, cross-functional initiatives within large-scale organizations.
• Hands-on experience guiding Generative AI adoption, establishing enterprise data foundations while enforcing security, compliance, and responsible AI practices.
• Robust program management capabilities, with deep expertise in risk management, prioritization, and orchestrating multiple concurrent, high-visibility workstreams.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with a proven ability to translate complex technical data and AI architectures into clear business outcomes for leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated success leading digital transformations and data platform modernizations, and scalable governance workflows.
• Degree or Certification in Business Analytics, Data Science, or an equivalent data discipline.
• Experience partnering closely with Engineering teams to operationalize governance through technology and platforms.
• Strong program management skills, including dependency management and risk mitigation.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on leadership and execution.
• Thinks critically and creatively about how to regularly improve process and operations.
• A born collaborator, able to thrive in ambiguity.