Master Data Management & Operations Director

Master Data Management & Operations Director

BP&AD Reporting & Information Solutions

Full Time, Hybrid

Springfield, MA or Boston, MA

The Opportunity

As the Master Data Management & Operations Director, you will lead the build-out and ongoing operation of MassMutual’s Distribution Master Data Management (MDM) capability. This role is responsible for establishing the people, processes, stewardship routines, data standards, and technology partnerships needed to deliver trusted master data across critical business domains, including Product, Party, Advisor, Account, Contract, and related reference data.

This is both a capability-building and operating leadership role. You will define the MDM strategy, target operating model, and roadmap while also ensuring day-to-day data stewardship, issue management, data quality monitoring, domain health reporting, and remediation processes operate effectively.

As a hands-on leader of this newly established function, you will build and develop a high-performing team of data governance and stewardship professionals while partnering across Distribution, Data & Analytics, and Technology organizations to establish enterprise data standards, ownership models, stewardship practices, and MDM capabilities.

The Impact

You will help establish a new MDM and data support function that improves how Distribution defines, manages, monitors, and uses critical master data. Your work will strengthen confidence in the data used for reporting, analytics, planning, digital experiences, customer and advisor insights, and operational execution.

Partnering closely with business and technology leaders, you will drive data quality, governance adoption, and MDM platform evolution to improve operational efficiency, support enterprise transformation initiatives, and advance the organization's data maturity.  By balancing strategy with operational execution, you will help move the organization from fragmented, manually reconciled data toward more consistent, governed, and business-owned master data.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Organizational Leadership & Team Development

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing MDM, data stewardship, and data operations team.
• Establish team priorities, operating routines, service expectations, and measures of success aligned to Distribution business objectives.
• Develop team capabilities across data stewardship, issue management, data quality, business requirements, governance operations, and stakeholder engagement.
• Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

MDM Strategy, Governance & Operating Model

• Define and execute the Distribution MDM strategy, roadmap, operating model, and adoption plan.
• Establish practical data ownership, stewardship roles, decision rights, standards, and accountability across core master data domains.
• Create repeatable processes for managing data definitions, source-of-truth expectations, hierarchy structures, reference data, domain inventories, and critical data elements.
• Partner with business leaders to resolve ownership conflicts, clarify data standards, and align MDM priorities to business outcomes.

Data Stewardship & Master Data Operations

• Lead day-to-day stewardship activities across assigned master data domains, including Product, Party, Advisor, Account, Contract, and reference data.
• Oversee data issue intake, triage, root cause analysis, exception management, remediation planning, and business escalation.
• Maintain stewardship procedures, business glossaries, data standards, domain documentation, ownership records, and operational playbooks.
• Coordinate recurring stewardship reviews, domain health reporting, issue management routines, and operational performance tracking.

MDM Platform & Technology Partnership

• Partner with Technology, Architecture, Engineering, and implementation partners to define business requirements, data models, matching rules, survivorship logic, hierarchies, workflows, and operating controls.
• Support MDM platform implementation, testing, adoption, operational readiness, and ongoing enhancement.
• Ensure Distribution data standards, stewardship workflows, and business rules are reflected in systems, integrations, reporting platforms, and downstream data products.
• Represent business needs in technology delivery while ensuring solutions are operationally sustainable.

Data Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Establish data quality measures, scorecards, controls, thresholds, and monitoring routines for critical master data elements.
• Drive improvements in data accuracy, consistency, completeness, timeliness, usability, and trust.
• Identify recurring data defects, manual reconciliation needs, and operational pain points, then lead cross-functional remediation efforts.
• Promote continuous improvement by strengthening controls, reducing repeat issues, and improving upstream data capture and maintenance practices.

Change Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead stakeholder engagement, communications, and training activities that support adoption of MDM, stewardship, and data quality practices.
• Help business users understand their role in maintaining trusted master data and using governed data assets.
• Communicate progress, risks, adoption metrics, data quality outcomes, and operational health to senior business and technology stakeholders.
• Promote a mindset that treats master data as a shared business asset requiring active ownership and stewardship.

The Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in Master Data Management, Data Stewardship, Data Quality, Data Governance, Information Management, or related data management disciplines.
• 3+ years of people leadership experience, including leading, coaching, developing, and managing teams.
• 3+ years of experience building, scaling, or operating data stewardship, MDM, data quality, or data governance capabilities in a complex organization.

The Ideal Qualifications

• Experience standing up a new MDM, stewardship, data operations, or governance function.
• Experience managing Product, Advisor, Party, Account, Contract, Customer, or reference data domains.
• Experience managing day-to-day data quality issues, data issue triage, root cause analysis, remediation planning, and stakeholder escalation.
• Experience establishing business data standards, ownership models, stewardship routines, operating procedures, and data quality measures.
• Experience partnering with technology teams to define business requirements, workflows, controls, data models, and platform capabilities.
• Experience implementing, supporting, or enhancing an MDM or data governance platform.
• Experience partnering with technology teams to define business requirements, controls, workflows, and data management solutions.
• Experience creating domain health reporting, data quality scorecards, business glossaries, critical data element inventories, or stewardship playbooks.
• Experience leading operational data issue management, data remediation routines, or business data support processes.
• Financial services, insurance, wealth management, asset management, or distribution experience.

What You Can Expect at MassMutual  

MassMutual offers the opportunity to do meaningful work within a purpose-driven organization that values long-term impact over short-term outcomes. In this role, you can expect:

•  Clear areas of ownership and accountability, with work that connects directly to company and customer outcomes 
•  A collaborative environment where perspectives are welcomed  
• Access to learning, development, and internal networks that support continuous growth and skill-building over time 
• Employee-led communities and forums that foster connection, learning, and inclusion across the organization 
• A culture grounded in integrity, responsibility, and stewardship—supported by a company with a strong legacy and a future-focused mindset

#LI-BO1

Salary Range:

At MassMutual, we focus on ensuring fair equitable pay, by providing competitive salaries, along with incentive and bonus opportunities for all employees. Your total compensation package includes either a bonus target or in a sales-focused role a Variable Incentive Compensation component.

Why Join Us.

We’ve been around since 1851. During our history, we’ve learned a few things about making sure our customers are our top priority. In order to meet and exceed their expectations, we must have the best people providing the best thinking, products and services. To accomplish this, we celebrate an inclusive, vibrant and diverse culture that encourages growth, openness and opportunities for everyone. A career with MassMutual means you will be part of a strong, stable and ethical business with industry leading pay and benefits. And your voice will always be heard.

We help people secure their future and protect the ones they love. As a company owned by our policyowners, we are defined by mutuality and our vision to put customers first. It’s more than our company structure – it’s our way of life. We are a company of people protecting people. Our company exists because people are willing to share risk and resources, and rely on each other when it counts. At MassMutual, we Live Mutual.

MassMutual is an equal employment opportunity employer. We welcome all persons to apply.

If you need an accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us and share the specifics of the assistance you need.

At MassMutual, we focus on ensuring fair, equitable pay by providing competitive salaries, along with incentive and bonus opportunities for all employees.  Your total compensation package includes either a bonus target or in a sales-focused role a Variable Incentive Compensation component.  For more information about our extensive benefits offerings please check out our Total Rewards at a Glance.