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US - VA, McLean, United States of America
Onsite
Job Family:
Data Engineering & Architecture Consulting
Travel Required:
Clearance Required:
The Metadata / Data Cataloging Lead (Managing Consultant) leads and executes enterprise metadata baselining and catalog operationalization, with deep hands-on responsibility for configuring and using data catalog platforms to deliver measurable improvements in data discoverability, metadata quality, governance workflows, lineage, and semantic search. Building on structured metadata intake and validation, this role goes further by driving implementation-level outcomes: establishing catalog operating models, configuring metadata schemas and stewardship workflows, integrating technical metadata harvesting, and improving search relevance through semantic enrichment (e.g., taxonomy/ontology alignment, synonyms, knowledge-graph relationships, and catalog curation practices).
This role also leads hands-on evaluation and selection of catalog solutions (AoA) and supports pilots that prove capabilities such as semantic search, catalog population, and lineage visualization—producing evidence-based findings and decision-quality recommendations aligned to client priorities.
Key Responsibilities
1) Lead structured metadata intake, normalization, and enterprise baselining
Lead and perform in-person/virtual interviews and working sessions with system owners, data stewards, custodians, and SMEs to capture and normalize technical, business, operational, and security metadata into catalog-ready records.
Own completeness and consistency checks; drive discrepancy resolution and steward validation cycles; ensure records are ready for ingestion and ongoing maintenance.
2) Configure and operationalize catalog capabilities
Configure catalog structures and operating patterns: domains, asset types, metadata templates, certification/attestation workflows, stewardship roles, approval gates, and change control.
Define and operationalize metadata quality controls (required attributes, validation rules, refresh cadence, auditability) and establish an evidence trail for governance reporting.
Partner with engineering teams to implement integration patterns (connectors/APIs) sufficient to support ingestion/harvesting, lineage capture, and role-based access constructs.
3) Semantic search enablement
Lead and execute semantic search enablement across the catalog by implementing and curating:
taxonomy/ontology alignment, business glossary harmonization, synonym mapping, and semantic tagging protocols
search relevance improvements via metadata enrichment and curated relationships (e.g., knowledge-graph style linking)
measurement of search quality (precision/recall proxies, click-through, “time-to-find,” zero-result queries, adoption metrics)
Support evaluation and demonstration of semantic search and discovery maturity (natural language queries, faceted discovery, ranking relevance, and cross-domain linking) as required by client objectives.
4) Lead AoA / tool evaluation and selection
Lead structured evaluations of catalog solutions (discovery, glossary, lineage, workflow, UX, APIs, security/access, vendor support), including demo scripting, evidence capture, gap analysis, and comparative scoring inputs.
Produce decision-quality artifacts (evidence logs, comparison matrices, tradeoff synthesis, recommendation inputs) and facilitate stakeholder workshops to converge on priorities.
5) Governance pilots, lifecycle workflows, and federated readiness
Lead governance and lifecycle pilots: federated stewardship readiness (role clarity, escalation, audit traceability) and data product lifecycle workflows (publish/discover/change control/versioning/SLA/deprecate).
Support catalog population sequencing and lineage validation approaches that demonstrate traceability and refresh cadence across systems/data products.
6) Delivery leadership and stakeholder management
Own workplan execution for the metadata/catalog workstream, including milestone management, RAID tracking, and stakeholder coordination; coach junior analysts on intake standards and catalog hygiene.
Prepare and deliver crisp status reporting and executive-ready readouts focused on outcomes (coverage, quality, adoption, time-to-discover, and backlog reduction).
What You Will Need:
US Citizenship required
Must be able to OBTAIN and MAINTAIN a Federal or DoD “PUBLIC TRUST”. Candidates with an ACTIVE SECRET CLEARANCE OR PUBLIC TRUST or suitability are preferred.
8+ years of experience in data governance, metadata management, and/or enterprise data cataloging in complex environments (federal/regulated preferred).
Bachelor’s degree obtained.
Ability to meet the project’s client security and access requirements.
Demonstrated, hands-on experience delivering enterprise metadata baselines and operationalizing catalog workflows (intake, normalization, validation, publishing and stewardship sustainment).
Hands-on proficiency with one or more leading catalog/metadata platforms (e.g., Collibra, Alation, Microsoft Purview, Informatica Axon/EDC), including configuration of workflows / templates and support for integration/harvesting concepts.
Working knowledge of metadata standards and structuring approaches (e.g., ISO/IEC 11179, DCAT-US) and practical application of schema categories (technical, business, operational, security).
Demonstrated experience implementing or enabling semantic search / enhanced discovery in a catalog context (semantic tagging, glossary alignment, taxonomy/ontology, synonym management, and measurable relevance improvements).
Working proficiency with SQL and comfort with APIs/integration patterns sufficient to partner with engineering and interpret technical artifacts.
Delivery leadership experience in structured delivery (Agile preferred), including ownership of workstream plans, risks/issues, and stakeholder-ready documentation.
Tool certification/training (required): Vendor-provided certification or formal training credential in at least one enterprise data catalog product. Collibra / Alation / Purview / Informatica or comparable), with ability to demonstrate applied use in delivery.
Strong client-facing communication skills: ability to lead interviews/workshops, resolve definition disputes, and translate technical metadata into business-consumable forms.
What Would Be Nice to Have:
Led or co-led AoA / procurement support for catalog selection (criteria, weighting, demo scripts, evidence logs, scoring model, recommendation).
Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Data/Information Management, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
Experience implementing or tuning catalog search/discovery features (facets, ranking signals, curated collections, certified datasets, knowledge-graph relationships, usage analytics).
Familiarity with federated cataloging patterns and metadata exchange concepts (synchronization, reconciliation checks, refresh cadence, versioning/auditability).
Experience in regulated environments (healthcare preferred) and with metadata classification concepts related to PHI/PII/CUI and audit-oriented documentation.
Relevant credentials (e.g., DAMA/CDMP) or formal training in data governance, metadata management, taxonomy/ontology, or information architecture.
Experience building interim metadata workflows in SharePoint/PowerApps/Power Automate or similar low-code tools used for capture/validation.
What We Offer:
Guidehouse offers a comprehensive, total rewards package that includes competitive compensation and a flexible benefits package that reflects our commitment to creating a diverse and supportive workplace.
Benefits include:
Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance
Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays
Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus
Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance
401(k) Retirement Plan
Basic Life & Supplemental Life
Health Savings Account, Dental/Vision & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
Student Loan PayDown
Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development & Learning Opportunities
Skills Development & Certifications
Employee Referral Program
Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach
Emergency Back-Up Childcare Program
Mobility Stipend
About Guidehouse
Guidehouse is an Equal Opportunity Employer–Protected Veterans, Individuals with Disabilities or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.
Guidehouse will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law or ordinance including the Fair Chance Ordinance of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
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