Associate Director, Metadata and Semantics Lead

About the role

Novartis is looking for an Associate Director, Metadata and Semantics Lead in East Hanover, New Jersey. You will shape the enterprise data ecosystem by driving metadata excellence across certified data products, data models and critical business assets, working with data governance, engineering, quality and analytics leaders so that data is trusted, transparent, reusable and ready for AI. The role is onsite at the East Hanover site, though remote work may be possible subject to restrictions; there is no relocation support and no visa sponsorship.

Key responsibilities

• Define and advance enterprise metadata standards, frameworks, policies and operating practices.
• Lead metadata capture, curation, validation and lifecycle management across enterprise data assets.
• Set metadata requirements for certified data products and AI-ready datasets.
• Ensure accurate documentation of ownership, lineage, classifications, quality rules and business definitions.
• Partner with data modeling teams to align metadata with enterprise data structures and relationships.
• Work with data governance and stewardship teams to improve data transparency and trust.
• Drive automation of metadata ingestion, lineage capture and catalog synchronization.
• Support data product certification through validation of metadata completeness and readiness standards.
• Lead metadata issue resolution, root cause analysis, remediation tracking and stakeholder communication.
• Champion data discoverability, reuse and adoption of data catalog capabilities.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Data Management, Information Systems, Computer Science, Analytics, Engineering or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in metadata management, data governance, data catalog implementation, data stewardship, data architecture or related data roles.
• Experience supporting enterprise data catalog, business glossary, lineage, data product or data governance programs.
• Experience partnering with business and technical stakeholders to define metadata standards and improve data discoverability.

Desirable requirements

• Advanced degree or professional certification in data management, data governance, cloud technologies or data architecture.
• Experience in complex, regulated or enterprise-scale data environments.

What we offer

• Expected salary range of $152,600 to $283,400 per year, with a performance-based cash incentive and possible eligibility for annual equity awards.
• US-based eligible employees receive health, life and disability benefits, a 401(k) with company contribution and match, and a time-off package including vacation, personal days and holidays.