Governance, Data Quality & AI Readiness Data Specialist

Career Area: Job Description: Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc. When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it. Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc. Our common values and focus on inclusion and respect drive the decisions made by our company, teams and people. This is why we are committed to hiring and building diverse teams representative of the customers we serve globally. When you join our team, you can apply your unique life and job experiences and work in an environment where your ideas are heard, your contributions are celebrated, and your whole-self matters. When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it. About Cat Financial Cat Financial is a subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. For more than 40 years, Cat Financial has provided a wide range of financing solutions to customers and Cat® dealers for machines, engines, Solar® gas turbines, genuine Cat parts and services. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Cat Financial serves customers globally with offices and subsidiaries located throughout North and South America, Asia, Australia, Europe and Africa. Visit to learn more about Cat Financial. The Role: The Governance, Data Quality & AI Readiness Lead will play a critical role within the Data & AI Solutions team, establishing and operationalizing trusted, governed, and high-quality enterprise data that enables Customer 360, Master Data Management (MDM), data products, analytics, regulatory compliance, and emerging AI capabilities. This position serves as a bridge between business stakeholders, technology teams, Compliance, Legal, Risk, and Enterprise Governance functions to ensure enterprise data is governed, trusted, and ready to support strategic business and AI-enabled outcomes. The successful candidate will combine strategic thinking with hands-on execution, helping mature governance and data quality capabilities while simplifying, automating, and scaling processes through modern technologies and operating models. What You Will Do: Enterprise Data Governance & Stewardship Operationalize enterprise data governance standards, policies, ownership models, and stewardship processes. Facilitate data ownership, stewardship, accountability, and governance activities across business domains. Partner with Compliance, Legal, Risk, Privacy, and Information Security teams to implement governance controls and privacy requirements. Support compliance with applicable frameworks including GDPR, CCPA, GLBA, records management, data retention, and internal governance standards. Drive data classification, sensitive data management, retention, consent, and authorized data usage practices. Support governance councils, issue management, audit readiness, and governance maturity initiatives. Data Quality Management & Controls Define, implement, and monitor data quality controls, scorecards, KPIs, and critical data elements. Investigate data quality issues, perform root-cause analysis, and coordinate sustainable remediation. Establish quality rules, thresholds, monitoring processes, and exception management workflows. Expand automated monitoring and data observability capabilities to proactively identify issues. Promote shift-left quality practices that improve data quality at the source. Customer 360 & Master Data Management Partner with Customer 360 and MDM teams to support trusted customer data management practices. Define governance and quality requirements supporting identity resolution, match/merge, survivorship, and Golden Record processes. Improve consistency and interoperability across customer, dealer, and enterprise data domains. Establish governance controls supporting trusted master data assets and Customer 360 initiatives. Metadata, Lineage & Trusted Data Foundation Expand metadata management, data lineage, business glossary, and data catalog capabilities. Improve discoverability , transparency, ownership, and usability of enterprise data assets. Develop and maintain lineage documentation, critical data element inventories, business glossaries, and governance artifacts. Partner with Architecture and Engineering teams to embed governance controls into data platforms and delivery pipelines. Automation & Process Modernization Identify opportunities to simplify, automate, and scale governance, stewardship, and data quality processes. Implement workflow automation that reduces manual effort and improves governance efficiency. Support governance workflows including approvals, issue management, access reviews, and policy administration. Leverage Power Platform, Snowflake, APIs, AI-enabled tools, and workflow technologies to modernize operations. AI Readiness & AI Governance Establish trusted, governed data assets that support AI and advanced analytics initiatives. Support AI readiness assessments and AI governance programs across priority business domains. Partner with Data Science, Engineering, and AI teams to improve lineage, provenance, data quality, and traceability. Help define controls supporting AI model input quality, explainability, auditability, and responsible AI practices. Ensure enterprise data can be leveraged safely and effectively for future AI-enabled solutions. Basic Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Information Systems , Computer Science, Data Analytics, Business, Engineering, or related discipline. 5+ years of experience in Data Governance, Data Quality, Data Management, MDM, Business Intelligence, Analytics, or Information Management disciplines. Experience working with business stakeholders and technical teams to solve complex data challenges. Experience documenting business requirements, policies, standards, business rules, controls, and governance processes. Experience with SQL and data analysis techniques. Strong communication , facilitation, and stakeholder management skills. Preferred Qualifications Experience with Data Governance, Data Quality, Metadata Management, Data Stewardship, MDM, or Information Management programs. Experience supporting Customer 360, Golden Record, or customer master data initiatives . Experience working within Financial Services or other regulated industries. Knowledge of GDPR, CCPA, GLBA, privacy, compliance, records management, and risk management practices. Experience supporting enterprise data strategy, data products, analytics, AI, or digital transformation initiatives. Understanding of Responsible AI, AI Governance, and AI Readiness concepts. Technical Stack & Tools Data & Analytics: Snowflake, SQL, Power BI, and Python Governance & Metadata: Informatica, Collibra, Alation, data catalogs, metadata repositories, lineage, and business glossary solutions Automation & Integration: Power Platform, APIs, workflow automation tools, Azure DevOps, and GitHub Data Quality & Observability: Data profiling tools, data quality monitoring solutions, data observability platforms, and control and exception management frameworks Additional Information: This role is on site 5 days per week based in the Nashville, TN. Compensation & Benefits: Summary Pay Range: $94,728.00 - $151,572.00 Compensation and benefits offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, job level, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance and experience. Please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Caterpillar. Benefits Subject to plan eligibility, terms, and guidelines. This is a summary list of benefits. Medical, dental, and vision benefits* Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holidays, Volunteer, etc.)* 401(k) savings plans* Health Savings Account (HSA)* Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)* Health Lifestyle Programs* Employee Assistance Program* Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts* Career Development* Incentive bonus* Disability benefits Life Insurance Parental leave Adoption benefits Tuition Reimbursement * These benefits also apply to part-time employees This Job Description is intended as a general guide to the job duties for this position and is intended for the purpose of establishing the specific salary grade. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as an exhaustive summary of all responsibilities, duties and effort required of employees assigned to this job. At the discretion of management, this description may be changed at any time to address the evolving needs of the organization. It is expressly not intended to be a comprehensive list of “essential job functions” as that term is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. This position requires working onsite five days a week. Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position. Posting Dates: September 10, 2026 - September 17, 2026 Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen. Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply. Not ready to apply? Join our Talent Community .