Position Summary:

We are seeking a hands-on product data leader to join our eCommerce Solutions team as Senior Manager, Data Governance & Taxonomy. This role will own the development and enforcement of data governance policies, lead taxonomy strategy and expansion, and ensure scalable, high-quality data practices to support AD’s digital product data network across multiple industries. 

Working collaboratively with the Product Content Manager and reporting to the Director, Product Content Management, this position plays a key role in ensuring that AD’s product taxonomy and data governance practices evolve to meet the needs of our 200+ independent distributor members. The Senior Manager will guide the strategy for product taxonomy governance, product data structure expansion, and scalable product data management policies plus will roll up their sleeves to execute hands-on analysis. The ideal candidate will bring deep experience in product data quality management, digital product taxonomy, and Product Information Management (PIM) platforms paired with the ability to bridge strategy and execution to deliver trusted, scalable product data solutions.

This role is focused on hands-on product taxonomy, attribute-level data governance, and content quality at the SKU level; it is not centered on enterprise data architecture, BI platforms, analytics reporting, or large-scale governance tool implementations.

Primary Responsibilities: 

1. Taxonomy Strategy & Expansion: Lead product data taxonomy expansion efforts to support new industry verticals and evolving member needs. Own the evolution and maintenance of AD’s product taxonomy and attribute schema. Collaborate with supplier and member data teams and industry experts to enrich and optimize classification logic.
2. Data Governance Leadership: Define, implement and enforce product data governance policies across taxonomy, attributes, normalization and classification. Develop and maintain documentation for data standards, metadata rules, and governance playbooks. Conduct regular data integrity audits and system health checks across product content platforms. Partner with internal and external teams to ensure consistent adherence to AD data models and rules.
3. Member Enablement & Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with the Product Content Manager and Technical Product Specialists to analyze product data gaps, improve classification accuracy and attribute coverage, and align on SKU build strategy to ensure overall product data readiness. Represent governance and taxonomy requirements in internal and external stakeholder meetings. Respond to internal and member product data requests with accurate insights and deliverables.
4. Technical Execution: Be comfortable working directly in the data—using SQL to audit, analyze, and resolve classification and attribute issues. Support automation and data improvement efforts through SQL (and Python when applicable), and lead quality assurance processes for taxonomy updates and new vertical launches.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

1. Deep knowledge of product taxonomy, metadata standards, and product data quality practices.

2. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and documentation skills.

3. Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to represent governance and taxonomy requirements to both technical and business stakeholders.

4. Advanced proficiency in SQL for auditing, analysis, and troubleshooting.

5. Familiarity with Python (e.g., Pandas, transformation logic) strongly preferred for automation and enrichment.

6. Hands-on experience with PIM systems (Enterworks strongly preferred) and content syndication workflows.

Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Information Science, Library Science, Data Science, Business Analytics, or a related field (advanced degree a plus).

2. Equivalent professional experience in product taxonomy development, metadata standards, knowledge organization, or data governance will also be considered.

3. 7–8+ years of professional experience in data governance, product taxonomy, digital product data management, or closely related disciplines.

4. Demonstrated experience leading product taxonomy strategy and governance frameworks, preferably in B2B, distribution, or product data–driven industries.

5. Proven track record of cross-functional leadership, working with product, supplier, and member-facing teams.

Additional Comments:

• Candidates located within approximately 1.5 hours of our Wayne, PA office are expected to follow a hybrid schedule, working onsite Tuesday through Thursday and remotely on Mondays and Fridays. Standard hours are 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Candidates residing outside of this commuting radius may be considered for a fully remote arrangement
• Travel: Annually up to 10% of the time for company meetings and events, including quarterly visits to the Wayne office if remote

AD is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. Qualified candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, military or veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. At AD, we support a collaborative and inclusive environment. We value open participation from individuals with different ideas, experiences, and perspectives which we believe make AD a better place to work.