Director, Marketing Data Program Management

**THIS IS A 6-MONTH CONTRACT ENGAGEMENT THAT MIGHT BECOME PERMANENT**

 

We are seeking a seasoned, executive-minded Director of Marketing Data Program Management to lead one of the most consequential data transformation efforts in our organization. This individual will serve as the central orchestrator — the single point of program gravity — across our Marketing, Technology, and Analytics organizations, bringing clarity, cadence, and momentum to a complex portfolio of marketing data initiatives. 

Operating at the intersection of business strategy and technical execution, you will establish the operating model, governance structures, and decision-making frameworks that allow our marketing data program to scale. You will work shoulder-to-shoulder with VP and C-suite stakeholders, steering committees, and cross-functional teams — translating ambiguity into action and competing priorities into a defensible, living roadmap. 

This role demands a leader who thrives in complex, matrixed environments; who earns credibility with both business and technical audiences; and who is motivated not by managing tasks, but by driving outcomes that matter. 

 

Key Responsibilities 

Governance & Decision Enablement 

• Own and lead the monthly Marketing Data Decision Forum — engaging Marketing, Technology, and Analytics leadership to surface decisions, document outcomes, and drive follow-through with accountability. 

• Design and maintain decision frameworks governing data sources, identity resolution, profile management, and campaign dependencies, including explicit ownership assignment where ambiguity exists. 

• Establish a formal intake and evaluation process for new data requests, replacing ad hoc submission with structured, defensible routing and prioritization. 

• Proactively identify, escalate, and manage risks, blockers, and tradeoffs before they impact delivery — keeping executive stakeholders informed and decisions ahead of issues. 

 

Program Oversight & Roadmap Leadership 

• Maintain a single, continuously updated view of the entire in-flight data initiative portfolio — encompassing status, ownership, dependencies, and sequencing across parallel workstreams. 

• Synthesize input from Marketing, Technology, and Analytics teams into a coherent, living roadmap explicitly connected to business value outcomes — not just delivery milestones. 

• Communicate program status, priority shifts, and strategic implications to executive and working-level audiences with the context and confidence of a trusted advisor. 

• Partner with delivery teams to ensure alignment on priorities, expected outcomes, and work sequencing — promoting consistent, repeatable program management standards across the organization. 

• Produce and maintain the authoritative program artifacts: initiative portfolio, governance and cadence documentation, risk and decision logs, and executive communications. 

 

Executive Stakeholder Engagement 

• Lead steering committee preparation, facilitation, and follow-through — ensuring executive stakeholders are equipped to make decisions and act with confidence. 

• Build trusted relationships across VP and C-suite levels, operating as a credible, objective voice capable of navigating organizational dynamics and competing agendas. 

• Translate technical complexity into executive-ready narratives — bridging the language gap between data and engineering teams and business leadership. 

 

Required Qualifications 

• 8+ years of progressive experience in enterprise program management, product management, or strategic operations — with a demonstrated track record of leading complex, cross-functional programs at scale. 

• Proven experience owning governance structures, decision forums, and executive-level communications in large, matrixed organizations. 

• Strong business and technical fluency — capable of engaging credibly with both marketing and data/engineering teams without being dependent on either. 

• Demonstrated ability to build and manage a living program roadmap across multiple parallel workstreams, balancing competing priorities against business outcomes. 

• Experience operating in ambiguous, high-stakes environments where structure doesn't yet exist — and the ability to create it. 

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level storytelling, stakeholder briefings, and structured documentation. 

• Experience with data platforms, marketing technology ecosystems (CRM, CDP, identity resolution, campaign management), or large-scale digital transformation programs. 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Information Systems, or related field; advanced degree or MBA preferred. 

 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience in a consulting, advisory, or client-embedded capacity — particularly supporting enterprise transformations from within a client organization. 

• Familiarity with Azure DevOps, Airtable, or similar program management and portfolio visibility tooling. 

• Background in hospitality, travel, financial services, or other high-volume B2C industries with complex MarTech and data ecosystems. 

• Exposure to data governance frameworks, data product thinking, or modern data architecture (e.g., medallion architecture, data mesh, CDP integration). 

• PMP, PgMP, SAFe, or equivalent program management certification. 

 

Key Traits & Success Profile 

The ideal candidate is not defined by their title — they are defined by their impact. We are looking for someone who: 

• Quarterbacks without a playbook — able to bring order to ambiguous, fast-moving environments through structure, communication, and calm under pressure. 

• Earns trust on both sides of the aisle — equally credible with a CMO and a data architect, translating freely between strategy and execution. 

• Drives decisions, not just discussions — knows how to create the conditions where choices get made, documented, and acted upon. 

• Leads through influence, not authority — able to align competing stakeholders and sustain momentum without direct control over delivery teams. 

• Sees the whole board — proactively surfaces dependencies, risks, and tradeoffs across the full portfolio, not just the workstream in front of them. 

• Communicates with precision and presence — confident preparing and delivering executive briefings, and equally effective writing a sharp one-page summary. 

• Owns outcomes, not outputs — focused on business impact and program health, not just hitting milestones or producing deliverables.