Data Management Officer

About the Role

We are looking for a seasoned Data Management Officer to join our Information Technology team based in Dubai. Reporting directly to the Head of IT, this role will oversee the organisation's comprehensive data landscape across multiple business units and systems. Core responsibilities include data mapping, lineage tracking, governance, retention policies, data protection, and reporting requirements.

The successful candidate will blend strong practical expertise in managing data with a deep understanding of data governance and privacy laws such as UAE PDPL. Additionally, this role will contribute to supporting our AI initiatives by evaluating data maturity, quality, structure, accessibility, and readiness for AI-driven applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a detailed inventory capturing data locations, structures, and usage across multiple entities and applications.
• Document comprehensive end-to-end data flows and lineage covering APIs, integrations, batch jobs, and exports.
• Create and update data governance documentation including inventories, dictionaries, Records of Processing Activities (ROPA), retention schedules, and data transfer registries.
• Manage and describe the full data lifecycle encompassing archival, retention, deletion, backup, and replication processes.
• Utilize SQL and data modeling skills to validate and analyze datasets, understand relational keys and entities, and identify aggregation limitations.
• Assist the Data Protection Officer with compliance activities such as conducting Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) and ensuring adherence to data privacy laws.
• Implement data protection principles concerning lawful basis, consent management, retention policies, and international data transfers focusing on UAE PDPL compliance.
• Advise on data reporting by selecting relevant data sources and methods, while recognizing data constraints.
• Support the advancement of AI and large language model (LLM) capabilities by assessing associated data quality, governance, and accessibility.
• Collaborate effectively with business units, IT teams, and vendors to troubleshoot data-related challenges and align with regulatory and operational requirements.

Candidate Profile

• Holder of a Bachelor’s degree in Information Management, Data Science, Computer Science, Information Technology, Law, Business, or a similar field.
• Between five and eight years of applicable experience, including a minimum of three years engaging directly with enterprise data.
• Hands-on experience in data governance frameworks and privacy compliance.
• Proficient in SQL and capable of understanding complex business application data models.
• Experienced in developing and managing detailed data inventories, dictionaries, lineage mapping, and retention schedules.
• Familiar with comprehensive data protection regulations such as UAE PDPL, GDPR, DIFC, or ADGM.
• Excellent analytical abilities complemented by strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Capable of working independently across various departments while managing competing priorities efficiently.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Microsoft’s data technologies including Dataverse, Dynamics 365, Synapse Link, Power BI, and Microsoft Purview.
• Familiarity with Azure Data Factory, Logic Apps, or Power Automate.
• Knowledge of data cataloguing and lineage tools.
• Proficiency in Power BI and DAX for data analytics.
• Basic Python skills for data profiling tasks.
• Exposure to AI and LLM data readiness and enablement.
• Experience managing vendors and Data Processing Agreements (DPAs).
• Understanding of real estate or investment sector data.
• Project management capabilities.
• Arabic language proficiency is a plus.

Additional Information

This opportunity is ideal for individuals who combine operational data expertise with governance and data privacy skills and are eager to influence the data and AI evolution within an organisation.