Global Data Steward

About WPP

WPP is a leading global partner for brand growth, integrating advanced media intelligence, innovative data solutions, creative excellence, and strategic enterprise services. Operating in over 100 markets worldwide, WPP combines global reach with local expertise to help clients navigate evolving markets and achieve transformative growth. The company's culture emphasizes creativity, inclusiveness, and continuous professional development, fostering exciting career opportunities.

Role Overview

We are looking for a skilled and detail-focused Global Data Steward based in Chennai, India, to support WPP Media’s worldwide Master Data Management (MDM) program. This crucial position is responsible for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of Golden Master Data across domains such as Clients, Media, and Suppliers using the internal AI-assisted Matrix MDM tool.

Key Responsibilities

• Examine, validate, and ensure approval of AI-generated data mapping suggestions in the Matrix platform.
• Evaluate AI recommendations critically to confirm they accurately represent business entities without causing duplication or hierarchy errors.
• Apply global naming conventions, data models, and standards consistently.
• Authorize new master data entries across various domains like Client, Media, and Supplier.
• Drive engagement with local, market, and finance teams to complete data mappings, clarify missing information, and correct poor or inconsistent data submissions.
• Reject or return data requests that lack completeness or justification, maintaining high data quality standards.
• Own end-to-end stewardship processes to prevent workflow bottlenecks or delays due to pending local actions.
• Provide constructive feedback to enhance AI-assisted mastering and stewardship workflows over time.
• Act as a guardian of data quality, consistency, and usability within the enterprise.
• Collaborate closely with Local Data Stewards, Finance, Product, and Platform teams to align standards and expectations.
• Enforce data governance policies, approval chains, and escalation protocols effectively.
• Escalate complex or disputed data issues to governance forums when necessary.
• Maintain clear, auditable, and transparent documentation of all stewardship decisions.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Proven experience in Master Data Management, data stewardship, governance, or data quality roles, preferably within global or multi-market environments.
• Deep understanding of master data concepts including golden records, canonical entities, hierarchy structures, and deduplication techniques.
• Familiarity with MDM tools and approval workflows; experience with proprietary or custom-built tools is a plus.
• Comfortable reviewing and critically assessing AI-assisted or rule-based data mappings without needing machine learning development skills.
• Highly organized and structured, with the ability to assertively prompt stakeholders to meet high data quality and completion criteria.
• Strong attention to detail combined with long-term strategic thinking across multiple data domains.
• Confidence to challenge and decline data inputs that compromise quality, saying "no," "not yet," or requiring fixes as appropriate.
• Excellent communication skills for effective interaction with business, finance, and technical teams.
• Experience working within defined governance frameworks and decision authority models is advantageous.

Desired Additional Competencies

• Understanding stewardship roles at local versus global levels, decision authority, and escalation pathways.
• Valuing auditability, traceability, and consistency over speed of processes.
• Ability to actively pursue completion of mappings by following up, reminding, and escalating when necessary.
• Balancing collaborative approaches with firm enforcement to maintain progress on master data.
• Applying consistent quality standards across multiple master data domains.
• Viewing stewardship as active operational ownership rather than passive review.
• Proactively avoiding backlogs, rework, and negative downstream effects.

Work Culture and Values

WPP fosters an inclusive, collaborative, and open culture that values diverse perspectives and encourages innovative ideas. The company embraces optimism, creativity, and leadership in the industry while supporting employees to deliver extraordinary results daily.

Benefits and Work Environment

• Opportunity to work alongside passionate, talented colleagues who inspire exceptional work.
• Projects that offer significant scale and influence across the industry.
• Engaging and stimulating challenges as part of a team of creative problem solvers.
• Hybrid work model with office presence approximately four days per week, with accommodation for flexibility when needed.

Additional Information

WPP is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a culture of respect and inclusiveness where all employees have equal opportunities for career advancement.