"Alerted.org

Job Title: Data Standards SME

Clearance Required: Active TS/SCI with CI Polygraph

What You Will Do

Manage the full lifecycle of IC data standards, including requirements definition, standards development, implementation, governance, sustainment, and planned retirement.

+ Implement metadata, semantic, and structural standards to enable interoperability, data discovery, and reuse across IC elements, ICDS, and Services of Common Concern (SoCC).

+ Define and apply data quality frameworks (e.g., completeness, accuracy, timeliness, lineage, provenance) and automated validation rules for shared mission and enterprise data assets.

+ Support the selection, configuration, and governance of tools that enable automated standards adoption and compliance, including:

+ Data catalogs and metadata repositories

+ Schema registries and validation engines

+ Data lineage and impact analysis tools

+ Develop and deliver training materials, playbooks, and reference architectures to support enterprise-wide adoption of data standards.

+ Lead change management efforts, including stakeholder engagement, communications, and adoption metrics, to drive consistent implementation across agencies.

+ Establish and monitor KPIs, maturity models, and dashboards to measure standards adoption, compliance, and operational effectiveness.

+ Engage with senior IC technical leadership (CDO, CTO, CIAO, CIO) to drive consensus, resolve conflicts, and align standards with mission and enterprise priorities.

+ Lead and coordinate cross-functional technical working groups and interagency forums to advance IC-wide data standardization.

+ Author technical documentation, white papers, governance artifacts, and strategic roadmaps supporting IC data standards initiatives.

+ Support alignment with IC Directives, IC Data Strategy, Zero Trust data principles, and IC IT Ecosystem integration.

What You Will Need

+ Active TS/SCI clearance with CI Polygraph (required at time of hire).

+ Bachelor’s degree in information systems, Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or related field.

+ 8+ years of experience supporting Intelligence Community programs, including enterprise or cross-agency initiatives.

+ Demonstrated experience managing data standards lifecycles (development, implementation, governance, and retirement).

+ Strong knowledge of metadata standards, semantic interoperability, ontologies, and controlled vocabularies, such as:

+ Experience implementing data quality frameworks, validation rules, and compliance monitoring.

+ Hands-on or governance-level familiarity with data standards tooling, such as:

+ Experience defining and tracking KPIs, dashboards, and maturity assessments for data standards programs.

+ Proven ability to lead technical projects and cross-functional teams in complex IC environments.

+ Demonstrated ability to brief, influence, and collaborate with senior technical executives.

+ Excellent written and verbal communication, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills.

What Would Be Nice to Have (Differentiators that stand out)

+ Master’s degree in data management, Data Architecture, Systems Engineering, or related field.

+ Experience supporting IC-wide or ODNI-led data initiatives.

+ Certifications such as:

+ Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP)

+ PMP or PgMP

+ CISSP (for governance/security alignment)

+ Familiarity with IC data governance bodies, interoperability initiatives, and IC Capability Requirements processes.

+ Experience aligning data standards with:

+ Zero Trust data principles

+ IC Data Reference Architecture

+ ICD 501, ICD 121, or related IC policy

+ Experience with performance measurement, reporting, and visualization tools supporting data governance programs.

Technologies & Frameworks of Interest (Exposure vs. Hands-On Varies):

+ Data catalogs, metadata repositories, schema registries

+ Data quality, lineage, and validation platforms

+ Enterprise data governance frameworks (e.g., DMBOK)

+ Secure IC cloud or hybrid environments

+ Dashboarding and reporting tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI)