Data & AI Governance Configuration Manager

About Booking Holdings India COE At Booking Holdings, we're more than just a leader in travel, we're shaping how people connect, explore, and experience the world. Through our diverse portfolio of brands, including Booking.com, KAYAK, Priceline, Agoda, Rentalcars.com, and OpenTable, we help millions create meaningful experiences, whether booking a getaway or reserving the perfect meal. Our success is built on a culture of inclusion, collaboration, and innovation, where diverse voices are valued, and every idea has the potential to make an impact. At Booking Holdings India COE, we combine data, technology, and creativity to build solutions that simplify global travel, enhance financial services, and create seamless customer experiences. Join us to innovate fearlessly, build connected experiences, and help shape the future of global travel and hospitality. Are you ready to be part of a journey that makes the world more accessible for everyone? About the team: The Data & AI Governance department enables extending the governance theme of policies, standards, processes and technology for governing data and AI to driving excellence in our approach to leveraging secure, trusted, accessible data for data driven decision making through: An overarching Data & AI Policy to include associated standards Data & AI Governance including meta and master data management Data & AI Delivery Governance Data & AI Quality including both technical and business quality measures This enables the maturity of Data and AI capabilities across Booking.com, unlocking data and algorithms as assets for delivering innovative growth opportunities and cost saving operational efficiencies. Role Description: We are looking for a Data & AI Governance Configuration Manager to join our Data & AI Governance organisation, managing a team of individual contributors and contractors on and off shore. The Configuration Manager must have demonstrated experience in leading and motivating a team of analysts and specialists (up to 5-7 people) in addition to demonstrated experience in managing large cross-organizational Data & AI Governance initiatives. Ideal candidates should have a technical background in Data & AI Governance Standards & Frameworks, Data Ownership & Stewardship, Risk Management, Regulatory Change, and Business Operations and various Data Governance tools. They must be able to thrive and succeed in an entrepreneurial environment, and not be hindered by ambiguity or competing priorities. This means not only being able to develop and drive high-level strategic initiatives, but can also roll up their sleeves, dig in and help drive change. This role is a mix of leadership (leading a small team of specialists and analysts) individual contributors, and it demands skills as an evangelist and a partner - at a time where transformation and modernisation of our data ecosystem is a company-wide priority. Key Job Responsibilities and Duties: People Management: Manage a team of Data and AI Governance operations specialists and potentially contractors including ensuring people’s performance and wellbeing is balanced Help set up quarterly and yearly objectives, estimate work, manage team and personal performance reviews Mentor and coach team members Improve team routines and processes for better performance based on the state of the team. Ensure the team follows the best practices to learn and adopt new methodologies Manage hiring and compensation Help the team to communicate externally and internally, resolve conflicts Data and AI Governance: Data Stewardship: Manage the ease of use and access for Data Ownership and Stewardship roles and responsibilities across tools, supporting clear accountability and proper onboarding of data stewards with intuitive user journeys. Data & AI Governance Principles: Apply and enforce Data & AI Governance principles, processes, policies, and standards to ensure consistent and effective governance practices. Regulatory Compliance: Ensure adherence to Data & AI regulatory policies, such as GDPR, DMA, SOx, and the EU AI Act, by staying updated on compliance requirements and integrating them into governance frameworks and implementation practices. Data & AI Governance Practices: Drive the adoption of Data & AI Governance capabilities including Data & AI Literacy, data cataloging, data profiling, metadata management, data classification, data lineage, master data management, and workflows, ensuring robust governance of critical data elements. Work with the broader Data & AI Governance team to ensure the continuous roll out of improvements and evolution of compliance controls to ensure the continual maturity of Data & AI Practice at Booking. Configuration Management: Metadata Management: be responsible for working with Data & AI Governance SMEs, Architecture, Product and Engineering teams to ensure appropriate metadata configuration and management including continuous improvement opportunities. E2E Delivery & Impact: Contribute to high-complexity Data & AI governance agile delivery and high-impact initiatives independently - leading metadata design execution, testing and reporting, and final handover to business-as-usual operations. Stakeholder Management: Act as an authoritative point of contact for metadata management inquiries. You must navigate a complex stakeholder landscape, effectively engaging with cross-functional working groups and presenting strategic updates to leadership up to the VP level. Risk Management: Identify, assess, track and mitigate issues and risks at multiple levels Operational Excellence: Expertly leverage the Atlassian suite (Jira/Confluence) to architect delivery workflows, track configuration changes, and maintain transparent documentation. You will ensure the team’s output is measurable, visible, and aligned with departmental velocity goals. Change Leadership: Champion the department’s change management protocols. You will guide your team through technical transitions and organizational shifts, ensuring that new governance processes are adopted smoothly without disrupting the broader data community. Role Qualifications and Requirements: Experience Requirements: 5-8 years of relevant technical experience, with 3+ years focused around Data Governance (or 5+ years in a broader Data/Analytical role)): SQL Proficiency: Strong ability to query relational databases to validate metadata or troubleshoot integration issues. SDLC for Governance: Applying "Data Governance as Code" principles—using Git for version control of configuration scripts and managing Test, Staging, and Production environments. At least 1-2 years of experience in metadata management and 1-2 years managing data teams, including building and growing the team: Operating Model Configuration: Proficiency in defining and configuring Asset Types, Domains, Communities, and complex relationship mapping. Workflow Engineering: Ability to design and deploy automated governance workflows (e.g., using BPMN 2.0, Java, or Groovy) for approvals, issue management, and asset onboarding. Metamodel Design: Skill in creating logical structures that represent the organization’s data landscape (Business Glossaries, Data Catalogs, and AI Model Registries). AI Model Metadata Tracking: Understanding how to capture AI-specific attributes like model versions, training datasets, "fairness" metrics, and accuracy scores. Data Governance certification (e.g DAMA, DGI, etc.) or equivalent certification is a plus, though not a requirement Self-driven learner, capable of proactively connect with many other teams to understand the intersection of regulation and data & AI governance capabilities Excellent communication (written and spoken) and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build strong working relationships with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. BookingHoldings India COE is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We strive to move well beyond traditional equal opportunity and work to create an environment that allows everyone to thrive. Pre-Employment Screening If your application is successful, your personal data may be used for a pre-employment screening check by a third party as permitted by applicable law. Depending on the vacancy and applicable law, a pre-employment screening may include employment history, education and other information (such as media information) that may be necessary for determining your qualifications and suitability for the position.