Job Description
Job ID: 34140
Agency: Bureau of Information and Technology
Location: Pierre; Rapid City; Sioux Falls; or Aberdeen, SD Salary: $96,699.46 - $120,874.32 Annual Salary, depending on qualifications
Pay Grade: IT 10
Closing Date: 1/2/26
This is a Full-Time 40 Hours Weekly position with the Bureau of Information and Technology. For more information on the Bureau of Information and Technology, please visit https://www.sd.gov/bit .
The State of South Dakota Bureau of Information and Telecommunication (BIT) is seeking an experienced visionary and collaborative Enterprise Data Strategy Lead to lead the development of a statewide data strategy that enables secure, ethical, and effective use of data across all state agencies. This role will serve as the central point of coordination for data governance, data sharing, and business intelligence (BI) initiatives, laying the foundation for a unified, data-driven government.
As the Enterprise Data Strategy Lead, the individual will be responsible for providing strategic leadership in the development and execution of a multi-year statewide data strategy. This strategy must align with BIT's and the Governor's priorities and the missions of various state agencies. A key part of this role involves identifying and prioritizing cross-agency data use cases that deliver measurable public value. The lead will also be tasked with establishing a comprehensive data governance framework, including the creation of policies, standards, and clearly defined roles to ensure consistency and accountability across the enterprise.
Stakeholder engagement is central to the success of this role. You must have a proven capacity to build and sustain collaborative relationships with stakeholders. The lead will convene and guide a State Data Governance Council composed of representatives from key agencies. Building strong partnerships with agency data owners, IT leaders, legal teams, and external stakeholders is essential. Promoting a culture of data sharing, transparency, and ethical use will be a continuous focus. On the operational side, the role includes leading a statewide data inventory and maturity assessment, implementing data stewardship models, and establishing metadata standards and data quality practices. The individual will also manage data sharing agreements, privacy policies, and compliance protocols to ensure responsible data use.
In the realm of business intelligence and analytics, the lead will assess current BI tools and recommend a standardized or federated architecture that supports statewide needs. Promoting data literacy and training programs across agencies will be key to building capacity and ensuring effective use of data. The role also includes supporting the development of dashboards and analytics that inform policy decisions and operational improvements. From a policy and compliance perspective, the lead must ensure alignment with state and federal regulations such as HIPAA, FERPA, and CJIS, and work closely with legal and compliance teams to manage data classification and retention policies. Finally, the role requires defining and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of the data strategy and providing regular updates to executive leadership and stakeholders on progress and impact.
Remote work may be possible for the right candidate, but must be within the state of South Dakota.
The Ideal Candidate Will Have:
A bachelor's degree in public administration, information systems, data science, or a closely related field. A minimum of five years of experience in data governance, information systems, analytics, or enterprise data management is required. Candidates should demonstrate a strong understanding of data privacy, compliance standards, and the ethical use of data, ensuring that organizational practices align with regulatory and societal expectations. Candidates should have strong familiarity and experience with Power BI as well as Azure data platforms.
The candidate must have direct experience leading the development of a statewide data strategy that enables secure, ethical, and effective use of data across all state agencies, and must have a proven capacity to build and sustain collaborative relationships with stakeholders.
Preferred qualifications include a master's degree or professional certification in data management, such as CDMP or DGSP. Experience working on data initiatives within government or the public sector is highly valued. The role also demands excellent organizational, communication, facilitation, and change management skills to effectively lead cross-functional teams and drive enterprise-wide data strategies.
Knowledge:
- Awareness of modern data architecture and integration patterns, including APIs, data lakes, data catalogs, and ETL/ELT workflows.
- Knowledge of public policy processes, state IT operations, and enterprise data ecosystems.
- Understanding of AI governance and ethical data use, particularly within government or regulated sectors.
Skills:
- Exceptional strategic planning and program management skills, with ability to translate statewide priorities into actionable initiatives.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to evaluate data maturity, identify gaps, and recommend scalable solutions.
- Advanced communication and presentation skills for executive briefings, policy documents, and technical audiences alike.
- Competence in change management and organizational readiness for large-scale data initiatives.
Abilities:
- Ability to lead through influence, building trust and alignment across agencies, vendors, and policymakers.
- Ability to balance innovation and compliance, enabling responsible data use within legal and ethical boundaries.
- Ability to foster a culture of transparency, accountability, and data-driven decision-making across the enterprise.
- Ability to translate complex data and technology concepts into accessible insights for non-technical leaders.
This position is exempt from the Civil Service Act.
This position is eligible for Veterans' Preference per ARSD 55:10:02:08.
Successful applicant(s) will be required to undergo a background investigation. An arrest/conviction record will not necessarily bar employment.
NCRC: If you possess a National Career Readiness Certificate, please submit the certificate with your application. For more information on how to acquire a National Career Readiness Certificate contact a South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation Job Service Office. A certificate is not necessary to be considered.
The State of South Dakota does not sponsor work visas for new or existing employees. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9. The State of South Dakota as an employer will be using E-Verify to complete employment eligibility verification upon hire.
The State of South Dakota offers $0 premium employee health insurance option plus eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. You can view our benefits information here . This position is a member of Class A retirement under SDRS.
Must apply online: https://gen-stateofsouthdako-trn.inforcloudsuite.com/hcm/xmlhttp/shorturl.do?key=31S
You must apply online, emailed resumes or submissions will not be accepted.
South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources
Telephone: 605.773.3148 Email: careers@state.sd.us
http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus
"An Equal Opportunity Employer"
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