Data Security Specialist at Piper Sandler in Minneapolis, MN

Job description

Job Description: At Piper Sandler, we connect capital with opportunity to build a better future. Piper Sandler is a leading institutional middle market investment bank serving clients in the U.S. and internationally. The firm focuses on financial advisory and capital markets that win through deep sector expertise, candid advice, and a differentiated, highly productive culture—enabling growth and success for our clients while rewarding careers for our employees. We are seeking a Data Security Specialist to join the Information Risk Management (IRM) group in Minneapolis, MN or New York, NY. This key position will report to the Director of Information Security and be responsible for defining and enforcing data governance policies and standards, with a primary focus on the discovery, classification and protection of unstructured data. Beyond strategic leadership, the Data Governance Specialist will possess hands-on technical expertise to manage, maintain and optimize the platforms, technologies, and solutions that underpin our data governance and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) programs. The ideal candidate will bridge the gap between business requirements and technical implementation, helping establish a culture of data protection, accountability, and trust. Responsibilities Develop and maintain a comprehensive data governance framework, including policies, standards, and processes for data classification, data privacy, data security, data retention, data handling, information lifecycle management with a focus on unstructured data Set the standard for data governance and data protection and formalize best practices for adoption across business lines and corporate functions. Own and manage the firm’s DLP platform, including the deployment and tuning of DLP policies that serve as the enforcement mechanism for the IRM program. Provide data governance expertise to strategic projects, business initiatives and operational changes Identify and shape continuous improvement opportunities and recommendations that enable data to better serve the growing business while reducing information risk Provide thought leadership for data governance, data protection, and data health with business lines Act as a primary point of contact for data governance, information classification, DLP, and data protection-related inquiries Lead data remediation efforts working with data owners and technical teams to resolve data exposure, improper handling, retention, classification, and policy compliance issues Research, evaluate, and recommend new data governance, discovery, classification, and DLP technologies that can enhance the program's efficiency and effectiveness Develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the effectiveness of data governance program Collaborate with legal, compliance, security, and business units to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA) and internal policies Work with product and engineering leadership, key stakeholders, data owners, and data stewards to build consensus through effective communication of well-analyzed business cases and supporting materials Requirements 5+ years of experience in data governance, information protection, data security, privacy, or related data operations within a fast-paced, dynamically growing organization Strong knowledge of data-driven processes, products, technology, and controls in an enterprise setting Track record of leading data governance, data protection, DLP, or information risk initiatives across business and technology functions Experience establishing and managing a new data governance function and data capabilities Demonstrated hands-on experience with data governance and DLP platforms and tools Experience developing, implementing, tuning, and maintaining DLP policies and detection rules across multiple data sources Working knowledge of data classification, information lifecycle management, data retention, access controls, privacy pri