We serve Utah public employees with retirement and insurance benefits in a partnership of trust with a commitment to value, innovation, and excellence.  URS has two divisions.  The Retirement Office administers pension benefits and retirement savings plans.  Public Employees Health Program (PEHP), a division of Utah Retirement Systems, is a nonprofit trust with the vital job of providing health benefits to Utah’s public employees and their families.  We serve only the public sector — the State of Utah, its counties, cities, school districts, and other public agencies. 

URS Investments Department

The Investments Team is responsible for implementing the investment program of the URS Defined Benefit plan. The Investments Team manages investments internally and partners with external investment firms to manage a globally diversified portfolio.  The teams’ efforts have a strong emphasis on Absolute Return, Real Assets, and Private Equity investments. Defined Benefit assets were $48.1 billion as of 12/31/2024.

Why you’ll love working at URS
Collegial, team-based atmosphere

Hybrid working environment

Opportunities for growth and career development

Interesting and meaningful work

How you’ll succeed

Team player

Strong analytical and critical thinking skills

Passion for quantitative and qualitative analysis

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Ability to build relationships

High degree of intellectual curiosity

To learn more about the URS Investments Department click here.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Project and Data Governance Supervisor is responsible for overseeing the execution of key projects while ensuring robust data governance practices across the organization. This role bridges project management methodologies with data governance frameworks to drive efficiency, accuracy, and compliance in data-related initiatives. The individual will manage project timelines, coordinate cross-functional teams, and enforce data policies that align with strategic objectives. Performs a variety of administrative and managerial duties related to planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the day-to-day functions of the Project and Data Governance team. Additionally, the position requires expertise in risk mitigation, data integrity, and workflow optimization to enhance operational decision-making.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES

1. Leads strategic data-driven projects, ensuring alignment with business goals, regulatory requirements, and operational priorities.
2. Develops project plans, including scope, timeline, resource allocation, and risk assessment.
3. Manages cross-functional relationships, facilitating communication between data governance, IT, compliance, and affected business units.
4. Monitors project performance, identifies bottlenecks, and implements corrective actions to keep initiatives on track.
5. Ensures stakeholder engagement, conducting regular status updates and facilitating decision-making processes.
6. Drives process improvement initiatives, leveraging automation, technology, and data insights.
7. Establishes and enforces data governance policies, ensuring consistency, quality, and security of data assets.
8. Implements data governance tools, ensuring effective metadata management, data lineage tracking, and auditing processes.
9. Ensures data accuracy and integrity by developing governance frameworks for data validation, cleansing, and reconciliation.
10. Defines data access controls and policies, collaborating with IT security teams to enforce role-based permissions.
11. Facilitates training and awareness programs on data governance best practices for Investment’s employees and business partners.
12. Develops risk mitigation strategies to address data inconsistencies, security vulnerabilities, and regulatory changes.
13. Leads operational workflow enhancements, ensuring seamless integration between project management and data governance initiatives.
14. Collaborates with executive leadership, providing insights on data-driven decision-making and project efficiency.
15. Monitors industry trends in project management methodologies and data governance standards, ensuring the Investment department remains compliant and competitive.
16. Takes on additional responsibilities as required by senior leadership to support evolving operational and governance needs.
17. Ensures all team deadlines and responsibilities are met. Develops team members to maximize potential, helps team members meet goals, welcomes newcomers, and promotes a team atmosphere.
18. Supervises training, sets employee goals, coaches, delegates assignments, coordinates special training, maintains quality control, and sets goals and priorities in a timely and efficient manner.
19. Supervises the day-to-day operations of the Project and Data Governance team and monitors workflow to assure timely completion.
20. Assists and makes recommendations in evaluating worker performance, job retention, advancement, discipline, and discharge. Participates in recruitment and selection process for new hires.
21. Maintains regular and reliable attendance.
22. Maintains strict confidentiality.
23. Performs other related duties as required.

Education and Experience

A bachelor’s degree in business management, computer science, computer information systems, accounting, finance, or a related field and two (2) years of full-time project management experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Master’s degree preferred.

Agile experience using SCRUM/Agile methodologies with enterprise-level application development projects is preferred.

Six Sigma and/or Lean Six Sigma Black Belt preferred.

Project Management Institute – Project Management Professional (PMP), Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA), Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), or equivalent certification is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

This list contains knowledge, skills, and abilities that are typically associated with the job. It is not all-inclusive and may vary from position to position:

Required technical skills:

• Solid understanding of and demonstrated experience using appropriate project management tools such as Team Foundation Server (TFS), Microsoft Project, Visio, and all Office Tools.
• Strong technical acumen with the ability to translate business needs into technical language and vice versa.
• Strong data analysis skills utilizing SQL, SQL Reporting Services, Excel, Tableau, or other business intelligence tools.
• Strong understanding of data extraction, transformation, and load process.
• Software end-user change management strategy and execution.

Required project management skills:

• Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills with the ability to execute with limited information and ambiguity.
• Strong knowledge of both Agile and traditional project management principles and practices and the ability to blend them together in the right proportions to fit a project and business environment.
• Use strong analytical, planning, and organizational skills with an ability to manage competing demands.
• Lead investment development projects and ensure objectives, goals, and commitments are met.

Required mathematical skills include working knowledge of:

• Budgeting current year expenses, capital expenses, and budgeting timelines.
• Financial calculations that are included in a detailed record keeping systems, including posting of contributions and expenses, calculation of adjustments, and calculations of performance metrics.
• Future value and net present value.
• Cost benefit analysis to help determine succeeding steps in projects.

Must possess excellent communication skills:

• Interpersonal skills including mentoring, coaching, collaborating, and team building.
• Strong communicator skilled at stakeholder management (setting and managing expectations) and ability to communicate with all levels of the organization.
• Adept at negotiating and able to resolve conflict and adapt to different approaches using a variety of tactics.
• Persuasive, encouraging, and motivating.
• Developing status reports, PowerPoint presentations, and presenting.
• Writing Request for Proposals (RFP’s) and other proposals.

Must have the ability to:

• Follow written and verbal instructions.
• Use knowledge and understanding of business needs to establish/maintain high level of customer trust and confidence.
• Lead teams.
• Be flexible to adapt to changing circumstances and priorities.
• Use analytical and creative problem-solving skills.
• Prioritize work.
• Perform within deadlines.
• Work well in a team environment as well as independently.
• Multi-task by handling a variety of duties in a timely and efficient manner.
• Follow through with assignments.
• Deal effectively with stress caused by workload and time deadlines.

The incumbent must always demonstrate judgment, high integrity, and personal values consistent with the values of URS.

Additional Requirements 

As a requirement of this position, the employee will submit to the URS Investment Compliance Officer a record of trade confirmations or monthly transaction summaries, as they become available, of all security transactions (excluding mutual funds), in any account under the employee’s control and direction, or under the control and direction of the employee’s spouse.

Work Environment

Incumbent performs in a typical office setting with appropriate climate controls. Tasks require a variety of physical activities which do not generally involve muscular strain, but do require activities related to walking, standing, stooping, sitting, reaching, talking, hearing and seeing. Common eye, hand, finger dexterity required to perform essential functions.