Data & AI Governance Specialist - Master and Reference Data

About us: At Booking.com, data drives our decisions. Technology is at our core. And innovation is everywhere. But our company is more than datasets, lines of code or A/B tests. We’re the thrill of the first night in a new place. The excitement of the next morning. The friends you encounter. The journeys you take. The sights you see. And the memories you make. Through our products, partners and people, we make it easier for everyone to experience the world

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: As a Data & AI Governance Specialist focused on Master and Reference Data, you will help define, implement and continuously improve the standards, guidelines and governance practices that make shared data consistent, understandable, trusted and fit for purpose.

You will work across business and technology domains to ensure common definitions, ownership models, quality expectations, lifecycle rules and change processes for master and reference data. You will translate governance principles into practical guidance that teams can adopt in their data products, platforms and operating processes.

This role combines data governance expertise, standards development, operating model design and stakeholder enablement. Success requires the ability to turn complex data management challenges into clear, actionable and scalable practices.

Key Job Responsibilities and Duties:

• Define, review and maintain standards and guidelines for master and reference data, including principles, minimum requirements, roles needed, lifecycle, data quality, controls and implementation guidance.
• Establish common approaches for identifying, scoping and prioritising master and reference data domains and data products.
• Develop guidance for defining business terms, data elements, authoritative sources, golden records, reference values, critical data elements and other key metadata.
• Partner with Data & AI Stewards, Owners, Product Managers, Data & AI Engineers, Architects, Privacy, Security, Risk, Compliance and Legal to embed the standards into delivery and operational processes.
• Ensure master and reference data standards are aligned with the Data & AI Governance Framework, Data & AI Policy, classification requirements, privacy obligations, information security principles and applicable regulation.
• Contribute to the development of reusable templates, playbooks, patterns, checklists and training materials that help teams apply the standards consistently.
• Identify gaps, risks and inconsistencies in master and reference data practices, and coordinate proportionate remediation with accountable stakeholders.

Role Qualifications and Requirements:

• 5+ years’ experience in designing and implementing Data Governance and Management in large-scale organisations; AI Governance experience preferred.
• Experience designing, implementing or operating Data Governance, Data Management or Master Data Management capabilities in a complex organisation.
• Practical experience creating and maintaining data standards, policies, guidelines, playbooks or control frameworks.
• Strong understanding of master data and reference data concepts, including domains, entities, attributes, identifiers, hierarchies, taxonomies, code sets and authoritative sources.
• Understanding of metadata, data cataloguing, data classification, lineage, critical data elements and data lifecycle management.
• Ability to translate business and regulatory requirements into clear, usable standards and implementation guidance.
• Experience working across business and technology stakeholders, with the ability to influence without relying solely on formal authority.
• Experience facilitating working groups, resolving definition or ownership disputes, and building alignment across domains.
• Familiarity with data management and governance tooling; experience with tools such as Collibra, Informatica, Alation, Atlan, Microsoft Purview or equivalent is beneficial.
• Familiarity with relevant regulatory and control considerations, such as GDPR, DMA, SOX and the EU AI Act, is beneficial.
• Good knowledge of Jira and Confluence.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to make complex topics clear for both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Benefits & Perks - Global Impact, Personal Relevance: Booking.com’s Total Rewards Philosophy is not only about compensation but also about benefits. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, as well unique-to-Booking.com benefits which include:

• Annual paid time off and generous paid leave scheme including: parent, grandparent, bereavement, and care leave
• Hybrid working including flexible working arrangements, and up to 20 days per year working from abroad (home country)
• Industry leading product discounts - up to 1400 per year - for yourself, including automatic Genius Level 3 status and Booking.com wallet credit
• Living and working in Amsterdam, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Europe
• Contributing to a high scale, complex, world renowned product and seeing real-time impact of your work on millions of travelers worldwide
• Working in a fast-paced and performance driven culture
• Opportunity to utilize technical expertise, leadership capabilities and entrepreneurial spirit
• Promote and drive impactful and innovative engineering solutions
• Technical, behavioral and interpersonal competence advancement via on-the-job opportunities, experimental projects, hackathons, conferences and active community participation
• Competitive compensation and benefits package and some great added perks of working in the home city of Booking.com

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at Booking.com: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion have been a core part of our company culture since day one. This ongoing journey starts with our very own employees, who represent over 140 nationalities and a wide range of ethnic and social backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations.

Take it from our Chief People Officer, Paulo Pisano: “At Booking.com, the diversity of our people doesn’t just build an outstanding workplace, it also creates a better and more inclusive travel experience for everyone. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. It’s a place where you can make your mark and have a real impact in travel and tech.”

We ensure that colleagues with disabilities are provided the adjustments and tools they need to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Application Process:

• Let’s go places together: How we Hire
• This role does not come with relocation assistance.

Booking.com 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, color, 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.