Data Steward (Sleepy Eye, MN)

Christensen Farms is one of the largest, family-owned pork producers in the United States, marketing approximately 3 million hogs per year. Headquartered in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, our 50-year-old company operates throughout the Midwest with facilities in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, and South Dakota. Christensen Farms owns three feed mills, manages 140,000 sows on 44 farms, and oversees more than 350 nurseries and grow-finish sites. Our organization employs nearly 1,000 people and maintains 1,500 contract partnerships. We are an industry leader with a proven commitment to ethical practices, food safety, and nutrition. Join our team!

 

Position Overview:

The Data Steward plays a critical role in supporting the Data & Analytics Governance Program by ensuring enterprise data is governed according to established standards and business requirements. Serving as a trusted partner between business stakeholders and technical teams, this role promotes high-quality, well-documented, and trusted data for reporting, analytics, and operational decision-making.

 

The Data Steward is responsible for monitoring and improving data quality, supporting metadata management, data cataloging, data lineage, and governance activities across assigned business domains. Working closely with Operations, Finance, Decision Science, IT, and other business leaders, this position strengthens data integrity, supports governance maturity, and maximizes the value of Christensen Farms' enterprise data assets.

 

From Our Manager:

"Most roles ask you to maintain what's already been built. This role gives you the opportunity to help build what's next. As a Data Steward, you'll play a key role in shaping Christensen Farms' Data Governance journey, influencing how data is managed, trusted, and used across the organization. If you're motivated by growth, ownership, and making a real impact, this is an opportunity to leave your mark."

– Hiring Manager

 

What You Will Do:

Data Quality & Governance

• Monitor and improve data quality, accuracy, consistency, completeness, and timeliness across assigned business domains.
• Investigate data issues, perform root cause analysis, and coordinate remediation with business and technical teams.
• Track and report data quality metrics, stewardship activities, and governance compliance measures.
• Support implementation and adoption of Data Governance policies, standards, and best practices.
• Assist in defining data ownership, stewardship responsibilities, and governance processes.
• Identify opportunities to improve data quality, governance practices, and business processes.

 

Metadata, Catalog & Lineage Management

• Maintain business definitions, metadata, business glossary content, and critical data documentation.
• Support data cataloging, metadata management, and lineage activities within IBM Cloud Pak for Data.
• Document and maintain critical data elements, source-to-target mappings, and data flows to improve transparency and traceability.
• Partner with business and technical stakeholders to ensure metadata and governance artifacts remain accurate and current.

 

Data Issue Management

• Serve as a primary point of contact for data-related questions and issues.
• Manage data issues through identification, investigation, remediation, and closure.
• Track issue status, document corrective actions, and escalate recurring or high-risk issues as appropriate.

 

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Act as a liaison between business stakeholders and technical teams to align data definitions, quality requirements, and governance standards.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships and promote data stewardship best practices across the organization.
• Support governance councils, working groups, and continuous improvement initiatives.

 

What You Offer Us:

• Bachelor's degree in business, Information Systems, Statistics, Agriculture Business or related field.
• 1-3 years of experience in Data Governance, Data Quality, Data Stewardship, Business Analysis, Analytics, Reporting, Master Data Management, or related disciplines.
• Understanding of data governance, data quality, metadata management, and enterprise data management concepts.
• Clear, concise, and precise written and verbal communication skills to effectively communicate with people of various backgrounds including non-technical audiences.
• Analytical thinking, problem-solving capabilities, attention to detail and ability to monitor compliance metrics.
• Commitment to confidentiality and ethical data management practices.
• Ability to influence adoption of governance policies across diverse teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Outlook.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with enterprise Data Governance and Metadata Management platforms such as IBM Cloud Pak for Data, Collibra, Microsoft Purview, or similar solutions.
• Experience with Data Catalog, Business Glossary, Metadata Management, Data Lineage, and Data Quality capabilities.
• Experience documenting business definitions, critical data elements, source-to-target mappings, and business data flows.
• Experience supporting metadata governance, data quality monitoring, and stewardship workflows.
• Experience with SQL, Power BI, and enterprise reporting platforms.
• Experience working with ERP, CRM, Finance, Operations, or Master Data Management solutions.
• Experience supporting enterprise Data Governance or Data Quality programs.
• Agriculture, food production, manufacturing, or supply chain industry.
• Swine industry experience is a plus.

 

What We Offer You:

• We offer a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, a flexible spending account (FSA), life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, a 401(k) plan, paid holidays, paid time off bank, an employee assistance program (EAP), and more.
• Be an active part of an organization that gives back to the community in many ways – including feed programs that support local farms, food shelf programs, food support for veterans, agriculture education, and promotion, FFA/4H support, charitable contributions, etc.
• A company that has a passionate purpose for food safety, animal welfare, and for living its core values every day – respect, integrity, excellence, adaptability, and innovation.
• A culture that fosters employee growth, hybrid work options, promotion from within, and a highly team-oriented workplace environment.
• The targeted base pay range for this role is $75,000 to $100,000 with this range reflecting differences in candidate knowledge, skills, and experience.

 

Reports To:

Lead Data Steward

 

 

Christensen Farms promotes a culture of inclusion and strives to attract a diverse set of candidates for each of our open positions. We are an equal employment opportunity employer and proud to offer employment and growth opportunities to all candidates without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, gender, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or veteran status.

 

Learn more about how you can put your passion and talent to work with us at:

https://www.christensenfarms.com/careers/positions-available/