OPT Data Governance Specialist Jobs
Data Governance Specialist roles are a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with backgrounds in information management, data analytics, or computer science. Most positions qualify as STEM OPT extensions, giving you up to 36 months of work authorization. Employers in finance, healthcare, and tech actively hire for these roles year-round.
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About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
Job Description
The Finance Lead, Systems Governance & Administration is responsible for maintaining the SAC & BPC Administrative Guide and documentation related to user training and reference tools. This role serves as a key liaison between developers, support teams, and business stakeholders to ensure all SAC changes are fully documented. The role will also support continuous improvement of administrative documentation, standard operating procedures, training materials, and testing processes.
Responsibilities
SAC/BPC Admin Guide Support
- Own and maintain the enterprise SAC Administration Guide and supporting documentation.
- Coordinate knowledge transfer sessions with developers and functional SMEs.
- Translate technical recordings and knowledge transfer sessions into structured administrative documentation.
- Ensure all administration documentation remains current, complete, audit-ready, and aligned to production functionality.
- Manage document version control, approvals, review cycles, and archival processes.
- Maintain SharePoint repositories, documentation trackers, and supporting governance materials.
- Establish and enforce documentation standards, templates, and quality controls.
Compliance & Operational Support
- Develop governance documentation, and operational procedures.
- Ensure documentation supports operational continuity and knowledge management.
- Partner with development teams to ensure technical documentation accurately reflects implemented functionality.
- Leads and develops monthly, quarterly and annual Plan, LRP and LBEs as required, including P&L, headcount, balance sheet, expense and capital using planning system and incorporates review changes of both financial and operating management.
- Operates independently to prepare relevant variance analysis for each planning cycle and develops meaningful management reporting schedules for direct areas supported.
- Works directly with Accounting Shared Service contact on monthly close process and financial reporting to ensure complete, accurate and timely monthly actual results, including variance analysis and commentary for P&L, headcount and balance sheet. Understands monthly results and communicates issues vs. benchmark to businesses supported to agree on resolution or action plan.
- Provides management with clear insights into drivers of business and financial performance and risk; assesses business/market opportunities and informs/recommends prioritization decisions.
- Leads financial reviews and approvals (purchase order requests and invoices).
- Leads ad hoc analysis, projects and process improvements as needed.
- May have supervisory responsibility for one or more direct reports.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business, Finance, or related field.
- 3+ years of experience supporting enterprise planning solutions.
- Strong documentation and technical writing skills.
- Advanced Microsoft Office skills, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Teams.
- Excellent organizational, analytical, and communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
Preferred Qualifications
- SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) administration or support experience.
- SAP BPC planning experience.
- Knowledge of SOX, audit controls, and governance processes.
- Experience developing training materials and conducting knowledge transfer sessions.
- Familiarity with Finance planning processes such as Forecast, LBE, Plan, and LRP cycles.
Additional Information
Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:
- The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
- We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
- This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentive programs.
Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.
AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.
US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html
US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:
https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html
Company Description
About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
Job Description
The Finance Lead, Systems Governance & Administration is responsible for maintaining the SAC & BPC Administrative Guide and documentation related to user training and reference tools. This role serves as a key liaison between developers, support teams, and business stakeholders to ensure all SAC changes are fully documented. The role will also support continuous improvement of administrative documentation, standard operating procedures, training materials, and testing processes.
Responsibilities
SAC/BPC Admin Guide Support
- Own and maintain the enterprise SAC Administration Guide and supporting documentation.
- Coordinate knowledge transfer sessions with developers and functional SMEs.
- Translate technical recordings and knowledge transfer sessions into structured administrative documentation.
- Ensure all administration documentation remains current, complete, audit-ready, and aligned to production functionality.
- Manage document version control, approvals, review cycles, and archival processes.
- Maintain SharePoint repositories, documentation trackers, and supporting governance materials.
- Establish and enforce documentation standards, templates, and quality controls.
Compliance & Operational Support
- Develop governance documentation, and operational procedures.
- Ensure documentation supports operational continuity and knowledge management.
- Partner with development teams to ensure technical documentation accurately reflects implemented functionality.
- Leads and develops monthly, quarterly and annual Plan, LRP and LBEs as required, including P&L, headcount, balance sheet, expense and capital using planning system and incorporates review changes of both financial and operating management.
- Operates independently to prepare relevant variance analysis for each planning cycle and develops meaningful management reporting schedules for direct areas supported.
- Works directly with Accounting Shared Service contact on monthly close process and financial reporting to ensure complete, accurate and timely monthly actual results, including variance analysis and commentary for P&L, headcount and balance sheet. Understands monthly results and communicates issues vs. benchmark to businesses supported to agree on resolution or action plan.
- Provides management with clear insights into drivers of business and financial performance and risk; assesses business/market opportunities and informs/recommends prioritization decisions.
- Leads financial reviews and approvals (purchase order requests and invoices).
- Leads ad hoc analysis, projects and process improvements as needed.
- May have supervisory responsibility for one or more direct reports.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business, Finance, or related field.
- 3+ years of experience supporting enterprise planning solutions.
- Strong documentation and technical writing skills.
- Advanced Microsoft Office skills, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Teams.
- Excellent organizational, analytical, and communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
Preferred Qualifications
- SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) administration or support experience.
- SAP BPC planning experience.
- Knowledge of SOX, audit controls, and governance processes.
- Experience developing training materials and conducting knowledge transfer sessions.
- Familiarity with Finance planning processes such as Forecast, LBE, Plan, and LRP cycles.
Additional Information
Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:
- The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
- We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
- This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentive programs.
Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.
AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.
US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html
US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:
https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html
See all 73+ OPT Data Governance Specialist Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Data Governance Specialist
Lead with your STEM OPT eligibility
Data Governance Specialist roles typically qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Mention your STEM-designated degree upfront in applications so employers know your work authorization extends well beyond standard OPT before they raise the question.
Target industries with established data compliance needs
Financial services, healthcare, and enterprise tech companies build entire governance teams to meet regulatory requirements. These industries hire data governance roles consistently and are more experienced managing OPT timelines than smaller startups without compliance infrastructure.
Align your degree to the job description explicitly
Data governance roles require a clear connection between your degree field and the position. Explicitly map your information systems, computer science, or statistics background to the job's metadata, data quality, or policy responsibilities in your resume and cover letter.
Highlight hands-on tools and frameworks
Employers prioritize candidates with practical experience in data cataloging tools, master data management platforms, or governance frameworks like DAMA-DMBOK. Listing specific tools you have worked with signals job-readiness and reduces perceived onboarding risk for OPT hires.
Apply early relative to your OPT start date
Data governance hiring often involves multiple interview rounds and cross-team coordination. Starting your job search at least three months before your OPT authorization begins gives employers enough lead time to complete hiring without feeling pressured by your timeline.
Address the E-Verify requirement proactively
STEM OPT employers are required to use E-Verify. Mentioning in your application that you understand this requirement and are prepared to complete E-Verify enrollment signals that you have done your research and removes a common administrative concern employers have with OPT hires.
Data Governance Specialist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Data Governance Specialist jobs qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Most Data Governance Specialist roles qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension if your degree is in a STEM-designated field such as computer science, information systems, or statistics. The job must involve work directly related to your degree field. Your designated school official confirms eligibility when you apply for the extension through your university, so review your I-20 and degree designation early.
Which employers hire Data Governance Specialists on OPT?
Large financial institutions, health systems, insurance companies, and enterprise technology firms are among the most consistent employers for this role. These organizations maintain dedicated data governance teams to meet regulatory and compliance requirements, which means hiring is less discretionary than at smaller companies. Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically for OPT-friendly employers, so you can focus on roles where sponsorship is genuinely on the table.
How does the OPT cap-gap rule apply if I receive an H-1B petition while working as a Data Governance Specialist?
If your employer files an H-1B visa petition on your behalf before your OPT expires and the petition is selected in the lottery, cap-gap protection automatically extends your work authorization through September 30 of that year. You can continue working in your Data Governance Specialist role without interruption during this period. Keep copies of your OPT EAD, the H-1B receipt notice, and your current I-20 readily available.
What degree fields are considered relevant for a Data Governance Specialist position on OPT?
Computer science, management information systems, data science, statistics, and information management are the most commonly accepted degree fields for this role. Some employers also accept degrees in business analytics or library and information science when the applicant can demonstrate technical data skills. A clear connection between your coursework and the specific responsibilities listed in the job description strengthens both your application and your STEM OPT extension eligibility.
Can I switch employers as a Data Governance Specialist while on OPT?
Yes, but the new job must be directly related to your degree field and you must report the employer change to your DSO within 10 days. If you are on standard OPT, the new role must also be a minimum of 20 hours per week. On STEM OPT, the new employer must be enrolled in E-Verify and you must file a new I-983 training plan. Avoid gaps between positions, as extended unemployment can jeopardize your OPT status.