Closing Date: 15th October, 2026
Description:
Job Summary:Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) is seeking a Chief Data Officer (CDO) to serve as the State of Minnesota's enterprise leader for statewide data strategy, governance, and ethical use. This position will set the vision for how data can strengthen program integrity and overall government performance. As the lead of the Minnesota Data Strategy Team, the CDO will build the legal, technical, and operational foundation that allows agencies to securely and responsibly use and share data, while guiding commissioners, executives, and cross-sector partners through complex policy and privacy considerations.
This role pairs strategic leadership with practical problem-solving, setting a statewide vision for data infrastructure by building collaboration across a federated data environment. The CDO will be a trusted advisor on law, ethics, and information policy, driving long-term improvements of the state's data ecosystem and helping ensure Minnesotans benefit from well-governed, high-quality data.
Job duties for this position include:
- Providing executive leadership for the Minnesota Data Strategy Team (MDST), directing managers, staff, and cross-agency partners to implement statewide data governance and privacy priorities
- Establishing strategic, operational, and legal direction for the MDST, incorporating input from commissioners and executive leaders while making final determinations on statewide priorities
- Advising senior leaders on the strategic, legal, and ethical considerations of data sharing and use, and directing implementation of governance mechanisms that balance innovation, privacy, risk mitigation, and accountability
- Serving as the statewide point of escalation for complex, novel, or cross-agency legal issues affecting enterprise data sharing and governance
- Establishing and implementing an enterprise data strategy that integrates national best practices in data governance, sharing, and use consistent with state and federal information policy and law
- Building the enterprise legal frameworks, technical infrastructure, and agreements required for secure, privacy-protective, and responsible data sharing across agencies
- Advancing the enterprise workforce's capability to access and use data effectively to improve service delivery
- Leading Self
- Leading Others
- Leading the Organization
- Leading Outside the Organization
- Leading with DEAI
- Getting Work Done
Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications:
To facilitate proper years of service crediting, please ensure that your resume clearly describes your experience in the areas listed and indicates the beginning and ending month and year for each job held. Candidates must clearly demonstrate all the following qualifications on their resume. Resume tips are available here. To be considered for the Chief Data Officer position, applicants must submit a cover letter.
At least six (6) years of experience developing or overseeing governance structures, data-sharing frameworks, or major policy or technology implementations involving multiple stakeholders or organizations
Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school and actively licensed and in good standing to practice law in the State of Minnesota (or ability to obtain licensure prior to end of standard one-year probationary period).
Experience must include:
- Demonstrated senior-level experience in leading teams and large coalitions through complex organizational change, including designing and driving strategy through periods of significant structural, technological, or policy transformation.
- Experience leading teams to analyze and set direction on complex issues at the intersection of policy, technology, and law, applying rigorous legal and technical analysis, negotiation, and sound judgment to forge a shared vision among parties with divergent interests.
- Advanced ability to interpret statutes, regulations, and policy frameworks, including privacy law, and translate them into practical, actionable guidance for executives, legal teams, and technical stakeholders.
- Writing and communication skills sufficient to represent significant projects with authority, distilling complex technical and legal information into clear, credible narratives for executives, subject matter experts, legislators, external partners, and the public.
- Demonstrated respect for diversity and a deep commitment to fostering an inclusive and collaborative work environment.
Preferred Qualifications:
MMB values diverse perspectives and encourages all qualified candidates to apply, even if they do not meet 100% of the preferred qualifications. Your unique skills and background might be just what we need!
- Experience designing or overseeing fraud prevention, detection, or risk mitigation frameworks, including data-sharing agreements, analytics, or controls used to safeguard institutions.
- Familiarity with data governance, including data quality standards, data classification, stewardship models, or data lifecycle management.
- Experience advising or directing technology implementation, data infrastructure, or IT modernization initiatives, including budget, procurement, or vendor management.
- Demonstrated ability to ground organizational decisions in evidence, including using analysis or evaluation results to improve public services.
- Experience engaging legislators, public sector leaders, or high-level policy bodies on statutory, policy, or technical issues related to data governance, sharing, or use.
- Substantive familiarity with the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act or comparable policy regimes.
Additional Requirements:
It is the policy of Minnesota Management and Budget that a successful candidate must pass all required checks prior to employment which may consist of the below checks:
- SEMA4 records check (applies to current and past state employees only)
- Criminal history check
- Reference check
- Social Security and address verification
- Education verification
- Conflict of interest review
- Other legally or internal policy required checks
Minnesota Management & Budget does not participate in E-Verify. Minnesota Management & Budget will not sponsor applicant work visas, including F-1 STEM OPT extensions. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
Application Details
How to Apply:
Select “Apply for Job” at the top of this page. If you have questions about applying for jobs, contact the Careers Help Desk at 651-259-3637 or email careers@state.mn.us. For additional information about the application process, go to http://www.mn.gov/careers.
To receive consideration as a Connect 700 Program applicant, apply online, email the Job ID#, the Working Title, and your valid Proof of Eligibility Certificate by the closing date to Jake Pleschourt at jake.pleschourt@state.mn.us.
MMB may choose to non-competitively interview certain disabled veterans (CDVs). To receive consideration as a CDV under M.S. 43A.111, you must:
- Meet service requirements and have a verified service-connected disability rating of at least 30%
- Provide qualifying documentation verifying the disability
- Meet all minimum qualifications identified in this posting
- Submit all documentation by the closing date to Jake Pleschourt at jake.pleschourt@state.mn.us.
Contact:
If you have questions about this position, contact Jake Pleschourt at jake.pleschourt@state.mn.us or 651-201-2567.
Working together to improve the state we love.
What do Minnesota's State employees have in common?
- A sense of purpose in their work
- Connection with their coworkers and communities
- Opportunities for personal and professional growth