Product Metadata Strategist

JOB SUMMARY The Product Metadata Strategist leads product metadata strategy, standards, taxonomy, and governance across UMPH imprints and third-party products sold through Cokesbury. The role designs the product data model and establishes the requirements that support accurate product representation, discoverability, distribution, and fulfillment across physical, digital, audio, and subscription offerings. Working across departments and without direct supervisory authority, the position oversees metadata quality, approves records for distribution, and coordinates correction of incomplete or inconsistent data; contributing departments remain responsible for entering and maintaining their assigned data. The incumbent also partners with the intellectual property lead to incorporate rights information into product records and advises on systems and industry standards. This work supports UMPH’s mission by helping customers find and obtain materials that deepen Christian faith and practice. ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT & AREAS OF IMPACT Reporting Relationship & Peers Reports to the Director of Operations Integration & Business Systems, as do: 3PL Services Vendor Coordinator Business Manager Marketing Technology Specialist Merchandise Support Manager Salesforce Administrator Reporting Directly to This Job EXTERNAL Outside metadata or conversion vendors RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE Essential Job Functions PRIMARY Designs the product data model and lead metadata governance. Defines the relationships among works, editions, formats, components, and associated assets so that managed source data supports consistent records across products and channels. Establishes field definitions, ownership, validation rules, and change procedures within UMPH’s data governance framework. Resolves competing departmental and channel requirements and escalates unresolved conflicts through that framework. Establishes and maintains metadata standards and taxonomy. Defines, documents, and applies requirements for metadata quality, subject classification using BISAC and Thema, keywords, and contributor identity. Assigns data stewardship responsibilities with department leaders, trains contributing staff, maintains guidance and workflows, and coordinates updates when standards change. Departments enter and correct their assigned data; this position establishes requirements, validates compliance, and directs corrective action. Monitors industry standards and discovery technologies. Assesses changes to ONIX, BISAC, Thema, accessibility metadata, web structured data, and search and recommendation technologies. Identifies operational implications, recommends priorities and implementation timelines, and coordinates approved changes. Advises leadership on requirements, risks, and opportunities that affect UMPH products and channels. Improves product discoverability through metadata. Develops classification, keyword, series, collection, comparable-title, and enhanced-content strategies with marketing and sales. Establishes metadata and asset-linkage requirements for product pages on UMPH web properties, including Cokesbury, Amplify, and Ministry Matters, as applicable. Monitors completeness and coordinates corrections with content owners; web and marketing teams retain responsibility for page design and content creation. Serves as the lead metadata contact for major retail and distribution accounts. Ensures complete metadata and reliable distribution for UMPH-published products. Establishes required fields and deadlines for identifiers, contributors, descriptive copy, categories, pricing, rights, dates, and fulfillment attributes. Validates records and approves them for channel distribution when requirements are met. Defines outbound ONIX and other feed specifications and validation rules; coordinates implementation, monitoring, and troubleshooting with IT and distribution teams. Directs contributing departments to resolve omissions and errors and verify corrections.…

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