Experienced Taxonomy Strategist and Editorial Descriptive Lead - Driving Data Governance and Content Metadata Excellence in the Entertainment Industry
Posted 2025-10-27 08:41:26
Remote, USA
Full Time
Immediate Start
Introduction to Netflix and Our Mission Netflix is a pioneer in the entertainment industry, providing unparalleled streaming services to over 300 million paid memberships across 190 countries. Our platform offers a vast array of TV series, films, and games, catering to diverse genres and languages. At Netflix, we pride ourselves on innovation, creativity, and a commitment to excellence. As a leader in the entertainment sector, we recognize the importance of robust data governance and management to support our operations. This is where you come in – as a seasoned Taxonomy Strategist and Editorial Descriptive Lead, you will play a pivotal role in driving the strategy, construction, adoption, and governance of taxonomies that underpin our core content data. About the Role As the Lead Taxonomy Strategist for the Editorial Descriptive space, you will be responsible for managing the core taxonomies for our Editorial Descriptive metadata. This metadata is crucial in describing our content, and your expertise will ensure that our taxonomies are scalable, efficient, and aligned with industry best practices. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Product, Program Management, Design, Engineering, Catalog Insights, and Data Science, to define, develop, maintain, and govern related taxonomies and ontologies. Your goal will be to create a cohesive data strategy that supports the lifecycle of content at Netflix, from creation to consumption. Key Responsibilities Independently manage and prioritize work intake and prioritization for a team of taxonomists and contractors, ensuring timely delivery of data designs and implementation within established timelines. Drive the right-sizing, roadmapping, and long-term vision for implementing requested data changes across enterprise data models, balancing the need for holistic design with swift delivery. Define and develop enterprise-wide taxonomies, ontologies, and data dictionaries related to technical and creative attributes and categorization that support the Netflix content pipeline. Identify multiple options for data designs to support problem statements for business needs, articulating and advocating for the most suitable solution, whether it be an ontology, taxonomy, or other solution. Proactively accelerate data development through various means, such as optimizing synergies, updating workflows, improving communication pipelines, or programmatic enhancements. Closely partner with key Program Managers and collaborate with senior and director-level stakeholders to create and implement an enterprise-wide taxonomy and ontology data program. Co-lead complex changes and/or data migrations required for the implementation and ingestion of the data model or changes to it, anticipating, communicating, and mitigating long-term issues, tradeoffs, and potential data collisions. Work within technical limitations, delivering functional, feasible data designs and guiding cross-functional teams to achieve optimal short- and long-term solutions. Articulate clear requirements and problem statements that drive feature requests to both tooling and product functionality, effectively influencing product and engineering roadmaps to implement necessary product enhancements. Influence leaders and cross-functional teams on the importance of adopting taxonomies and ontologies, co-developing taxonomy and ontology data quality metrics, and collaborating with Engineering and Product to create and implement monitoring and feedback loops. Essential Qualifications To excel in this role, you should possess: Direct experience as an individual contributor team lead, encouraging collaboration, coordinating the prioritization, development, and release of complementary, intertwined data models. Deep experience creating and maintaining complex, interconnected taxonomies and ontologies leveraged by multiple disparate teams for multiple disparate purposes. Deep experience improving foundational, legacy data for increased business value, driving the change management process, and coordinating and aligning partners and stakeholders. Proven ability to leverage contextual fluency between teams, domains, and across individual colleagues at various levels, influencing and communicating the need and business value for both new taxonomies and ontologies as well as updates to existing ones. Direct experience partnering with engineers and data scientists developing data models for workflows and AI usage, establishing and maintaining a governance system to ensure data hygiene and smooth change management. Ability to set goals and work independently in a highly cross-functional, non-hierarchical workplace, with excellent communication skills, written, verbal, and presentation. Preferred Qualifications Nice to have: A Master's degree in related fields, such as Data Management, Computer Science, or Library and Information Science. A passion for films, shows, and entertainment media, with experience working with a global catalog, consumer-facing experiences, and creative content. Interest in and exposure to Machine Learning and/or Artificial Intelligence capabilities, with experience working with multilingual taxonomies. Familiarity with legal compliance and the changing landscape of data regulations around the world. Career Growth Opportunities and Learning Benefits At Netflix, we are committed to the growth and development of our employees. As a Taxonomy Strategist and Editorial Descriptive Lead, you will have the opportunity to work with a talented team of professionals, collaborating on complex projects and driving innovation in the entertainment industry. You will be exposed to a wide range of technologies, tools, and methodologies, with opportunities to develop your skills and expertise in taxonomy, ontology, and data governance. Our culture encourages experimentation, creativity, and continuous learning, providing a unique and dynamic work environment that fosters professional growth and development. Work Environment and Company Culture Netflix is a unique culture and environment that values innovation, creativity, and collaboration. We strive to create a workplace that is inclusive, diverse, and respectful, where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to our mission. Our offices are located in Los Gatos and Los Angeles, with options for remote work in the US. We offer a range of benefits, including comprehensive health plans, mental health support, a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, stock option program, disability programs, and family-forming benefits. Compensation, Perks, and Benefits Our compensation structure consists solely of an annual salary, with the option to choose how much of your compensation you want in salary versus stock options. The range for this role is $275,000 - $400,000. We also offer a range of benefits, including paid leave of absence programs, flexible time off, and comprehensive health plans. For more information on our benefits, please visit our website. Conclusion If you are a seasoned Taxonomy Strategist with a passion for driving data governance and content metadata excellence in the entertainment industry, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity. As a Lead Taxonomy Strategist and Editorial Descriptive Lead at Netflix, you will have the chance to work with a talented team of professionals, driving innovation and growth in the entertainment sector. Don't miss this opportunity to join our dynamic team and contribute to the success of our mission. Apply now and take the first step towards an exciting and rewarding career at Netflix. Apply for this job