Director, Product Data

Job Closing Date: 23:59 Sunday 19 October 2025

Job Band: Senior Leader
Contract Type: Permanent, Full-time
Department: Product Engineering & Data
Location: Flexible (Salford, Newcastle, Glasgow, Cardiff or London) with hybrid working; frequent travel across the UK bases.

We're happy to discuss flexible working. If you'd like to, please indicate your preference in the application - though there's no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

The Director, Product Data has responsibility for the definition and delivery of the BBC's data strategy within Product Group and leadership of the BBC's digital product-specific AI, Machine Learning, Metadata, Data Governance, Data Analytics and Data Management capabilities, leading a large, multifunctional, technically-biased team.

Why Join the Team

The Product Data function is pivotal to the BBC's strategic future, united behind embedding data expertise across product teams and building insightful data products and insights. With a newly defined Product Strategy that translates into tangible problem statements and initiatives an ambition for expanded engagement of younger audiences, keeping pace with shifting media behaviours, this is an especially exciting function and time to join a truly purpose-driven organisation.

Your Key Responsibilities and Impact:

• With the support of your own leadership team and leadership peers, be accountable to and work in support of the Director, Engineering & Data in the leadership of a strategically focused, high-performing data organisation.
• Accountable for the definition and application of the BBC's Data Strategy within Product Group in collaboration with a high-performing and technically-biased leadership team.
• Ensures the teams led by this role are technically innovative and responsive to the needs of Product Group and the BBC to present engaging digital products to audiences.
• In collaboration with peers, contribute to the broader BBC Data Strategy from technology, process and people perspectives.
• Strategically lead on cross-BBC programmes to mature its approach to the management of data.
• Confidently communicate with senior stakeholders up to and including the Executive Committee and with technical assurance.
• Along with all leaders, is accountable for their area's performance against corporate diversity, inclusion, and location targets.
• Leads an inclusive, high-performing data organisation personally and through a mature senior leadership team.
• Provide inspirational leadership, supporting career development and effective talent management.
• Plays an active enterprise leadership role as a member of the Product Leadership team alongside peers.
• Represents the data organisation cross-functionally with peer functions and partners.

Essential Criteria:

• Extensive, demonstrable experience as a leader of a large-scale data organisation in demanding high event-driven traffic environments.
• Experience in a senior leadership position responsible for the delivery of a Data Strategy and owning AI, ML and data analytics capability.
• A convincing and persuasive communicator, adept at influencing beliefs and opinions of teams, as well as senior stakeholders.
• Personal technical credibility/thought leadership in AI and Data Analytics.
• Passionate about data, with the ability to communicate that passion to large-scale distributed teams.
• Provides professional leadership and acts as role model to their teams and colleagues alike, representing BBC values and high standards of leadership behaviour.
• Adept at managing and effectively communicating technical concepts to numerous, diverse senior and executive level stakeholders.
• Act as the conduit to effective communication and influence across the management team.
• Keeps abreast of industry trends, competitor activity and performance, and best practice, incorporating new ideas and establishing a high performance culture.
• Strong awareness of the way in which technical initiatives are defined, delivered, financed and completed successfully.
• Excellent commercial and financial acumen, including experience of leading high-value regulated procurements.
• Experience in managing significant budgets and understanding key financial drivers.

The BBC is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email: