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. You will lead the maturity development of the BBC's approach to the governance, security, quality and completeness of its data. It is a heavily collaborative role not only within Product Group but with peers and stakeholders in the Chief Customer Officer Group and Technology Group. They will lead and engage a large, high-performing team to achieve this.

• 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. This ensures all colleagues across Product Group can derive rapid value from data. This role will work collaboratively with other disciplines to create an enterprise data platform.
• 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. Influence the maturity development of data capabilities across the BBC.
• 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. Responsible for creating a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming environment for staff across Product Group, where everybody feels supported to be their authentic self.
• Leads an inclusive, high-performing data organisation personally and through a mature senior leadership team. Communicates regularly and effectively to ensure the full team is engaged and focused in their roles.
• Provide inspirational leadership, supporting career development and effective talent management. Responsible for the recruitment, retention, training, coaching, and career development of the data professionals within Product Group.
• 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 such as Finance, BMA (Business Management Administration), or HR.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Extensive, demonstrable experience as a leader of a large-scale data organisation in demanding high event-driven traffic environments. Experience working in a media publishing and content production environment would be beneficial.
• 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, able to establish effective and collaborative relations across BBC departments, and external agencies/stakeholders where required
• 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.

If you can bring some of these skills and experiences, along with transferable strengths, we'd love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

Information at a Glance

At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world's best loved content, and the BBC's mission to inform, educate and entertain.

Here you will benefit from:

• Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
• Excellent career and professional development.
• Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer.
• A values-based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.

Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis.

Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.

We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.

Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.

Diversity, inclusion & belonging strategy

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 and we'd be happy to discuss:

BBC Group and Public Services, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, United Kingdom, W1A 1AA. BBC Studios Distribution Limited, company no: , registered address: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, United Kingdom W12 7FA.