Head of Data

This is a rare opportunity to join a fast-paced, forward-thinking organisation at a pivotal point in its growth and work directly with the C-Suite and broader team on initiatives that shape the company's future.Before applying for this role, please read the following information about this opportunity found below.

The Head of Data will be accountable for shaping and executing the enterprise data strategy, ensuring data is a trusted, governed and value-creating asset across the business. This hybrid role combines responsibilities of a Head of Data (strategy, governance, insight enablement) with those of a Data Architect (designing scalable, secure, modern platforms and data models).

Working closely with the C-Suite, data science, risk, finance and business stakeholders, this role will drive the transformation of the data estate into a modern, cloud-native, AI-ready data platform that underpins regulatory compliance, operational efficiency and commercial growth.

Key Responsibilities:

Data Architecture & Design

• Own the enterprise data architecture, ensuring scalability, performance, resilience and cost efficiency.
• Design logical and physical data models that support loan origination, servicing, risk decisioning, finance and customer insights.
• Lead the migration of the legacy SQL Server data warehouse into a modernised, cloud-native architecture.
• Define integration patterns (APIs, ETL/ELT pipelines, streaming) across SaaS platforms, in-house systems and external data sources.

Strategic Leadership

• Build the vision for a modern, cloud-based data platform (e.g. Microsoft Fabric, Synapse, Databricks, Snowflake), enabling real-time analytics, AI/ML and self-serve BI.
• Define and deliver the enterprise data strategy, aligned with business and regulatory priorities.
• Act as the senior owner of data governance, ensuring compliance with FCA, GDPR and other obligations.
• Establish and chair data governance forums, embedding data stewardship across the business.

Delivery & Operations

• Manage a small data engineering and BI capability, balancing in-house skills with managed service partners.
• Oversee the delivery of reliable, automated pipelines for ingestion, transformation, and quality assurance of data.
• Introduce modern tools for metadata management, lineage, cataloguing and access controls (e.g. Purview).

Governance & Risk

• Ensure data platforms and processes adhere to best-practice security models (Entra, IAM, conditional access).
• Embed robust processes for data quality, lineage, auditability and model governance (critical in lending and regulated environments).
• Support the CTO in board-level reporting on data risks, opportunities, and investment roadmaps.

Skills & Experience:

• Proven experience in a senior data leadership role (Head of Data, Data Architect, Data Engineering Manager) within a regulated financial services.
• Deep expertise in enterprise data architecture, cloud platforms (Azure preferred), and modern data warehousing/lakehouse technologies.
• Strong knowledge of data governance, GDPR, and FCA regulatory requirements.
• Hands-on technical ability across SQL, Python, ETL/ELT, APIs and cloud-native data services.
• Experience introducing AI/ML and advanced analytics capabilities into operational and decisioning contexts.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, able to translate technical concepts into business value for executives and non-technical teams.
• Track record of leading small, high-performing data teams and managing external partners.