Chief Data Officer

Chief Data Officer

£150,000 - £180,000
London | Hybrid (1 day per week in the office)

The Business

Our client is a rapidly expanding, private equity-backed financial services organisation undergoing a significant period of growth and transformation. With substantial investment being made across data, technology, and digital products, the business is looking to appoint an experienced data executive to help shape and scale its future capabilities.

This is a high-profile leadership position with responsibility for evolving the organisation's data landscape, strengthening engineering capabilities, and unlocking greater value from data throughout the customer lifecycle.

The Opportunity

As Chief Data Officer, you will own the organisation's data strategy and lead the continued evolution of its data and analytics function. Working alongside the Executive Leadership Team, you will help position data at the centre of business decision-making and future growth.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Assessing and evolving the current data operating model, team structure, and overall capability.
• Developing and delivering a long-term data strategy aligned with wider business objectives.
• Driving the implementation of a modern cloud-based data platform, including lakehouse and warehouse solutions.
• Creating a scalable self-service data capability that enables teams to access trusted insights efficiently.
• Enhancing data engineering, architecture, governance, and analytical maturity across the business.
• Partnering closely with technology, product, and commercial leaders to promote a data-led culture.
• Exploring the use of AI and automation to improve operational efficiency, engineering effectiveness, and business performance.
• Delivering customer-focused data initiatives across onboarding, personalisation, insight generation, and customer engagement.
• Embedding robust, scalable, and secure data practices that support long-term growth.

Background & Experience

• Demonstrable experience within a senior data leadership role, such as Data Director, VP Data, Head of Data, or Chief Data Officer.
• Experience working within digitally enabled or technology-led organisations.
• Proven success leading large-scale data transformation programmes and building high-performing data functions.
• Strong expertise across data engineering, architecture, analytics, cloud technologies, and modern data platforms.
• Hands-on experience implementing data lakes, cloud data solutions, and enterprise-scale data warehousing environments.
• Track record of delivering self-service reporting and data products that drive business adoption and value.
• Ability to engage and influence stakeholders at executive, strategic, and technical levels.
• Strong understanding of contemporary data technologies and engineering best practices.
• Exposure to Azure and the wider Microsoft data ecosystem would be advantageous.
• Good appreciation of AI, automation, and their practical application within engineering and business environments.
• Experience collaborating across architecture, engineering, product, and executive leadership teams.
• Commercially focused with the ability to combine strategic thinking with pragmatic delivery.
• Prior experience within financial services, lending, payments, fintech, or another regulated industry would be beneficial.