Head of Data
Head of Data | Bristol (Hybrid) | Outside IR35 | £650–£750/day | 6 months We’re partnering with a scaling, data-driven organisation as they invest heavily in their data capability during a period of transformation. The business is evolving from a primarily manual, compliance-led setup into a more product-oriented, technology-enabled operation. Data is a key enabler of that shift, and this contract role will play a central part in laying the foundations. The role This is a hands-on Head of Data contract focused on building a joined-up, dependable data platform from a fragmented starting point. You’ll take ownership of data architecture and delivery, working closely with engineering and product leaders to ensure data is reliable, well-modelled, and embedded into core applications. You’ll be expected to operate at both strategic and delivery levels — shaping direction while staying close to the technical detail to ensure progress is made.Key responsibilities
- Design and own end-to-end data architecture from ingestion through to consumption
- Build and improve pipelines across APIs, files, and third-party systems
- Establish robust data models to support analytics, workflows, and product features
- Introduce data quality, validation, and monitoring practices
- Ensure data is accessible and genuinely useful across the business
- Work closely with engineering teams to integrate data into applications
- Make pragmatic decisions around tooling, orchestration, and platform design
- Define standards for testing, deployment, and version control
- Collaborate with external partners while shaping longer-term internal capability
- Building and scaling data platforms in SaaS or data-centric organisations
- Strong background in data engineering, modelling, and cloud platforms
- Hands-on experience with tools such as Snowflake, dbt, Azure Data Factory (or equivalents)
- Advanced SQL skills and experience working with complex datasets
- Experience where data underpins customer-facing products