Head of Data Governance
Are you looking for a strategic data role where you will shape an organisations approach to data governance?
In this Head of Data Governance position, you’ll deliver the vision for data governance.
This one isn’t just about data governance policies, frameworks, and committees, but focused around actually embedding a governance approach so that this org can actually trust the decisions it makes.
As Head of Data Governance for one of the UK’s largest Housing Associations, you’ll sit at the centre of a major enterprise-wide push towards trusted, connected, and genuinely usable data. The organisation has already invested heavily in data capability, so the platforms are there, the reporting capability is evolving, and the ambition around data is real.
What they now need is someone who can bring the governance, structure, and design discipline that turns fragmented data into a true organisational asset.
This isn’t a role where you’ll sit on the sidelines writing governance documents that nobody reads. You’ll be leading the organisation’s approach to data governance and data design, helping establish one version of the truth across a complex operational environment. You’ll work closely with senior stakeholders, data owners, architecture teams, analytics, and engineering functions to improve how data is defined, managed, governed, and trusted across the business.
You’ll bring people with you, challenge where needed, create accountability, improve data maturity, and help embed governance into day-to-day operational reality rather than treating it as a compliance exercise.
You’ll also oversee areas including:
- Data governance frameworks and data quality improvement
- Master and reference data management
- Data modelling and enterprise data design
- Regulatory return assurance and accuracy
- Data standards and definitions
- Data governance forums and stakeholder engagement
- Cross-functional collaboration with architecture, engineering, analytics, and platform teams
The environment itself is large-scale and complex, meaning this role suits somebody comfortable operating across both strategic leadership and practical delivery.
You’ll probably be someone who:
- Has led data governance within a complex organisation
- Housing experience in a Housing Association or Local Authority (Good understanding of regulatory returns)
- Improving organisational data maturity
- Stakeholder management across both business and technology teams
- Understands modern data environments, modelling, and enterprise data architecture
- Knows how to drive data quality improvements through people, process, and technology
- Can influence senior leadership teams and create accountability around data ownership
Housing experience would help around regulatory reporting and governance, but it’s not essential if you’ve operated in similarly complex environments.
What is essential is the ability to create clarity, trust, and structure around data in an organisation where data is becoming increasingly critical to operational performance, customer outcomes, and future decision making.
If you want to shape how enterprise data governance actually works in practice rather than simply maintaining frameworks from the sidelines, this is the kind of role that gives you the platform to do it.
Please apply to this advert, reach out to me on LinkedIn, or contact me at james@recruitwithpurpose.co.uk to learn more.
This is a Manchester based hybrid role with some expectation to be in the office.
The salary on offer is £65,000 to £70,000 with some great benefits
If you don’t have an updated CV, no problem, send what you have, and we’ll take it from there.