Guardian Jobs
Head of Data (18 Months FTC), GUY'S & ST THOMAS FOUNDATION
London
Posted 1 day ago
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Head of Data (18 Months FTC), GUY'S & ST THOMAS FOUNDATION
Head of Data
The Head of Data leads the Foundation’s enterprise-wide data strategy, establishing a trusted, secure, well-governed and insight-driven data environment. The role is responsible for delivering data governance, data quality, architecture, engineering, reporting, analytics and the effective use of cloud-native data platforms across the organisation.
This leadership role accelerates the Foundation’s journey toward becoming a data-mature, insight-led organisation, supporting strategic decision-making, regulatroy confidence, operational excellence, and impact measurement.
Reporting to the Director of Transformation, the Head of Data:
- Builds and develops the team
- Shapes the Foundation’s data culture
- Ensures data is a strategic asset that drives value, trust and innovation
- Delivers a modern, secure and trusted data environment supporting the Foundation’s mission, ensuring high-quality data that strengthens insight, transparency, regulatory confidence and impact measurement
- Supports long-term transformation across the Foundation
- Fosters a culture where data is viewed as a shared asset powering decisions, partnerships, and community impact
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Data Leadership
- Develop and deliver the Foundation’s enterprise data strategy aligned to mission and organisational goals
- Enable data-driven decision-making across all Foundation operations, including Finance & Legal, Endowment, Charities and Impact on Urban Health
- Embed data into customer experience, operational resilience, risk management and strategic planning
- Ensure measurable outcomes linked to data quality, adoption, and organisational value
Data Governance & Compliance
- Lead and mature a robust data governance framework, including standards, policies, ownership models, quality controls, and metadata management
- Ensure compliance with GDPR, Data Protection, and relevant regulatory and audit requirements
- Establish trusted data across the organisation through strong controls, lineage, classification, and lifecycle management
Data Architecture & Engineering
- Lead on the enterprise data architecture design, including data lakes, warehousing, integrations, pipelines, and modelling
- Own and optimise cloud-native data technologies across Microsoft Azure, including Fabric, Azure Data Lake, Data Factory, Databricks, Synapse, and SQL
- Ensure the data platform is scalable, high-performing, secure, and aligned to organisational transformation needs
- Partner with the Business Systems team to deliver seamless integrations with CRM, finance, impact measurement tools, and third-party platforms
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Analytics, Insight & AI
- Lead on the development of enterprise reporting and analytics, delivering timely, accurate, and actionable insights
- Oversee Power BI governance, semantic models, and self-service enablement
- Drive predictive analytics, operational insight, and (where appropriate) responsible AI/ML adoption to enhance outcomes and impact measurement
- Champion the delivery and innovation in line with emerging technologies to support operational insight
Leadership, Culture & Collaboration
- Work closely with the Head of Change, Head of Business Systems, and IT Operations Manager to develop end-to-end solutions for business systems, data, and infrastructure
- Build and lead a multidisciplinary data team over time
- Champion data literacy, high-quality data habits, and a culture of curiosity across the Foundation
- Represent the organisation externally with regulators, suppliers, and strategic partners
- Manage internal and external delivery, including procurement and vendor oversight
Note: Role responsibilities are not exhaustive; tasks commensurate with the level of the role may be reasonably expected.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Skills, Abilities and Attributes
- Self-starter who is adaptable, works with integrity, and embodies the Foundation’s core values
- Willing to continuously learn and develop new skills and mentor peers
- Committed to continuous improvement, with careful attention to detail and due process
- Committed to delivering consistent and high-quality customer service to internal and external stakeholders
- Strong interpersonal skills, able to effectively liaise with both internal and external communities
- Excellent communication skills, skilled in both writing and verbal communication, with strong listening and influencing abilities
- Ability to operate strategically and hands-on with equal proficiency
- Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking
- Ability to build trust, develop relationships, and lead through influence
- Commitment to data ethics, privacy, responsible technology, and community impact
- Keeps fully up to date with emerging technologies
- Ability to translate technical concepts for senior and non-technical audiences
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Knowledge, Experience and Qualifications
Essential
- Proven experience leading data functions in regulated or complex organisations (e.g. charity, financial services, healthcare, public sector)
- Strong background in enterprise data management, governance, data quality, and architecture
- Deep technical expertise across the Microsoft Azure data ecosystem (Fabric, Data Lake, ADF, Databricks, Synapse, SQL, Purview, DevOps)
- Experience scaling cloud-native data platforms and modern data stacks (e.g. lakehouse, pipelines, BI tooling)
- Strong understanding of GDPR, data protection, compliance, and data risk frameworks
- Track record of influencing at senior/executive levels and leading cultural change
Desirable
- Experience with Microsoft Purview governance and responsible AI frameworks
- Certifications such as Azure Data Engineer or Solutions Architect (or equivalent)
- Knowledge of Azure/OpenAI, Snowflake/BigQuery/Redshift, dbt, or modern orchestration tools
- Experience enabling insights in impact-driven, donor-focused, or audience engagement organisations
Benefits
- Contributory pension
- Annual personal development budget
- Annual health and wellbeing personal allowance
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, and parental leave pay (accessible without length of service requirements)
- Health and wellbeing programme, including optional free yearly health check-ups
- Support for healthy eating via fruit bowls and onsite lunch facilities
- Agile working, flexible hours, and supportive IT kit
- Shower facilities and bike lock area
- Generous annual leave (27 days + bank holidays)
- Glasses subsidies
- Employee Assistance Programme
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Skills
Data Governance
Data Quality
Data Architecture
Data Engineering
Analytics
Microsoft Azure
Cloud Technologies
GDPR Compliance
Data Management
Leadership
Problem Solving
Communication
Data Ethics
Predictive Analytics
Cultural Change
Data Literacy
Location