Head of Data Management

Head of Data Management
📍 Location: Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
💼 Type: Permanent, full-time
💰 Salary: 55,000 - 70,000 per annum

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Head of Data Management to join a leading automotive brand. In this senior leadership position, you’ll drive technical delivery across enterprise data platforms, lead a high-performing data management team, and ensure compliance, scalability, and performance within a global standards-based ecosystem.

Reporting directly to the Head of IT, this role combines strategic planning, people leadership, stakeholder engagement, and hands-on technical oversight of a complex and evolving data estate, including Azure Data Factory and Data Lake technologies.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a high-performing data-focused IT team, delivering operational support, change, and innovation.

• Act as the key liaison between IT and business stakeholders, aligning solutions with strategic goals.

• Oversee the delivery and integration of enterprise data pipelines and platforms, ensuring stability and scalability.

• Maintain operational standards in line with ITIL, ISO27001, and internal security policies.

• Shape and influence data architecture, standards, and reusable frameworks (including AI and RPA capabilities).

• Manage vendor relationships and service contracts, ensuring SLA performance and long-term value delivery.

• Drive planning culture, managing delivery timelines, budgets (c. 2m+), and resource allocation.

• Champion compliance, data governance, and continuous improvement.

• Provide leadership, coaching, and development for direct reports and wider teams.

Required Experience

• 7+ years in IT consulting or senior technical leadership, ideally within large enterprise environments.

• Proven expertise in IT service management, strategy planning, and business process alignment.

• Hands-on knowledge of Azure Data Factory, Data Lake, and pipeline architecture.

• Experience managing data security, access control, and regulatory compliance.

• Familiarity with automation technologies (AI, RPA) and Agile delivery (Scrum, Kanban).

• Strong leadership skills with experience managing both in-house teams and third-party vendors.

• Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, and negotiation abilities.

• Degree in an IT-related discipline.