Business Unit Manager - Data & AI

dataroots, a Talan company; Vlaams-Brabant; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mobility budget

Company car

High-end tech equipment

Generous training budget

Team-building activities

Job summary

Dataroots, a Talan company, is seeking a hands-on Business Unit Manager to lead a 40+ person team and drive strategic direction in data, analytics and AI. You’ll own the unit’s P&L, shape growth, and partner with BizDev on client engagement and proposals.

With a strong entrepreneurial mindset, you’ll balance hiring autonomy, budget discipline, and delivery excellence while reporting to the Head of Operations. Leuven-based with flexible remote options.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a team and owning a P&L; consulting or professional services background preferred
• 8+ years overall, including 3+ years in a leadership role
• Strong grounding in data, analytics, or AI: enough to earn credibility, not necessarily deep technical mastery
• Someone who can hold a room and hold a vision, commercially sharp and people-first
• Fluent in Dutch/French and English

Responsibilities

• Set the strategic direction for the unit in data, analytics, and AI, aligning with company goals
• Lead a team of 40+ professionals, coach development, and foster a culture of learning and excellence
• Own the unit's revenue and margins, manage budgets and portfolio direction
• Oversee engagements end to end and contribute to presales and client conversations

Skills

Team leadership

P&L ownership

Data analytics AI

Commercially minded

Dutch/French & English

Job description

At Dataroots, leadership isn't about hierarchy. It's about direction. As a Business Unit Manager, you'll lead a team of 40+ professionals, set the vision for where your competence goes next, and build something people genuinely want to be part of. We're serious about impact, relaxed about ego, and a little bit stubborn about doing things well. If you can hold all three, you'll fit right in.

Dataroots is part of the Talan Group, which gives us the scale to grow nationally and internationally while keeping the dynamic, entrepreneurial culture that got us here.

• Vision & Direction: Set the strategic direction for your competence in a space that moves fast. Data, analytics, and AI don't stand still, and neither should your unit's positioning.
• Team Leadership & Growth: Lead a team of 40+ people. Coach, develop, and create a culture where people do great work, keep learning, and actually enjoy the ride.
• P&L Ownership: Own your unit's operating revenue and margin. Manage your training and team-building budget like it's your own business, because it is.
• Delivery Excellence: Oversee engagements end to end. Stay hands-on where it matters: you are ready to jump in with projects when your team needs you.
• Business Growth: Partner with our BizDev team to qualify leads, shape strategy, and grow key accounts for existing services and the new ones you'll help define. You'll also play an active role in presales: joining client conversations early, helping shape proposals, and translating opportunities into winning offers.

We are looking for a hands-on leader with an entrepreneurial mindset and a passion for growth:

• Experience leading a team and owning a P&L; consulting or professional services background preferred
• 8+ years overall, including 3+ years in a leadership role
• Strong grounding in data, analytics, or AI: enough to earn credibility, not necessarily deep technical mastery
• Someone who can hold a room and hold a vision, commercially sharp and people-first
• Fluent in Dutch/French and English

What We Offer

• Real autonomy over hiring and portfolio direction: this is your unit to shape
• A competitive salary package, mobility budget or company car, and high-end tech equipment
• A generous training budget and access to cutting-edge tools
• Regular team-building activities and knowledge-sharing events to keep the team connected as you grow
• The heart of Dataroots beats in Leuven, where it all started back in 2016, while remote work and our Ghent office keep things flexible.
• You'll report to the Head of Operations, alongside your peer Unit Leads

What You’ll Find at Dataroots

Since 2016, we've helped clients get real value from data without losing the energy of a young company. Being part of Talan Group adds international reach and mobility, without losing what makes Dataroots, Dataroots.

Join us and make a difference in a vibrant, forward-thinking organization. Learn more at www.dataroots.io.