Chief Data Officer

Harnham; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Harnham in London seeks a Chief Data Officer to own the data strategy and lead the data and analytics function, partnering with the Executive Leadership Team to place data at the heart of growth.

You will evolve the operating model, drive a modern cloud-based data platform (lakehouse/warehouse), and build a scalable self-service capability to deliver trusted insights across the business. You will elevate governance, engineering maturity, and AI-driven opportunities.

Qualifications

• Senior data leadership experience in financial services or regulated industries.
• Track record delivering large-scale data transformations and data products.
• Ability to engage executives and translate data into business value.

Responsibilities

• Assess and evolve the data operating model, team structure, and capability.
• Develop and deliver a long-term data strategy aligned with business goals.
• Lead implementation of cloud-based data platform with lakehouse/warehouse.
• Create scalable self-service data capabilities for trusted insights.
• Advance data engineering, governance, and analytical maturity.
• Partner with technology, product and commercial leaders to drive data-led growth.
• Leverage AI and automation to improve efficiency and performance.
• Deliver customer-focused data initiatives across onboarding and engagement.
• Embed robust data practices to support long-term growth.

Skills

Data leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic thinking

Regulatory awareness

Tools

Azure

Data lakehouse

Data warehouse

Job description

London | Hybrid (1 day per week in the office)

The Business

Our client is a rapidly expanding, private equity-backed financial services organisation undergoing a significant period of growth and transformation. With substantial investment being made across data, technology, and digital products, the business is looking to appoint an experienced data executive to help shape and scale its future capabilities.

This is a high-profile leadership position with responsibility for evolving the organisation's data landscape, strengthening engineering capabilities, and unlocking greater value from data throughout the customer lifecycle.

The Opportunity

As Chief Data Officer, you will own the organisation's data strategy and lead the continued evolution of its data and analytics function. Working alongside the Executive Leadership Team, you will help position data at the centre of business decision-making and future growth.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Assessing and evolving the current data operating model, team structure, and overall capability.
• Developing and delivering a long-term data strategy aligned with wider business objectives.
• Driving the implementation of a modern cloud-based data platform, including lakehouse and warehouse solutions.
• Creating a scalable self-service data capability that enables teams to access trusted insights efficiently.
• Enhancing data engineering, architecture, governance, and analytical maturity across the business.
• Partnering closely with technology, product, and commercial leaders to promote a data-led culture.
• Exploring the use of AI and automation to improve operational efficiency, engineering effectiveness, and business performance.
• Delivering customer-focused data initiatives across onboarding, personalisation, insight generation, and customer engagement.
• Embedding robust, scalable, and secure data practices that support long-term growth.
• Demonstrable experience within a senior data leadership role, such as Data Director, VP Data, Head of Data, or Chief Data Officer.
• Experience working within digitally enabled or technology-led organisations.
• Proven success leading large-scale data transformation programmes and building high-performing data functions.
• Strong expertise across data engineering, architecture, analytics, cloud technologies, and modern data platforms.
• Hands-on experience implementing data lakes, cloud data solutions, and enterprise-scale data warehousing environments.
• Track record of delivering self-service reporting and data products that drive business adoption and value.
• Ability to engage and influence stakeholders at executive, strategic, and technical levels.
• Strong understanding of contemporary data technologies and engineering best practices.
• Exposure to Azure and the wider Microsoft data ecosystem would be advantageous.
• Good appreciation of AI, automation, and their practical application within engineering and business environments.
• Experience collaborating across architecture, engineering, product, and executive leadership teams.
• Commercially focused with the ability to combine strategic thinking with pragmatic delivery.
• Prior experience within financial services, lending, payments, fintech, or another regulated industry would be beneficial.