Data Director

Manchester Digital; Salford; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading digital company in Manchester is seeking a Data Director to lead data functions including analytics, science, governance, and engineering. The role involves driving a data-first culture, empowering self-service across teams, and ensuring a robust data infrastructure. Ideal candidates should have a strong technical background, proven leadership in data strategy, and skills in cloud platforms.

Benefits

Starting holiday entitlement of 28 days, increasing with service

Pension schemes with matched contributions

Discretionary bonus scheme

Health Cash Plan

Employee Assistance Programme

Talent development programmes

Peer recognition scheme with rewards

Monthly leadership breakfasts and lunches

Access to a range of benefits from sponsorship deals

Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership in data strategy and execution.
• Proven track record of leading data-driven transformation.
• Strong communication skills for non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead and collaborate with data functions: analytics, governance, engineering.
• Drive a data-first culture and empower self-service across the business.
• Ensure scalable and reliable data infrastructure for analytics.

Skills

Leadership

Data Strategy

Problem Solving

Commercial Acumen

Communication

Stakeholder Management

Adaptability

Tools

AWS

Azure

Google Cloud

Snowflake

Spark

Job description

We are therefore hiring a Data Director to lead and collaborate with our data functions, encompassing data analytics, data science, data governance, and data engineering. You will deliver our vision using data to provide a market-leading platform service, driving value from data. You will drive a data-first culture, empowering self-service approaches across the business, underpinned by technology, governance, and data science capabilities. The data team will provide insights that drive improved strategic outcomes for our business; using data as the foundation for all we do.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong technical grounding, a track record of problem solving, commercial acumen, and experience in a senior role leading data teams.

What we're looking for:

• Demonstrated leadership in data strategy and execution, with a track record of delivering data initiatives aligned to business goals.
• Proven track record of leading data-driven transformation, using analytics to unlock measurable business impact, enable data-led decisions, inform product development, and enhance customer insight. Ability to ensure scalable, secure, and reliable data infrastructure that enables lifecycle analytics and supports revenue and growth objectives.
• Ability to promote a data-first culture by improving data understanding, accessibility, and confidence across the organization, while championing the strategic value of data in achieving business goals. Demonstrate a strong commitment to continuous learning, staying ahead of evolving data technologies and industry trends to maintain best practices and support ongoing improvements. Maintain strategic vision coupled with attention to detail.
• Customer-focused, with a detailed understanding of relevant legislation and regulation.
• Adaptable to a constantly changing data and business environment, with the ability to pivot strategies in response to innovative technologies, insights, or regulatory developments. Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and big data technologies (e.g., Snowflake, Spark).
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to distill complex data concepts into clear messages for non-technical stakeholders.
• Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to build rapport at all levels.
• Previous experience in financial services or other highly regulated sectors is advantageous.

About us

AJ Bell is one of the fastest-growing investment platform businesses in the UK, offering an award-winning range of solutions for everyone, from professional financial advisers to DIY investors with little to no experience. We have over 593,000 customers using our platform to manage assets totaling more than £90.4 billion. Our customers trust us with their investments, and by continuously striving to make investing easier, we aim to help more people take control of their financial futures.

Listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange in December 2018, AJ Bell is now a FTSE 250 company.

Headquartered in Manchester with offices in central London and Bristol, we now have over 1,500 employees. We have been named one of the UK's 'Best 100 Companies to Work For' for six consecutive years and in 2024, we were named a Great Place to Work.

• Starting holiday entitlement of 28 days, increasing to 31 days with length of service plus a holiday buy and sell scheme
• A choice of pension schemes with matched contributions up to 8%
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Buy As You Earn (BAYE) Scheme
• Health Cash Plan – provided by SimplyHealth
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Loans for travel season tickets
• Calendar of social events, including monthly payday drinks, annual Christmas party, summer party, and more
• Talent development programmes
• Peer recognition scheme with rewards including restaurant and shopping vouchers or time off
• Monthly leadership breakfasts and lunches
• Access to a range of benefits from our sponsorship deals

Hybrid working

At AJ Bell, our people are the heart of our culture. We believe in building strong connections by working together. That's why we offer a hybrid working model, where you’ll spend a minimum of 50% of your working time per month in the Manchester office. For new team members, an initial period will be full-time in the office to help you immerse yourself in our business and build valuable relationships with your colleagues.

AJ Bell is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and all employees are empowered to bring their whole selves to work.