Data Governance Lead

Harnham; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £65k-£85k per year

Job summary

Harnham is seeking a Data Governance Lead to shape strategy, implement governance capabilities, and own a major transformation programme across a growing data function.

You will lead governance initiatives, define data ownership and data contracts, and drive lineage and GDPR compliance with senior stakeholders. This pivotal role supports the modernisation of the data landscape with executive support.

Qualifications

• Strong commercial experience in Data Governance.
• Expertise in Data Lineage and data flow mapping.
• Good knowledge of Data Compliance and GDPR requirements.
• Experience developing governance frameworks, policies, and operating models.
• Exposure to governance technologies such as Collibra, Informatica, Microsoft Purview, or similar.
• Experience establishing Data Ownership, stewardship, or accountability models.
• Knowledge of Data Contracts, Data Products, or modern data operating models would be advantageous.
• Strong stakeholder management and ability to influence across teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the selection and implementation of a new Data Governance platform (e.g., Collibra/Informatica).
• Develop and embed Data Governance frameworks, policies, and standards.
• Establish and govern Data Products to support trusted data usage.
• Define and implement Data Ownership models and accountability structures.
• Drive adoption of Data Contracts across technical and business teams.
• Lead Data Lineage initiatives mapping data flows from sources to reporting/analytics.
• Support Data Compliance activities including GDPR processes and data retention.
• Assess and improve Data Governance maturity using recognised frameworks.
• Build relationships with stakeholders across data, tech, and business functions.
• Contribute to future growth of governance capability, including potential people management.

Skills

Data Governance

Data Lineage

Data Privacy

Governance Frameworks

Data Contracts

Stakeholder Management

Autonomy

Governance Tools

Tools

Collibra

Informatica

Microsoft Purview

Job description

If you're looking for a Data Governance Lead role where you can shape strategy, implement new governance capabilities, and take ownership of a major transformation programme, this is an excellent opportunity. You'll join a growing data function at a pivotal stage, leading governance initiatives that will influence how data is managed, trusted, and utilised across the business.

THE COMPANY

This organisation is a well-established consumer-focused business undergoing significant investment in its data capabilities. They are modernising their data landscape, introducing new governance technologies, and embedding data-led decision-making across the organisation.

With strong executive support for data transformation, they are focused on improving data quality, compliance, ownership, and transparency. This role offers the opportunity to play a central part in building and maturing their data governance framework.

THE ROLE

As the Data Governance Lead, you will take ownership of day-to-day governance activities while helping to drive the organisation's long-term data strategy.

Specifically, you can expect to be involved in the following:

• Leading the selection and implementation of a new Data Governance platform, with tools such as Collibra and Informatica under consideration.
• Developing and embedding Data Governance frameworks, policies, and standards across the business.
• Establishing and governing Data Products to support scalable and trusted data usage.
• Defining and implementing Data Ownership models and accountability structures.
• Driving the adoption of Data Contracts across technical and business teams.
• Leading Data Lineage initiatives, mapping data flows from source systems through to reporting and analytics platforms.
• Supporting Data Compliance activities, including GDPR-related processes, data retention, and governance administration.
• Assessing and improving Data Governance maturity using recognised frameworks and best practices.
• Building strong relationships with stakeholders across data, technology, and business functions.
• Contributing to the future growth of the governance capability, including potential people management responsibilities.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

The successful Data Governance Lead will have the following skills and experience:

• Strong commercial experience in Data Governance.
• Expertise in Data Lineage and data flow mapping.
• Good knowledge of Data Compliance and GDPR requirements.
• Experience developing governance frameworks, policies, and operating models.
• Exposure to Data Governance technologies such as Collibra, Informatica, Microsoft Purview, or similar platforms.
• Experience establishing Data Ownership, stewardship, or accountability models.
• Knowledge of Data Contracts, Data Products, or modern data operating models would be advantageous.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence across technical and non-technical teams.
• A proactive approach and the ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy.

BENEFITS

The successful Data Governance Lead will receive the following benefits:

• Salary between £65,000 - £85,000 - depending on experience