Data Governance Practice Lead

Standard Life plc; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical cover

38 days annual leave

Employer pension 12%

Life assurance 12x salary

Career breaks

Volunteering days

Flexible working

Job summary

Standard Life plc is seeking a Data Governance Practice Lead to shape and deliver a robust data governance strategy within the Chief Data and Information Office, impacting the Pensions & Savings business.

You will build a high‑performing team, own the governance framework and ensure data quality, regulatory compliance, and AI governance, collaborating with business, IT and external partners in a hybrid London/Edinburgh setting.

Qualifications

• Experience in data governance strategy and solutions within large organisations.
• Ability to translate policy and regulatory requirements into practical standards.
• Proven track record leading specialist teams.
• Strong business judgement and prioritisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Data Governance practice, setting standards and coaching a high-performing team.
• Own and develop the data governance framework and controls for Pensions & Savings.
• Lead data quality initiatives with clear leadership reporting to senior management.
• Manage regulatory data commitments and evidence of governance.
• Shape AI and model governance across the business.
• Represent data governance on committees and stakeholder groups.

Skills

Data governance leadership

Data quality

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder management

AI governance understanding

Education

CDMP accreditation (desirable)

Tools

Collibra

Job description

We’re looking for a Data Governance Practice Lead to lead and develop our Data Governance practice within the Chief Data and Information Office in the Business and Customer Understanding team. This senior leadership role will set the direction for data governance and data quality across our Pensions & Savings business, ensuring robust standards, frameworks and controls are in place while building capability and strengthening a culture of data ownership and stewardship across the organisation.

Job Type: Permanent

Location: Role can be based in London, or Edinburgh with minimum 2 days a week spent working in the office.

Flexible working: All roles are open to part-time, job-share and other types of flexibility. We will discuss what is important to you and balancing this with business requirements during the recruitment process. You can read more about flexible working here.

Closing Date: 25/11/2025

Salary and benefits: from £80,000 (dependent upon experience) plus an indicative bonus range of 30–60%, private medical cover, 38 days annual leave, up to 12% employer pension contribution, 12x salary life assurance, career breaks, income protection, 3x volunteering days and much more.

Who are we?

We’re Standard Life, a retirement specialist focused entirely on retirement savings and income. We champion the belief that everyone’s journey to and through retirement can be better, and for more than 200 years, we’ve been helping our customers plan and prepare for their financial futures.

Life today is increasingly complicated, uncertain and unpredictable. People move through different careers, face unexpected moments and navigate important choices. We offer our colleagues flexibility, trust and benefits that work for whatever life brings. In return we expect curiosity, connection, accountability and high standards. We make room for what matters - so you can bring your best, every day.

The role

This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for the direction, effectiveness and continued development of data governance practices across our Pensions & Savings business. You will lead a specialist Data Governance practice, acting as a trusted adviser and senior escalation point on data governance, data quality and data management.

You will own and develop the data governance framework, roadmap, regulatory data commitments and approach to AI and model governance within Pensions & Savings, translating Group policy and regulatory expectations into practical standards and controls. Working across business and technical teams, senior leadership and external partners, you will help strengthen data ownership, improve data quality and ensure data is managed, controlled and remediated effectively.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Data Governance practice, setting standards, building capability and career pathways, and coaching and developing a high-performing specialist team.
• Own and continually develop the data governance framework for Pensions & Savings, translating Group data policy into practical standards, controls and ways of working.
• Lead the data quality agenda across the Pensions & Savings estate, driving remediation through accountable business owners and providing clear, actionable reporting to senior leadership.
• Own the response to regulatory data commitments, ensuring obligations are understood, tracked and delivered, with clear evidence that data is governed and controlled effectively.
• Shape and develop AI and model governance, translating Group policy into appropriate standards and controls covering how models are designed, approved, implemented and operated.
• Act as an authoritative adviser on data management, quality and governance, influencing senior stakeholders and helping shape business and management decisions.
• Be an advocate of improving the data governance management and quality practices to senior leaders and the business.
• Work effectively with outsourced and third-party partners to support data quality remediation and other data governance activities, bridging the gap between business requirements and data processes.
• Represent Pensions & Savings on relevant governance committees and forums, influencing wider organisational thinking and developments in data governance.
• Manage the delegated budget and resources effectively, balancing priorities, service quality and value for money.

What are we looking for?

• Significant senior-level, commercial/proposition experience in data governance strategy and solutions across the Pensions and Savings area, data management or data quality within a large, complex organisation, ideally within a regulated environment.
• Experience of data governance frameworks and controls, with experience translating policy and regulatory requirements into practical and sustainable ways of working.
• A proven track record of leading, coaching and developing specialist teams and building capability across a broader organisation.
• Sound commercial and business judgement, with experience managing competing priorities, challenging timescales and complex issues while maintaining appropriate governance and control.
• Proven success in designing and delivering data governance programmes with measurable impact on quality, risk and efficiency
• Experience with tools and technology for data management, quality and cataloguing (Collibra knowledge is a plus)
• Experience of driving data quality improvement and remediation across organisational boundaries, including working with third-party or outsourced partners.
• An understanding of AI and model governance and the controls required to manage their use responsibly would be valuable.
• Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) accreditation would be desirable but is not essential.
• Proven track record on leading large scale data governance initiatives to the end and realising business value

How will we measure success?

• A clear, effective and up-to-date data governance framework is embedded across the Pensions & Savings business, with strong ownership and stewardship of data.
• Data quality is demonstrably improving from internal functions and external partners, with clear accountability for remediation and meaningful reporting that enables effective management action.
• Regulatory data commitments are delivered effectively, with appropriate evidence that data is being governed, managed and controlled in line with requirements.
• AI and model governance standards are clearly defined and embedded, supporting appropriate and controlled use across the business.
• Senior leaders receive clear, trusted insight on data governance and quality, enabling informed decisions and timely resolution of material issues.
• The Data Governance practice continues to strengthen, with effective leadership, clear career pathways, growing capability and resources focused on the areas of greatest value and risk.
• The latest governance standards are consistently applied across the function

We Want To Hire The Whole Version Of You.

We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels accepted and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If your experience looks different from what we’ve advertised and you believe that you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear from you.

If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can help you to be at your best.