Head of Analytics

Dunelm; Leicester; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Dunelm in the UK is seeking a Head of Analytics to lead a team delivering high‑impact analytics across a £2bn omnichannel business. You will shape strategy, governance and the operating model to ensure analytics drives better decisions and measurable outcomes.

This hybrid role offers office presence in Leicester or London, with collaboration across customer, digital, stores, supply chain and commercial teams to translate insights into action.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading analytics teams within retail or ecommerce.
• Proven track record delivering measurable value from analytics projects.
• Strong understanding of omnichannel retail drivers and performance.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders and shaping strategic decisions.
• Experience defining analytics operating models and governance.
• Excellent communication, storytelling and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Define the analytics strategy and portfolio for the business.
• Lead delivery of a portfolio of analytics projects across functions.
• Partner with Data Science and Engineering to leverage data assets.
• Develop and coach the analytics team for high performance.
• Improve analytics operating model with governance and value tracking.

Skills

Analytics leadership

Portfolio delivery

Omnichannel retail

Stakeholder management

Commercial acumen

Analytical techniques

SQL & Python/R

Job description

This role can be based out of our Leicester or London office.

Home. There’s no place like it.

And there’s no feeling like helping people create the joy of feeling truly at home. At Dunelm, that’s what we do. We’re the UK's number one choice for homewares because we make home life lovelier for our customers. And we’ve crafted a workplace that feels just as welcoming – where you can bring your ideas, be yourself, and feel right at home.

Work your way, together

We’re a hybrid business, which means you’ll have flexibility alongside time together with your team. In this role, you can expect min 3 days per week in the office or on-site, helping you stay connected, collaborate and do your best work for our customers.

Role Purpose

We are looking for a Head of Analytics to lead the team responsible for delivering high-impact analytics projects across a £2bn omnichannel retail business. This role will be accountable for ensuring that analytics drives better decision making, commercial performance and strategic outcomes across the organisation. They will ensure that the function is focused on the highest-value opportunities, that projects are prioritised effectively and that analytics is translated into clear recommendations and measurable business action. It will be responsible for creating the operating model, governance and ways of working that enable analytics teams to consistently deliver impact.

Key Responsibilities

Define the Analytics Strategy and Portfolio

• Define the strategy, priorities and roadmap for analytics across the business
• Translate the broader business and data strategy into a clear pipeline of analytics activity
• Balance short-term business priorities with longer-term strategic and capability-building projects
• Ensure every project has a clear business problem, success measures and identified commercial value

Lead Delivery of High-Impact Analytics Projects

• Oversee the delivery of a portfolio of analytics projects across customer, digital, marketing, stores, supply chain and commercial
• Ensure projects deliver robust insight, clear recommendations and measurable business outcomes
• Support teams to tackle complex business questions
• Ensure that analytics is used not just to explain performance, but to influence decisions and actions

Stakeholder Leadership

• Build strong relationships with directors and senior stakeholders across the organisation
• Help leaders frame business problems, define priorities and identify where analytics can add the most value
• Influence strategic decisions using evidence, insight and structured analysis
• Challenge assumptions and ensure business decisions are based on robust data rather than intuition alone

Lead and Develop the Team

• Build a high-performing team with strong commercial understanding, analytical capability and stakeholder management skills
• Ensure the team has the right mix of expertise across customer, digital, marketing, commercial and operational analytics
• Develop future leaders and create clear development and succession plans
• Set high standards for analytical quality, pace, impact and storytelling

Improve the Analytics Operating Model

• Define and embed a consistent approach to how projects are scoped, prioritised, delivered and measured
• Introduce stronger project governance, value tracking and stakeholder engagement processes
• Ensure teams work effectively with business intelligence, data science and engineering teams
• Improve how analytics is embedded into planning cycles, trading reviews, investment decisions and business performance management
• Drive more repeatable and scalable ways of working across the analytics function

Work in Partnership with Data Science and Engineering

• Work closely Data Science to identify where predictive models, forecasting and advanced analytics can support business decisions
• Partner with data engineering teams to ensure Analytics has access to the right data, tools and models
• Influence priorities for new datasets, data products and analytical capabilities
• Ensure that analytics projects are built on strong, trusted and scalable data foundations

Skills and Experience Required

• Significant experience leading analytics teams within retail, ecommerce or another customer-facing business
• Proven track record of leading a portfolio of analytics projects that delivered measurable value
• Strong understanding of omnichannel retail and the key drivers of performance across stores and digital
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders and shaping major business decisions
• Experience leading and developing high-performing analytical teams
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to connect analytics to business value
• Strong understanding of a broad range of analytical techniques
• Experience defining analytics operating models, governance and project prioritisation
• Strong communication, storytelling and stakeholder management skills
• Strong analytical capability, with experience using SQL and analytical tools such as Python or R
• Experience with experimentation, forecasting, predictive analytics or optimisation
• Experience working with business intelligence, data science and engineering teams
• Experience within a large-scale omnichannel retailer

Key Behaviours

• Strategic and commercially minded
• Strong and inspiring people leader
• Highly credible with senior stakeholders
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and solving complex problems
• Strong communicator and storyteller
• Collaborative and able to build partnerships across the business
• Passionate about improving how the organisation uses data to make decisions