Head of Data Governance & Management

Halfords Group PLC; England; Hybrid; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail company is seeking a Head of Data Governance and Management in Redditch. This pivotal leadership role involves shaping data ownership and governance practices. Responsibilities include establishing accountability for data, enhancing data quality, and ensuring governance in transformation programmes. Ideal candidates will have proven experience in data governance, strong influencing skills, and the ability to operate at senior levels. This position offers a hybrid working arrangement and competitive benefits including a bonus scheme and personal development opportunities.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Hybrid working arrangement

Annual discretionary bonus

Pension and life assurance

30 days annual leave

Employee discounts

Wellbeing support

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading data governance and management initiatives.
• Strong understanding of how data governance supports analytics and AI.
• Comfortable operating at executive and board levels.

Responsibilities

• Create and embed a data governance framework.
• Establish clear accountability for data ownership.
• Drive improvements in data quality across the lifecycle.
• Advise on embedding governance in system design.
• Provide oversight across major transformation programmes.
• Lead the approach to data risk, privacy and ethics.
• Build and develop a data governance team.
• Promote data literacy across the organisation.

Skills

Data governance

Influencing skills

Data quality management

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical skills

Job description

Apply now Job no: 562593
Work type: Full time
Site: Redditch
Categories: Data and Analytics
Location: Worcestershire
Salary: Competitive/market rate
Business Area: Halfords Support Centre

About us

At Halfords, our mission is to inspire and support a lifetime of motoring and cycling. As a specialist retailer, we lead the market through customer-driven innovation and a distinctive product range. We are committed to providing customers with an integrated and convenient experience across retail, autocentres and digital services.

Technology and Data are recognised at the highest level as pivotal to the future success of Halfords, resulting in an ambitious and exciting transformation roadmap. As the business continues to invest in data, analytics and technology, strengthening the foundations of how data is managed, governed and trusted across the organisation is critical to our future success.

About the role

As Head of Data Governance and Management, you will play a pivotal leadership role in shaping how data is owned, governed and used across Halfords.

Reporting to the Group Head of Data, AI and Analytics, you will be responsible for establishing clear data ownership, improving data quality, and embedding governance practices that enable better decision‑making, support major transformation programmes, and underpin future analytics and AI ambitions.

This is a high‑impact transformation role, operating in a low‑maturity environment, where success depends as much on influence, resilience and behavioural change as it does on frameworks and policies.

Key responsibilities

• Create and embed an enterprise‑wide data governance and management framework, including data ownership, stewardship, data quality and access controls.
• Establish clear accountability for data within the business, ensuring ownership sits with the right functional leaders rather than technology teams.
• Drive improvements in data quality across the full data lifecycle, from creation through to reporting and decision‑making.
• Act as a senior advisor to technology and business leaders, ensuring data governance considerations are embedded into system design, programme delivery and change initiatives.
• Provide governance oversight across major transformation programmes, including customer data and ERP change, ensuring data quality and migration standards are met.
• Lead the organisation’s approach to data risk, privacy and ethics, including supporting the responsible use of analytics and AI.
• Build, lead and develop a small but growing data governance and data quality team, supported by delivery partners where required.
• Promote data literacy and awareness across the organisation, helping colleagues understand the value of high‑quality, well‑governed data.

About you

• Proven experience leading data governance and management initiatives in complex, low‑maturity environments.
• Track record of driving behavioural and cultural change across large organisations through influence rather than authority.
• Strong understanding of how data governance supports analytics, reporting, automation and AI.
• Comfortable operating at senior stakeholder level, including executive and board‑facing environments.
• Pragmatic and outcomes‑focused, able to balance pace with control in a fast‑moving business.
• Resilient, self‑starting leader who thrives in ambiguity and is motivated by building something meaningful from the ground up.
• Experience in retail, consumer, manufacturing or adjacent sectors is beneficial but not essential.

Reward and benefits

• A hybrid working arrangement split between the office and working from home.
• A fair and competitive salary evaluated against market data.
• Annual discretionary bonus scheme.
• Pension, life assurance and enhanced family leave.
• 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Hybrid working, based at our Support Centre in Redditch with two days on site.
• Ongoing personal and professional development opportunities.
• Access to a wide range of employee discounts across the Halfords product and service range.
• Wellbeing and inclusion support through colleague networks and dedicated resources.

Not sure you meet every requirement? We encourage you to apply anyway. At Halfords, we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and welcome applications from all backgrounds and embrace diversity within our One Halfords Family