Senior Data Governance Analyst - 13 month fixed term contract

Baillie Gifford & Co; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Baillie Gifford & Co is seeking a Senior Data Governance Analyst on a 13‑month fixed term contract to shape how trusted data is governed across the organisation. You will own one or more core Data Governance areas, including Governance by Design, Data Products and Technology Enablement, Federated Ownership and Enterprise Governance.

You will lead a sub‑team, strengthen data ownership and quality, and embed practical governance across Data Products, modern data platforms and AI-enabled change.

Qualifications

• Substantial hands-on Data Governance experience with governance frameworks and controls.
• Ability to translate governance requirements into policies, standards and procedures.
• Experience with Data Products and modern data platforms and lifecycle.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive adoption across teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead one or more core Data Governance areas, setting priorities, roadmaps and tracking outcomes.
• Develop and embed governance policies, standards and controls in Data Products and platforms.
• Strengthen Data Owner/Data Steward accountability and define scalable data-quality rules.
• Lead your sub-team, maintain documentation and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Data governance

Stakeholder influence

Leadership

Data quality

Data lifecycle

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in a data-related field

CDMP certification (Preferred)

Tools

Informatica

Collibra

Talend Data Fabric

Snowflake

Job description

Job Title Senior Data Governance Analyst - 13 month fixed term contract Department Data Services-BG-UK

Overview of Department Purpose of Role The Senior Data Governance Analyst helps shape how trusted data is governed and used across Baillie Gifford. You will take ownership of one or more core Data Governance areas:

• Governance by Design, Data Products & Technology Enablement
• Federated Ownership, Data Quality & Adoption
• Enterprise Governance, Risk & Assurance

You will lead colleagues within your sub-team, strengthen data ownership and quality, and embed practical governance across Data Products, modern data platforms, analytics and AI-enabled change. Substantial Data Governance experience, sound judgement and stakeholder influence are essential.

Responsibilities

• Portfolio Leadership and Delivery Lead one or more core Data Governance areas, setting priorities, maintaining a roadmap and tracking risks, dependencies and outcomes. Lead governance work from problem definition through implementation and adoption, coordinating business and technology colleagues. Build trusted stakeholder relationships, make proportionate recommendations and elevate material issues early.
• Governance Framework and Embedded Delivery Develop and embed practical governance policies, standards and controls, translating them into procedures and decision routes teams can apply consistently. Embed governance requirements in Data Products, change initiatives, modern data platforms, analytics and AI-enabled use cases, including input to data models and integrations. Shape governance tooling and automation where processes and accountabilities are clear.
• Data Quality, Ownership and Assurance Strengthen Data Owner and Data Steward accountability, supporting decisions on definitions, quality, access and remediation. Define scalable data-quality rules and thresholds, lead complex investigations and agree proportionate fixes with accountable owners. Produce reporting and assurance evidence showing whether governance is working and where action is required.
• Leadership and Continuous Improvement Lead your sub-team to deliver agreed priorities, review work quality and build capability through coaching and meaningful ownership. Maintain repeatable methods, clear documentation and effective cross-cover, using management information and feedback to improve outcomes.

What Success Looks Like

Clear ownership and delivery across your Data Governance area, with predictable engagement routes, prioritised outcomes and useful measures. Governance that is easier to apply, with practical standards and timely support reducing uncertainty, rework and avoidable escalation.

Improved ownership and trust in priority data, with visible quality rules, issues, decisions and remediation. A resilient, capable sub-team with reusable methods, strong documentation and effective cross-cover.

Your Knowledge and Experience

• Substantial hands‑on Data Governance experience, with expert knowledge of governance frameworks and developing and applying policies, standards and controls.
• Strong knowledge of data ownership, data quality, metadata and lineage.
• Practical understanding of data models, databases, integrations, reporting and the data lifecycle.
• Experience with governance, metadata or data-quality tooling such as Informatica, Collibra, Talend Data Fabric or equivalent.
• Understanding of Data Products and modern data platforms such as Snowflake, including how governance is embedded across their lifecycle.
• Working knowledge of DAMA-DMBOK principles and their application to Data Governance and Data Management.
• Experience delivering cross-functional initiatives, with strong planning and delivery-management skills.
• Able to investigate issues across multiple data sources or systems, define quality rules and thresholds, and drive resolution.
• Experience creating reporting, controls or assurance evidence to support decision-making.
• Able to manage competing priorities effectively.
• Clear written and verbal communication with technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience influencing governance adoption and helping stakeholders embed new ways of working.
• Confident influencing senior stakeholders and explaining complex requirements in practical language.
• Experience leading and mentoring colleagues, review work and establishing repeatable methods.
• CDMP certification or another recognised Data Management or Data Governance qualification (Preferred)
• Analytics or AI Data Governance experience. (Preferred)
• Restricted or licensed data controls. (Preferred)

The type of candidate that we’re looking for: You’ll be an experienced Data Governance professional who combines strong technical knowledge with a practical, collaborative approach. You’ll be comfortable working across business and technology teams, turning governance requirements into clear, workable solutions and helping stakeholders embed good data practices. You’ll also be confident managing competing priorities, influencing senior colleagues and driving improvements across data quality, ownership, metadata and controls.

Critical Skills

Data Literacy Nurture relationships Adaptability Digital effectiveness Improvement mindset Systems thinking

Closing Date November 6, 2026

Should you choose to use AI tools to support your application, we ask that you do this thoughtfully. We encourage you to ensure your application reflects your own voice, experience, and motivations. We value authenticity and want to understand your individual strengths and perspectives.

At Baillie Gifford, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful culture in which each of our colleagues can thrive and develop. We believe that our clients are best served by a diverse workforce with the experiences, ideas and perspectives that this brings. Baillie Gifford is an independent, private partnership, which allows us to focus entirely on our clients and their investments. It helps our stability, motivation and culture and enables us to take a long-term view on all that we do, including staff development, client relationships and investing. And just like with our investments, we’re good at spotting potential in our employees.

Join us and we’ll actively support you to explore the possibilities of your career and interests. We’ll give you ongoing training and development, all to ensure you have valuable opportunities to grow your unique talents and pursue your goals. We’re also incredibly committed to the wellbeing of our employees. This is just a taste of our culture. One that was created by the partners who own and will work with you every day in the firm. People who are always on hand to hear your ideas and suggestions of how to make Baillie Gifford an even better place to be.

So, if this sounds like somewhere you could realise your full potential, then our next investment could be you.

If you have any questions or issues regarding your application, please contact us at [e-mail].

For more detail on careers at Baillie Gifford visit our careers site at: https://www.bailliegifford.com/en/uk/careers This page hosts our regular vacancies - to view our graduate and internship vacancies follow this link.