Data Lead

VML; Dadri; On-site; INR 3,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

VML, a leading creative company, seeks a Data Lead to build and govern the data foundation for executive visibility across strategic initiatives. You will transform fragmented information into trusted portfolio intelligence, enabling timely, actionable insights for decision-making.

You will design enterprise data strategy, dashboards, and governance, partnering with Strategy, Finance, Operations, and Tech to deliver scalable analytics and AI-enabled insights.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in Data Strategy, BI, Analytics, Portfolio Management, Data Governance, or Management Consulting within a global tech/SaaS organization.
• Bachelor/Master degrees in relevant fields; MBA preferred.
• Proven experience designing enterprise reporting architectures, dashboards, and BI solutions.
• Strong expertise in data governance, master data management, and data quality frameworks.
• Experience supporting executive decision-making through analytics and strategic reporting.

Responsibilities

• Develop enterprise data strategy aligned with portfolio governance and executive decision-making.
• Build scalable data architecture integrating multiple sources into trusted reporting ecosystems.
• Standardize KPI methodologies and data governance across functions.

Skills

Data Strategy

Business Intelligence

Analytics

Portfolio Management

Data Governance

Management Consulting

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering, CS, IS, Business Analytics, Stats, Mathematics, Economics

Masters or MBA preferred

Tools

Azure

Snowflake

Databricks

Microsoft Fabric

Power BI

SQL

Excel

Tableau / enterprise visualization tools

Salesforce / Workday / SAP / Oracle / MS Dynamics

ERP/BI platforms

Job description

Job Description:

Who We Are

VML is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and award-winning human-first work for clients including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendys. In 2026, VML was namedCampaign’s Global Network of the Year and ranked #2 Creative Network of the Year at Cannes Lions. VML’s global network spans 55+ markets with principal offices in Buenos Aires, Kansas City, London, New York, São Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore.

VML is part of WPP, the trusted growth partner for the worlds leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.

For more information, please visit www.vml.com and follow along on LinkedIn#WeAreVML.

The opportunity

The Data Lead is responsible for building and governing the data foundation that enables executive visibility across strategic initiatives. This role transforms fragmented business information into trusted portfolio intelligence, ensuring leaders have accurate, timely, and actionable insights to make strategic decisions.

What you’ll be doing

Develop Enterprise Data Strategy

• Define and execute the enterprise data strategy supporting portfolio governance, business intelligence and executive decision-making.
• Build a scalable data architecture that integrates information from multiple sources into a trusted reporting ecosystem.
• Standardize business definitions, KPI methodologies, and data governance across functions.

Build Portfolio Intelligence

• Develop portfolio intelligence frameworks, executive dashboards, and scorecards providing visibility into strategic initiatives, financial performance, resource utilization, risks, dependencies, and business outcomes.
• Establish leading indicators that proactively identify execution risks and opportunities.

Lead Data Governance

• Define enterprise data governance standards covering ownership, quality, integrity, stewardship, lifecycle management, and reporting controls.
• Continuously improve data quality and governance practices to ensure trusted executive reporting.

Enable Workforce and Resource Intelligence

• Build analytical models for workforce planning, capacity forecasting, demand management, resource allocation, utilization, and operational efficiency.
• Partner with PMO, and program manager to optimize workforce investments and support strategic planning.

Drive Executive Decision Support

• Translate complex business data into actionable executive insights that support portfolio prioritization, investment decisions, and operational planning.
• Identify trends, risks, dependencies, bottlenecks, and opportunities, providing recommendations that enable proactive decision-making.

Partner Across the Enterprise

• Collaborate with Strategy, Finance, Operations, Technology, Product, Resource Management, and Program teams to align enterprise reporting, analytics, and business metrics.
• Serve as the strategic data partner supporting executive governance and cross-functional decision making.

Advance Analytics and AI

• Partner with data science and engineering teams to develop predictive analytics, forecasting models, scenario planning, and AI enabled insights.
• Evaluate emerging analytics technologies and promote modern data practices that strengthen business intelligence.

Modernize Reporting and Analytics

• Design scalable reporting architectures that automate reporting, enable self-service analytics, and improve executive visibility.
• Standardize dashboards, reporting methodologies, and visualization practices to ensure consistency, accuracy, and timeliness.

Build Organizational Data Capability

• Establish repeatable governance frameworks, metadata standards, reporting templates, and documentation that improve organizational data maturity.
• Mentor analysts and promote a culture of data-driven decision making across the organization.

What we want from you

• 10+ years of progressive experience in Data Strategy, Business Intelligence, Analytics, Business Operations, Portfolio Management, Data Governance, or Management Consulting within a global technology or SaaS organization.
• Bachelors degree in engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Analytics, Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, or a related discipline; Masters degree or MBA preferred.
• Proven experience designing enterprise reporting architectures, executive dashboards, and business intelligence solutions.
• Strong expertise in enterprise data governance, master data management, and data quality frameworks.
• Experience supporting executive decision-making through advanced analytics and strategic reporting.
• Demonstrated success working with Director, VP, and Executive-level stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of portfolio management, workforce planning, resource management, financial reporting, and business operations.
• Experience with Azure, Snowflake, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, or modern cloud analytics platforms.
• Advanced expertise in Power BI, SQL, Excel, and enterprise visualization tools.
• Experience working with enterprise platforms such as Salesforce, Workday, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, ServiceNow, Anaplan, or similar business systems.
• Experience collaborating with Data Engineering and Data Science teams to deliver scalable analytics solutions.
• Working knowledge of AI-powered analytics, predictive modeling, and modern business intelligence platforms.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to translate data into strategic business recommendations.
• Excellent executive communication skills with the ability to simplify complex analytical concepts for senior business leaders.
• Experience leading cross-functional analytical initiatives within highly matrixed organizations.

Beyond the Resume

• Business-First Mindset: Solves business problems through data, not just reporting.
• Strategic Thinker: Connects data across operations, finance, workforce, and business performance.
• Trusted Advisor: Delivers objective, insight-driven recommendations that influence executive decisions.
• Builder Mindset: Creates scalable data, governance, and reporting capabilities that endure.
• Analytical Curiosity: Challenges assumptions and uncovers meaningful insights from complex data.
• Executive Storyteller: Translates complex analysis into clear, decision-ready narratives.
• Collaborative Influencer: Aligns business and technical teams around common goals and standards.
• Innovation-Driven: Leverages AI and modern analytics to continuously improve business intelligence and decision-making.

What we can offer you

Alongside the opportunity to work with some of the most exciting brands around the world, we'll also prioritise your career development and help you grow your skills. We'll empower you to make a difference, allow you to be yourself, and respect who you are.

Our culture thrives on our core values, designed for impact-driven individuals: Heart, Brains and Courage.

We lead withHeart, fostering empathy and trust where genuine connections and human-centric work flourish.
We empower yourBrainsfor innovation, valuing relentless curiosity and collaborative intelligence to solve complex challenges.
And we championCourage, inspiring you to speak up, embrace experimentation, and advocate for bold solutions that push our thinking to be better than yesterday.

AT VML Enterprise Solutions

Our Enterprise Solutions division houses strategic consultants, creative and technical architects and skilled developers and operators that together help some of the world’s leading organisations to deliver outstanding digital experiences across all major routes to market worldwide: marketplaces, online retailers, D2C, B2B and social platforms. With over 4,200 experts in 55 operational centres across 34 countries, our capabilities span the entire buying journey from customer acquisition, through engagement, to conversion and loyalty, driving multi-channel growth for world-leading brands.

We work with some of the most exciting brands such as The Coca-Cola Company, EY, Bosch, Unilever, Ford, DFS, Mercedes-Benz, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé, Sainsburys, Selfridges, Shell and Tiffany & Co. We've built over 500 platforms for brands and retailers and generate in excess of $29bn annually for our clients and work with over 50 strategic partners including Adobe, SAP, Salesforce, HCL, Shopify, Sitecore, BigCommerce, commerce tools and Acquia. Our reputation is based on our people, and we believe we have some of the best in the business.

As our business grows internationally