Head of Data

FlightStory; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 111,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

STEVEN.COM in Los Angeles seeks a Head of Data Intelligence to own data infrastructure, AI initiatives, and governance. You will lead a growing Data Intelligence team, partner with Legal on GDPR/compliance, and collaborate with cross-functional leaders to turn data into strategic advantage.

You'll report to the CITO and set the pillar's direction, balancing hands-on contributions with team leadership to drive durable data assets and actionable insights for internal and external stakeholders.

Job description

HEAD OF DATA

COMPANY:STEVEN.COM

REPORTING TO:CITO

LOCATION: LOS ANGELES

SALARY: UP TO $185,000

ABOUT STEVEN.COM

Steven.com is building the operating system for the creator economy, forecast to pass a trillion dollars by the early 2030's. This industry is currently held back by fragmented tools and a lack of professional infrastructure. Steven.com is the unlock. We are the end-to-end Operating System designed to scale what is irreplaceably human.

We have built proprietary technology and obsessed teams to identify and scale the highest-potential creators across our core pillars:

• Creator Media: Amplifying reach, influence, and trust
• Creator Community: Transforming audiences into connected tribes
• Creator Products: Providing creators with the infrastructure to build and back aligned products and ventures
• Powered by Creator Tech & Intelligence: A proprietary data and technology suite that fuels smarter decisions and drives innovation across the entire flywheel.

Behind it all is our Innovation and Technology Organisation (ITO) - Steven.com's founding technical engine, operating in stealth mode to build the data and AI infrastructure underpinning our next stage of growth. Data Intelligence sits at the core of our long-term competitive moat.

ROLE MISSION

Steven.com sits on a proprietary, growing dataset spanning creator performance, audience behaviour, content signals, and community intelligence. As Head of Data Intelligence, you'll own that pillar end to end - sitting at the intersection of data infrastructure, applied AI, and business intelligence - and turn this asset into durable infrastructure and lasting strategic advantage.

You’ll report directly to the CITO and lead a small, growing team. This is leadership with real individual contribution - you'll be building alongside your team, not above them.

KEY OUTCOMES

• Full audit of Steven.com's data estate - sources, quality, gaps, governance posture - including a backend review of existing tech products for compliance, done in partnership with Legal. GDPR compliance posture assessed; encryption and access control frameworks initiated.
• Core data infrastructure operational - reliable pipelines, structured warehouse, clean and accessible key datasets. Governance fully live: GDPR-compliant, data classified, access controls enforced, encryption in place.
• Operational reporting automated across business functions, with measurable time savings.
• Proprietary intelligence products or models in production, delivering real insight to an internal or external customer.
• BI embedded as default across the business - leadership and operational teams making data-driven decisions as standard practice, not the exception.
• Key internal and creator data problems clearly defined, with solutions proposed and prioritised.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Data Infrastructure & Architecture: Own the design, build, and evolution of pipelines, warehouses, governance frameworks, and the intelligence layer above them. Set data governance standards protecting creator IP, audience data, and client confidentiality - encryption, access controls, classification. Ensure GDPR and cross-jurisdiction (UK/US) compliance. Lead vendor selection and build-vs-buy decisions.
• AI & Intelligence Systems: Build and oversee AI-powered systems that surface actionable insight for internal and external customers. Lead development of proprietary audience and creator models from data layer through to deployment. Partner closely with the VP of Engineering & Applied AI to keep data and AI infrastructure coherent and production-ready. Evaluate emerging AI/ML techniques through a lens of durable business value.
• Business Intelligence & Insight: Own BI build-out across the business, enabling scalable decisions on creator performance, commercial attribution, content analytics, and audience growth. Translate raw data into insight that s accessible to non-technical stakeholders.
• Team & Organisational Leadership: Lead, develop, and grow the Data Intelligence team. Partner with the CITO and cross-functional leaders to align data strategy with business priorities. Represent the pillar in product strategy, roadmap discussions, and conversations with partners and investors.

YOU'LL THRIVE HERE IF

• You treat data as a strategic asset, not a technical byproduct, and build systems accordingly.
• You reason from first principles, willing to challenge inherited architecture, tooling, and assumptions.
• You think exponentially - modelling where AI and data capabilities will be in 12–36 months, not just today.
• You're equally comfortable writing a three-year data strategy and a SQL query this afternoon (even if the latest AI coding tools mean you rarely need to).
• You treat security and governance as design constraints, not compliance chores.
• You're a builder and a leader - energised by creating systems and developing the people who run them.
• You're commercially minded, connecting data work to business outcomes non-technical stakeholders can understand.
• You're direct and clear, translating complexity without jargon or condescension.
• You're high ownership, low ego - accountable for outcomes across the whole data pillar.
• You're intellectually honest - you push back when something's wrong, and update your view when the evidence does.

IDEAL BACKGROUND

• Proven experience leading data functions in a fast-moving, digitally native business - startup, scale-up, or high-growth environment strongly preferred.
• Track record building data infrastructure from early stages: pipelines, warehouses, governance frameworks, intelligence layers.
• Hands-on experience with applied AI/ML in production.
• Experience managing data compliance in UK/US contexts, especially GDPR and creator economy regulation.
• Prior team leadership, with a track record of developing and growing technical talent.
• Comfortable partnering with Legal to translate technical strategy into risk assessment and recommendations for the C-Suite.
• Strong advantage: background in creator economy, media, platform, or consumer data environments.
• Nice to have: externally monetised data or intelligence products; familiarity with creator economy signals (content performance, audience behaviour, community intelligence); published research or technical writing; background at organisations known for data/AI excellence.