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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Lead Data Steward - **Company:** Today, Dunelm - **Location:** London, UK - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** £104,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Collaborative Learning, Cyber Security, Data Governance, Data Integrity, Data Migration, Data Visualization, Relational Databases, Data Intelligence, Technical Data Management Systems, Data Management, Tools for Reporting - **Published:** September 25, 2026 - **Apply:** https://dunelmweb.itssystems.co.uk/vacancies/37146/lead-data-steward.html ## About the Role * Leadership Experience: Proven track record of leading, mentoring, or supervising individuals within an analytical, operational, or data-focused environment. * Data Literacy: Deep understanding of master data principles, structural data validations, and data governance frameworks. * Analytical Capability: Advanced problem-solving skills with experience querying relational databases to identify issues and the root cause. * Information Compliance: Solid foundational knowledge of data privacy legislation, information security standards, and handling sensitive data classifications Desirable Skills ## Description Data Management at Dunelm plays a key part in unlocking the value of data and information for our colleagues in a safe and secure way. Our vision, alongside our broader data & analytics function is to "empower our business to drive the right outcomes from their data in an efficient and confident way". Our Data Management team work closely with our wider teams, analytics, data engineering, technology teams and colleagues across Dunelm, enabling them to better manage and own their data to deliver data products that drive value and support our broader business growth plans. We are responsible for equipping our colleagues to steward and understand their data through data policy definition and implementation, process optimisation, data quality measurement, data cataloguing and effective management of master data. We contribute to shaping our future governance and approach to AI ensuring that good quality, well governed data is at it's heart. We also support doing right by our customers - ensuring that data is managed safely and securely in line with GDPR regulations. The Lead Data Steward serves as the strategic custodian and operational anchor for core enterprise data domains. In this role, you will lead a dedicated team of professionals to elevate data integrity, champion governance standards, and unlock operational efficiencies across the business. This role demands a leadership-first mindset, a passion for root-cause problem solving, and the ability to influence cross-functional teams. You will bridge the gap between technical data structures and business operations, ensuring our data assets are accurate, compliant, and positioned to drive growth. Core Responsibilities Team Leadership & Capability Building * Line Management: Directly manage, mentor, and coach a team, cultivating an inclusive, high-performing culture. * Goal Alignment: Define clear performance objectives, map out career development pathways, and balance resource allocation across daily operations and transformation initiatives. * Extended Resource Guidance: Provide operational direction and guidance to extended project resources assigned to domain activities. Data Governance & Quality Architecture * Framework Design: Establish and maintain robust data quality rules, validation logic, and standardised business glossaries across core domains. * Root-Cause Remediation: Move beyond identifying surface-level errors; actively investigate systemic data anomalies and engineer long-term, sustainable fixes. * Validation & Release Sign-Off: Define testing protocols and quality sign-off criteria for data changes, system updates, and new attribute rollouts to safeguard domain stability. Stakeholder Collaboration & Advocacy * Cross-functional Partnership: Act as the primary point of contact for internal teams, software vendors, and external data partners to align data standards and support business initiatives. * Change Management: Champion data-driven mindsets across the organisation, advising business units on how data quality directly impacts their performance and customer experience. * Prioritisation & Enhancements: Help shape and manage the backlog of domain improvements, balancing short-term operational fixes with long-term capability goals. Compliance & Performance Tracking * Risk & Regulatory Oversight: Ensure data practices strictly align with internal data protection policies, information security classifications, and UK GDPR legislation. * Service Levels & Domain Reporting: Design and distribute comprehensive data scorecards, tracking performance against operational SLAs and translating complex technical metrics into actionable business insights., * Change Delivery: Experience supporting teams through operational transformations, systems implementations, or complex data migration projects. * Data Visualisation: Familiarity with business intelligence or reporting software to present data quality metrics visually. * Domain Backlog & Delivery: Experience prioritising requests, tracking improvement milestones, or managing a backlog of functional enhancements. Key Behaviours Communicating Commercial Translation: Translates highly technical or abstract data concepts into clear, concise, and impact-driven messages for non-technical business leaders. Credibility: Presents reliable, data-backed insights that build trust and drive confident organisational decision making. Connecting Silo Busting: Actively collaborates across departmental boundaries to understand upstream and downstream data impacts, building a cohesive network of trust. Empathy in Leadership: Recognises team achievements, provides regular constructive feedback, and supports colleagues during periods of high operational demand. Taking Responsibility Accountability: Embraces complex data challenges with self-driven determination, prioritising long-term structural improvements over short-term workarounds. Continuous Improvement: Proactively identifies operation bottlenecks and drives the automation of manual maintenance tasks. Challenging Constructive Voice: Possesses the confidence to challenge inefficient legacy processes, data workarounds, or decisions that compromise data integrity. Ambition: Drives high standards of performance within the immediate team and holds cross-functional partners accountable to agreed data SLAs. Making It Happen Right First Time: Instils a culture of accuracy and diligence, ensuring deliverables are executed efficiently without sacrificing data quality. Agility: Adapts positively to shifting priorities, reassessing team workflows to maintain momentum under changing conditions. D&I statement Dunelm is committed to becoming an inclusive business that is representative of our customers and locations. We recognise the value in diversity and welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, race, religion, disability, gender or sexual identity, socio-economic background or education. We are committed to making Dunelm a place where everyone can enjoy a successful career and have systems in place to support all our colleagues. We are seeking applications from candidates who share our values and celebrate diversity in all its forms. Our commitment to you Accessibility allows everyone to have an equitable chance when applying and showing off their potential, which helps us create a more inclusive and diverse team that brings fresh ideas and perspectives. Should you need it, we have an accessibility tool available in the top menu to support you when you're completing your application. If you require any other reasonable adjustments during the application and assessment process, reach out to your recruitment partner. Please accept Functional Cookies to view this content Tech to the future Meet John, our Chief Tech and Innovation Officer, who shares insights into the exciting things happening in tech, why Dunelm is his happy place, and his unique route into the tech world. Work your way We want our colleagues to feel at home wherever they work, so that they are comfortable and can be their best selves. In addition, we want everyone to feel connected to the business, our strategy and the teams they work with. Where hybrid working is applicable, colleagues need to strike the right balance to fulfil both of these important factors. You will find the right mix of being at home, in the office & out in the business, bearing in mind business needs, job role and level of responsibility. Wellbeing is more than just a buzzword here From our Wellbeing Buddies and Mental Health First Aid training to our progressive parental leave, menopause policies and Colleague Support Fund, we're committed to supporting our colleagues in every area - and at every stage - of their lives. Through our partnership with the Retail Trust, everyone at Dunelm has free access to a 24/7 Virtual GP, as well as therapy and counselling, plus information, guidance and advice in all areas of financial, emotional and physical wellbeing. Look in our toy box Of course, you should never judge a business by its tech stack. But take a peek at the range of technologies our engineers and developers are currently playing with. Dazzling design At Dunelm, we love every aspect of the design process. We're continually researching new developments in packaging, materials and production methods, tapping into new data insights and keeping track of changing lifestyle trends. We're hugely collaborative in the way we work. Together, the teams here have a direct impact on our success, creating amazing products that drive sales and delight our customers, as well as providing direction for our wide and varied range of brands. Please accept Functional Cookies to view this content Please accept Functional Cookies to view this content, Join us on the tech side and you'll have access to a huge array of learning and development opportunities, including a variety of internally created workshops and externally accredited courses. We also have a substantial tech-specific budget to fund e-Learning licenses, conference visits, resources, and qualifications, plus dedicated mentors, well-being buddies and a wide range of network groups to support you as you progress. Housewarming & Settling In where you can find out more about the wider business, our culture, behaviours, networks and wellbeing support Thrive, our learning and skills platform which gives you a blended, bite-sized, social learning experience with learning relevant to your role Our Enterprise Leadership Programme designed specifically for our strong growth potential Heads of Department to help them reach the next level in their career Our INSPIRE Programme designed for our strong growth potential senior managers across the business to enhance their leadership capability Our EXPLORE Programme designed to prepare our next generation of Line Managers Personal Effectiveness workshops and self-led learning, also delivered through Thrive Apprenticeships opportunities relevant to your role - from level 2 (equivalent to GCSE) through to Level 7 (equivalent to Masters) Colleague Development Fund to support colleagues in accessing external training relevant to your role Coaching and mentoring opportunities to support you in your current role and help you prepare for the next Self-awareness tools to help you understand what really matters to you, and where your own talents and ambitions lie Progress conversations that reflect on how you're doing and define your focus areas for the coming months Career conversations that explore what you want from your career, in light of your current capabilities, potential and future aspirations ## Related Videos - [Thinking Differently - How to Make Money from Cyber Attacks & Cheats](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/745-thinking-differently-how-to-make-money-from-cyber-attacks-cheats) - [Exploring 5 Key Applications of AI Abundance with Blockchain Assurance](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/971-exploring-5-key-applications-of-ai-abundance-with-blockchain-assurance) - [Swapping a Data Warehouse at Runtime: Zero-Downtime Migration Without Changing a Single Client](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100311-swapping-a-data-warehouse-at-runtime-zero-downtime-migration-without-changing-a-single-client) - [Modern Data Architectures need Software Engineering](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1030-modern-data-architectures-need-software-engineering) - [A Data Mesh needs Open Metadata](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/505-a-data-mesh-needs-open-metadata) - [Cyber Security: Small, and Large!](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/259-cyber-security-small-and-large) ## Related Articles - [Data Analyst Salary in the UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/278-data-analyst-salary-in-the-uk) - [Data Engineer Salary UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/253-data-engineer-salary-uk) - [Making Data Warehouses Fast: A Developer’s Story](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/107-making-data-warehouses-fast-a-developer-s-story) - [Coffee with Developers - Maria Apazoglou - Making AI understandable for all in production](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/475-coffee-with-developers-maria-apazoglou-making-ai-understandable-for-all-in-production) - [Best Companies to work for in London: Top 25 Companies in 2023](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/187-best-companies-to-work-for-in-london-top-25-companies-in-2023) - [Top Big Data Technologies That You Need to Know](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/108-top-big-data-technologies-that-you-need-to-know)