BI Technical Capability Manager

This role will lead the BI technical capability, managing the BI Capability Managers and BI Customer Support Team to provide a coherent, resilient and continuously improving BI service. The postholder will establish common standards, oversee supportability and service performance, and make sure BI platforms, products and practices are aligned to enterprise architecture, data governance requirements and the wider Digital & Data Function strategy.

What does the average day look like?

In a typical day, you could be meeting customers to understand new Bi and Data requirements, helping shape requests into clear and achievable outcomes, supporting the BI Customer Support Team with service priorities, or working with technical colleagues to improve standards, performance and resilience across BI platforms. You will play an important role in connecting teams across the Digital & Data Function, improving communication, strengthening handovers and making sure there are consistent ways of working from initial engagement through to delivery and support. Alongside day-to-day service priorities, you will lead continuous improvement activity that makes BI and Data services easier to use, better governed and more closely aligned to Network Rail¿s data strategy.

Main Responsibilities

• Define and shape the technical roadmap for Business Intelligence (BI) platforms and services, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture, digital transformation ambitions, and future business needs.

• Lead the assessment, selection, and adoption of emerging BI technologies, tools, and frameworks to enhance capability and deliver scalable, innovative data solutions.

• Oversee data modelling, metadata management, and semantic layer design, ensuring the delivery of trusted, reusable, and high-performing data assets that enable consistent analytics and reporting.

• Provide technical leadership across complex BI initiatives, ensuring solutions meet data governance, privacy, security, and regulatory requirements while maintaining high performance and reliability.

• Act as the technical design authority for BI programmes, reviewing architecture, integrations, and scalability to ensure solutions are robust, adaptable, and aligned with organisational standards.

• Champion best practice in BI engineering, including DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and platform monitoring, to improve delivery speed, quality, resilience, and operational efficiency.

• Drive innovation by leading proof-of-concepts, technical experimentation, and collaboration with technology partners to explore new opportunities and accelerate solution development.

• Identify, assess, and mitigate technical risks across BI platforms, including data security, system performance, resilience, and technical debt, safeguarding long-term service stability.

• Collaborate with architects, engineers, analysts, and business stakeholders to translate strategic objectives into impactful BI solutions that deliver measurable business outcomes.

Monitor and report on BI platform performance through key technical metrics, including availability, reliability, performance, and data refresh times, using insights to drive continuous improvement and service excellence.

• Proven ability to define and maintain BI technical roadmaps aligned with enterprise architecture and digital transformation goals.
• Demonstrable experience in evaluating and adopting emerging BI technologies, including leading proof-of-concepts.
• Demonstrable capability in identifying and mitigating technical risks (e.g., performance, security, technical debt).
• Deep understanding of BI tools, platforms, and services ¿ including architecture, integration, scalability, and lifecycle management.
• Proficiency in modern engineering practices such as DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and monitoring.
• Experience in defining and tracking technical KPIs (e.g., query performance, data refresh rates).
• Expertise in data modelling, semantic layer design, and metadata management to maintain consistency and performance.
• Applied understanding of data governance, privacy, and compliance frameworks (e.g., General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), internal policies).
• Ability to work cross-functionally with architects, engineers, analysts, and business stakeholders to deliver strategic outcomes.
• Skilled in facilitating multifunctional groups and promoting knowledge sharing across teams.
• Demonstrable analytical thinking and excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Degree in a relevant discipline, examples include Computer Science, Information Systems / Management Information Systems (MIS), Data Science / Analytics, software engineering or equivalent demonstrable experience.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 tools (e.g., Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint).

Desirable

• Professional qualifications in information/knowledge management, benefits management, or communications (e.g. CILIP, BCS).
• Experience in brand design, service design, or communications strategy.

Pulled from the full job description

• Annual leave
• Employee discount
• Free parking
• Company pension
• Paid volunteer time, * We offer generous maternity, paternity, and adoption leave to support our employees during significant life moments
• Flexible/hybrid working arrangements considered
• Generous annual leave up to 28 days plus statutory days (role dependant), with the option to buy/sell days
• Discounts at selected stations with your Network Rail pass
• Defined benefit pension scheme
• 75% off leisure train tickets for you and your dependents (subject to T&Cs)
• Interest-free travel loan for train and car park season tickets
• Volunteer leave to make a positive impact

Plus more¿.

About Network Rail¿