Data and Business Intelligence Lead

• Lead, coach and develop a multidisciplinary Data & Management Information team covering data governance, quality assurance, analysis and BI development.
• Oversee the transition from our legacy Cognos and SQL-based data warehouse to a modern Microsoft Azure data lake architecture.
• Provide technical leadership across data engineering, BI development, data architecture and reporting, guiding architectural decisions and resolving complex challenges.
• Oversee delivery of data and reporting solutions using technologies including Power BI, SQL, Azure Data Factory and Databricks.
• Maintain accurate, reliable and accessible business-critical reporting throughout the transformation.
• Build trusted relationships with stakeholders across Finance and the wider business, understanding their requirements and challenges.
• Translate business needs into data, reporting and analytical solutions that support operational performance and strategic decision-making.
• Communicate technical solutions and their benefits to non-technical audiences, and act as a trusted adviser on data and BI matters.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define requirements, agree priorities and ensure solutions meet business objectives.
• Challenge existing processes and identify opportunities to improve data quality, reporting capabilities and operational efficiency.
• Set priorities, manage resources and support effective delivery of technical and business objectives.
• Foster a supportive, collaborative and accountable team environment, providing technical guidance and mentoring.
• Coordinate delivery and resolve challenges with internal and offshore technical teams.
• Act as Enterprise Data Owner, helping shape our data strategy and future technology capabilities.
• Lead and continuously improve data governance, quality and stewardship practices.
• Ensure data and reporting solutions support regulatory requirements, risk management and financial reporting obligations, and promote data as a valuable business asset.

Technologies:

• Azure
• Business Intelligence
• Cloud
• Data Warehouse
• Databricks
• ETL
• Support
• Power BI
• SQL

• Experienced data and business intelligence professional with a strong technical background in business intelligence, data engineering, data warehousing or data architecture, ideally progressed from a hands-on technical role into leadership.
• Excellent communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to understand business needs, develop effective solutions and influence stakeholders to adopt new approaches.
• Experience leading, managing and developing technical teams with a supportive, collaborative leadership style.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, commercial awareness and a customer-focused mindset.
• Ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly, build effective working relationships and constructively challenge existing processes.
• Thorough understanding of data warehouse architecture, data modelling, ETL processes and BI development.
• Experience overseeing or contributing to data transformation programmes, particularly migrations from legacy data warehouses to cloud-based architectures.
• Good understanding of Microsoft data technologies, including Power BI, SQL and Azure-based platforms; familiarity with Azure Data Factory, Databricks and modern data lake architectures.
• Understanding of data governance, data quality and enterprise data management principles.
• Technical judgement to evaluate approaches, identify potential issues and support teams in resolving complex problems.
• Experience in financial services or another data-intensive, regulated environment is beneficial.
• Cognos experience is advantageous but not essential.

We are the financial services division of a major international organisation, with a UK team of approximately 350 people. This highly visible, business-facing leadership role reports to the Head of Financial Performance and offers the opportunity to influence our data strategy and a significant technology transformation. We provide a collaborative, supportive and people-focused working environment, with scope to develop the team and build relationships across the business. The position is permanent and based in Milton Keynes, with a hybrid arrangement requiring three days onsite per week. Salary is £65,000-£75,000 per year. Benefits include a company car, company pension, free and onsite parking, life insurance, private medical insurance and the option to work from home.