Data Director

Job Description

We're transforming our use data and reaching a pivotal point in the demand for data insights from our businesses! We're now looking for a driven data leader to transform AJ Bell’s use of data and lead its data function through this transformation. Data at AJ Bell needs to reflect our strategic market positioning of “ease of use,” “trust” and “low-cost.”

We are therefore hiring a Data Director to lead and collaborate with our data functions, encompassing data analytics, data science, data governance, and data engineering. You will deliver our vision using data to provide a market-leading platform service, driving value from data. You will drive a data-first culture, empowering self-service approaches across the business, underpinned by technology, governance, and data science capabilities. The data team will provide insights that drive improved strategic outcomes for our business; using data as the foundation for all we do.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong technical grounding, track record of problem solving, commercial acumen and experience in a senior role leading data teams.

What does the job involve?

Strategy

• Develop and implement data strategies and initiatives to support the company's overall goals and objectives, driving value from data.
• Engage with key stakeholders across the business to understand their data needs and ensure alignment with business objectives. Adopt a value-led approach, collaborating with cross-functional teams to identify and prioritise data needs and requirements.
• Act as an evangelist for data across the business, to empower a data-driven culture. Whether through training or data democratisation, data is the lifeblood of our business. Promote data literacy across the organisation, ensuring that all employees understand the value of data and how to use it effectively.
• Innovation: Identifying opportunities to unlock hidden value, supporting new product/service development and/or data monetisation

Analytics and AI

• Oversight of data analyst and data scientist capabilities, to create high-performing teams through guidance, support, and mentorship of the Head of Data Insights.
• Analytics and Business Intelligence: Drawing valuable insights from data to support decision-making, both in ad-hoc reporting and ongoing services (dashboard etc).
• Manage change related to data initiatives, ensuring smooth transitions and adoption of new data processes and technologies.
• Drive the adoption of advanced analytics and AI to enhance business capabilities and outcomes (owning AI for data and supporting AI in tech services).
• Leverage data to gain deeper customer insights, improving customer experience and personalisation.
• Establish innovation labs or centres of excellence within the data team to explore innovative technologies and methodologies.

Governance

• Governance & Data Management: Oversight of data quality, governance, master data management, and policy in a data context. Ensure the responsibility for data accuracy though the development of data quality metrics.
• Oversight of the identification, management, and ownership of data risk, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and standards. Ensure ethical use of data, including adherence to privacy laws and ethical guidelines in data science and AI.

Data engineering

• Collaborate with engineering teams in the collection, storage, and analysis of data to ensure accuracy, integrity, and security.
• Strengthen collaboration with IT teams to ensure that data infrastructure supports business needs and is scalable for future growth. Structure and design of data in Snowflake platform to ensure it meets the needs of the business.

Management

• Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) related to data initiatives and their impact on business performance. Develop and track performance metrics related to data initiatives, ensuring they contribute to business success.
• Manage relationships with external data vendors and partners, ensuring they deliver value and meet AJ Bell’s standards.
• Develop training programs to upskill employees in data analytics, data science and data governance.
• Manage the budget for data initiatives, ensuring efficient use of resources.
• Promotes a workplace that is inclusive and diverse where everyone feels respected and included.
• Act as a role model for organisational values and leadership behaviours.
• Lead, inspire, and manage a team of data professionals.
• Supporting and enabling the business to achieve its regulatory requirements, including consumer duty.

What we're looking for:

• Demonstrated leadership in data strategy and execution, with a track record of delivering data initiatives aligned to business goals.
• Proven ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing teams across data analytics, data science, governance, and engineering.
• Proven track record of leading data-driven transformation, using analytics to unlock measurable business impact, enable data-led decisions, inform product development, and enhance customer insight. Ability to ensure scalable, secure, and reliable data infrastructure that enables lifecycle analytics and supports revenue and growth objectives.
• Expertise in analytical and querying tools such as Python, SAS, or SQL.
• Ability to promote a data-first culture by improving data understanding, accessibility, and confidence across the organisation, while championing the strategic value of data in achieving business goals. Ability to demonstrate a strong commitment to continuous learning, staying ahead of evolving data technologies and industry trends to maintain best practice and support ongoing improvements. Ability to maintain strategic vision, coupled with attention to detail.
• Customer-focused, with a detailed understanding of relevant legislation and regulation.
• Adaptable to a constantly changing data and business environment, with the ability to pivot strategies in response to innovative technologies, insights, or regulatory developments. Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and big data technologies (e.g., Snowflake, Spark).
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to distil complex data concepts into clear messages for non-technical stakeholders.
• Excellent stakeholder management and cross functional collaboration skills with the ability to build rapport at all levels.
• Previous experience in financial services or other highly regulated sectors is advantageous.

About us

AJ Bell is one of the fastest-growing investment platform businesses in the UK offering an award-winning range of solutions that caters for everyone, from professional financial advisers to DIY investors with little to no experience. We have over 593,000 customers using our award-winning platform propositions to manage assets totalling more than £90.4 billion. Our customers trust us with their investments, and by continuously striving to make investing easier, we aim to help even more people take control of their financial futures.

Having listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange in December 2018, AJ Bell is now a FTSE 250 company.

Headquartered in Manchester with offices in central London and Bristol, we now have over 1,500 employees and have been named one of the UK's 'Best 100 Companies to Work For’ for six consecutive years and in 2024 named a Great Place to Work®.

At AJ Bell you can expect a friendly working environment with a strong sense of teamwork, we have a great sense of pride in what we do, and this is reflected in our guiding principles.

Our perks and benefits

• Starting holiday entitlement of 28 days, increasing up to 31 days with length of service plus a holiday buy and sell scheme
• A choice of pension schemes with matched contributions up to 8%
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Buy As You Earn (BAYE) Scheme
• PMI
• Health Cash Plan – provided by SimplyHealth
• Discounted private healthcare scheme and dental plan
• Free gym membership
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Bike loan scheme
• Sick pay+ pledge
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave
• Loans for travel season tickets
• Death in service scheme
• Paid time off for volunteer work
• Charitable giving opportunities through salary sacrifice
• Calendar of social events, including monthly payday drinks, annual Christmas party, summer party and much more
• Ongoing technical training
• Professional qualification support
• Talent development programmes
• Peer recognition scheme, with rewards including restaurant and shopping vouchers or time off
• Monthly leadership breakfasts and lunches
• Casual dress code
• Access to a range of benefits from our sponsorship deals

Hybrid working

At AJ Bell, our people are the heart of our culture. We believe in building strong connections by working together. That's why we offer a hybrid working model, where you’ll spend a minimum of 50% of your working time per month in the Manchester office. For new team members, an initial period will be full-time in the office to help you immerse yourself in our business and build valuable relationships with your colleagues.

AJ Bell is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and all employees are empowered to bring their whole self to work.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy, religion, physical and mental disability, marital status and any other characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010. All decisions to hire are based on qualifications, merit and business need.

If you like the sound of the above, or just want to know more about the company and the role, we'd love to speak to you.