Head of Data Platforms and Strategic Data Change
- Drive the strategic vision and delivery of enterprise-wide data platforms
- Lead and inspire teams to deliver innovative, business-critical data solutions
- Shape and embed best practice in data governance, engineering, and change across the organisation
About the Role
As Head of Data Platforms and Strategic Data Change, you will play a pivotal role in defining and delivering the strategic vision for data platforms across the organisation. Reporting to the Chief Data Officer, you will lead the development and execution of the data strategy, ensuring our platforms and tools enable the business to achieve its goals. This is a unique opportunity to influence enterprise-wide change, drive innovation, and build the data capabilities that underpin our future success.
In this high-profile leadership position, you will set the direction for our enterprise-wide data platforms, leveraging your technical expertise and business acumen to ensure we have the capabilities needed to deliver our business strategy. You will provide leadership on major change initiatives, collaborating with stakeholders across the group to align and deliver our data vision. Leading a team of System Product Owners, you will oversee the prioritisation and delivery of strategic change and ongoing enhancements, ensuring our platforms remain robust, innovative, and aligned to business priorities.
You will work closely with the Data Centre of Excellence leadership team to refine and implement the Group Data Strategy, drawing on industry trends and best practice to keep us at the forefront of data innovation. Responsibilities include developing business cases for new tools and solutions, managing relationships with external partners, and overseeing budgets for data platform investments. You will also champion data literacy and capability across the organisation, supporting the growth of a vibrant data community and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.
About You
You are a visionary leader with a passion for data and a proven track record of delivering strategic data change in complex, regulated environments. With deep expertise in modern cloud data platforms, such as Microsoft Azure, Collibra, and MDM technologies, you combine technical excellence with strong commercial acumen and the ability to influence at the highest levels. Your experience spans data engineering, architecture, analysis, and management, and you are adept at aligning data objectives with broader business goals.
You thrive on building effective relationships with senior stakeholders, leading through others, and developing high-performing teams. Your communication and interpersonal skills are exceptional, enabling you to inspire, motivate, and energise those around you. You are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can realise their potential, and you bring a strong focus on wellbeing, flexibility, and continuous learning.
To be successful in this role, you will have:
- Expertise in cloud data platforms (e.g., Azure, Snowflake), with relevant industry certifications (e.g., Microsoft Azure, CDMP)
- Demonstrable experience delivering strategic data change within insurance, financial services, or other regulated industries
- Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams, with excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills at senior and board levels
- Strong technical capabilities in data engineering, architecture, analysis, management, and product ownership/management
- Strategic leadership, vision, and experience managing complex change and dependencies in large organisations
At NFU Mutual, we support an inclusive workplace and value all the differences that make us unique. We celebrate the creativity and innovation that comes from diverse perspectives and experiences and share a common vision of doing the right thing for our customers and employees.
We recognise that some candidates may experience barriers during the recruitment process. So, we encourage candidates to discuss any adjustments or accommodations they need to be the best they can be throughout our recruitment process.
We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, a Race at Work and Women in Finance Charter signatory and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, regardless of age, ethnicity, disability, neurodiversity, gender, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background.
Benefits
- Salary £100,000 - £130,000, dependent upon experience.
- Annual bonus (up to 33% of salary)
- Contributory pension scheme, up to 20%, including your 8% contribution
- 28 days annual leave + bank holidays + buy/sell/save holiday trading scheme
- A Family Friendly policy that helps you balance your work and family responsibilities
- Private medical insurance for you and your family
- Access to savings at High Street brands, travel and supermarkets
- £20 contribution to a monthly gym membership – subject to T&Cs
- Health and wellbeing plan - cashback for dentist, opticians, physio and more
- Employee Volunteering - volunteer in the community for one day each year
- Unlimited access to Refer a Friend £500 bonus scheme
- Life Assurance cover of 4 x salary
- Employee discounts of 15% on a range of NFU Mutual insurance policies.
Working at NFU Mutual
We’re one of the UK’s leading general insurance and financial services companies. For over 110 years we’ve put our customers at the heart of everything we do. Our people are just as important to us.
We pride ourselves on being “a great place to work” and our Gallup Exceptional Workplace 2025 award was not only awarded with Distinction but also named us as the first UK-based company to receive a Gallup Exceptional Workplace for ten years in a row. We are also the only Insurer to feature in the LinkedIn Top 15 Companies 2025 list of ‘Best midsize employers to grow your career in the UK’, the Glassdoor Best Places to Work UK List 2023 and 2024, and were recognised as a certified UK Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
We offer a supportive culture where we empower and inspire our people to perform, offer them opportunities to grow, and recognise and reward their contribution. Our people are proud to work for a company that respects them and their communities, and they trust us to be financially sustainable, so we are successful now and in the future.
