Director of Data & AnalyticsManchester (3 days per week onsite)Forward Role are thrilled to be partnering exclusively with a high‑growth, PE‑backed technology organisation in Manchester. As the business continues to scale, they are investing heavily in their data capability, and as part of this next phase, they are hiring a Director of Data & Analytics to centralise, elevate and grow the function.This senior leadership role sits at the heart of a fast‑moving, data‑driven technology business, where data underpins product development, customer experience, operational performance, and commercial decision‑making. As Director of Data & Analytics, you’ll shape how the organisation uses insight and technology to scale effectively and compete more intelligently. You’ll own the full data strategy across analytics, engineering, quality, governance and emerging capabilities such as AI‑driven products and automation.You’ll also be responsible for creating an insight‑led culture and ensuring teams across the business can access trusted, actionable data at pace. Your remit will span the full customer journey - covering digital performance, acquisition analytics, channel optimisation, forecasting, experimentation, and supporting operational teams with improved decisioning and performance frameworks. A major part of the role is connecting data with real commercial impact, using insights to influence growth, efficiency, customer outcomes and product development.Data already plays a fundamental role in the organisation, but there is a clear mandate to take it to the next level. The incoming Director of Data & Analytics will:
Centralise analytics, insights, data engineering, BI and data science into one unified capabilityShape and deliver the data strategy, architecture and operating modelBuild a modern, real‑time data environmentDrive AI‑enabled self‑service analytics and free up analysts for high‑value insightStrengthen data quality, governance and reliability across the entire estate
This role will be crucial in building out the organisation’s data capabilities and enhancing performance across product, digital, commercial and operational teams.Key ResponsibilitiesStrategy & Leadership
Define and deliver a scalable, future‑fit data strategyChampion data as a strategic asset across the organisationBuild a roadmap that strengthens foundational data quality and enables AI‑driven capabilityCreate progression pathways, upskilling frameworks and a culture of curiosity, collaboration and accountability
Analytics & Insight
Lead analytics teams across digital performance, acquisition, experimentation and attributionEnsure analytics is aligned with Product, Marketing, Sales and OperationsDrive modern analytical approaches including attribution modelling, forecasting and optimisationConvert complex data into actionable recommendations that influence trading, product, strategy and investment decisions
Data Engineering & Architecture
Oversee architecture, reliability and performance of data platforms, pipelines and modelsMinimise technical debt and ensure high availability across the data ecosystemEmbed strong standards across governance, modelling, lineage, documentation and securitySupport use cases ranging from automated reporting through to ML‑driven product features
Commercial Impact
Identify opportunities for growth, efficiency and improved customer outcomesBuild business cases, models and forecasts to support strategic decision‑makingStrengthen evaluation of channel performance, attribution and investment effectiveness
Skills & ExperienceThe ideal candidate will be an experienced data leader who blends strategic vision with hands‑on credibility. You will likely have:
Progressed through analytics and data roles into broader leadership, with a very strong commercial mindset and business acumenStrong understanding of data engineering fundamentals, data lakes and modern data architectureExperience operating in high‑volume, high‑availability, digital‑first environmentsA track record of building high‑performing data teamsAbility to translate complex technical concepts into commercial impactPassion for elevating data maturity and enabling self‑service across a business
Most importantly, you’ll be excited about shaping a unified, modern data function that will drive the next chapter of growth.As an industry leading, nationwide Marketing, Digital, Analytics, IT and Design recruitment agency, we are continually receiving new assignments to work on, so keep a close eye on our website, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages for a full list of current permanent and interim opportunities as well as marketplace news and fun stuff.
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