Data Governance Manager

Group Data Governance Manager - Financial Services - 6 Months - Outside IR35 - £650 per day

About the Role

A leading financial services organisation is looking for an experienced Group Data Governance Manager to take ownership of its enterprise-wide Data Governance strategy. This is a senior leadership role focused on strengthening data stewardship, ensuring regulatory compliance, and enabling the business to gain greater value from its data.

You’ll lead the Data Governance team, define frameworks and standards, and work across the organisation to embed data ownership and accountability. This role is ideal for someone who combines technical understanding with strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the development and execution of the organisation’s Data Governance strategy and roadmap.
• Establish and maintain policies, standards, and frameworks that drive data quality and compliance.
• Promote the importance of Data Governance and help stakeholders understand its business value.
• Partner with teams across the business and IT to ensure data requirements are clearly defined and implemented.
• Build and enhance data management capabilities such as metadata, data quality, consent management, and data modelling.
• Champion the use of Data Governance tools and processes to support ownership and control of data assets.
• Provide oversight of regulatory requirements around data (e.g. Data Protection, Information Security, Risk).
• Manage and develop a team of Data Quality Analysts.
• Define and monitor Data Governance KPIs, using insights to drive continuous improvement.

About You

You’re an experienced Data Governance professional who can operate strategically while remaining hands-on when needed. You understand how to bring people on the data journey and can balance regulatory compliance with commercial value.

Essential experience:

• Significant experience in Data Governance or Data Quality leadership roles.
• Proven ability to design and implement Data Governance frameworks and policies.
• Strong knowledge of GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and regulatory reporting.
• Experience managing enterprise data assets in a complex, regulated environment.
• Practical understanding of data lineage, metadata management, and data quality.
• Exposure to Data Governance or cataloguing tools (Microsoft Purview or similar).

Desirable:

• Knowledge of cloud-based data platforms (Azure, Data Lake, SQL).
• Certifications in Data Governance, Data Management, GDPR/Data Protection, or Agile methodologies.
• Experience within the financial services sector.