Head of Data Operations

Head of Data Operations Department: COO (Chief Operating Office)

Salary: £90,000 - £98,000 per annum plus benefits

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full-time (we're happy to discuss flexible working arrangements)

Location: Stratford, London Office-based with high flexibility (typically 2 days per week in the office)

Closing date: 5 August 2026 at 23:59

Visa sponsorship: You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this vacancy. Cancer Research UK is not able to offer visa sponsorship.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Head of Data Operations to join us. In this newly created role, you'll lead the Cancer Research UK org-wide data operations capability, building a vision on how we use data as a trusted, high-quality asset that enables us to beat cancer faster. You'll spearhead improvements in data quality across critical datasets, whilst embedding clear data ownership and stewardship, making data more accessible, findable and reusable to support better decision-making and innovation. This will enable us to drive value across the organisation through improved performance, operational effectiveness and audience-centric customer journeys. This is a pivotal role at an exciting point in our data journey. As our ambition grows, so does our reliance on trusted, high-quality data to guide decisions, deepen relationships with our supporters, and speed up the pace of research. You'll shape how the whole organisation understands, values, and cares for its data, setting foundations that will serve CRUK for years to come. Above all, this is a change and transformation role. Our teams are empowered and close to the audiences they serve, so you'll lead through influence, insight, and strong relationships rather than mandate. You'll be a persuasive advocate for the value of data. You'll make the case for ownership, stewardship, and good data management by tying each to the strategic outcomes colleagues care about most. You'll build belief, create momentum, and turn better ways of working into lasting habits across the organisation.

What will be some of the main responsibilities?

• Lead the organisation-wide shift to treating data as a trusted, strategic asset which is critical to achieving our business goals.
• You will need to build the understanding, the belief, and the accountability structures that turn better data management into better decisions and business outcomes across a complex organisation.
• Lead the development and implementation of a data quality framework across CRUK's critical datasets to ensure data is accurate, consistent, and fit for purpose across all priority operational and analytical use cases.
• Define and govern enterprise data standards and integration guardrails to ensure consistency and scalability across CRUK's data and technology ecosystem, including MarTech platforms enabling audience engagement.
• Drive adoption of automation and AI-enabled approaches to proactively detect, diagnose, and resolve data quality issues at scale.
• Establish and embed a data ownership and stewardship model across the organisation to ensure clear accountability for the quality, integrity, and compliant management of data assets.
• Develop and maintain a Business Information Model (BIM) that defines CRUK's core data entities, their relationships, and agreed definitions, providing the semantic foundation for data discovery and catalogue metadata.
• Own data discovery and data observability capabilities (excluding data engineering pipeline build), ensuring CRUK's data assets are visible, understood, monitored for quality and health, findable and reusable across the organisation.
• Ensure data protection requirements are built into data systems, processes, and projects from the outset, working in close partnership with the Data Privacy team to embed privacy-by-design principles.
• Design and build the team structure, roles, and operating model within Data Operations and Governance to create a high-performing function, whilst providing clear direction and leadership.

What skills are we looking for?

• Proven success leading data or business change in an empowered, federated organisation, building belief and momentum through influence rather than formal authority.
• Significant experience leading data governance, data quality, or data operations functions in a complex organisation.
• Relevant experience designing and implementing data quality frameworks, data catalogues, or master data management programmes at scale.
• Experience establishing data ownership and stewardship models, including engaging senior stakeholders to take on accountability for data assets.
• Strong working knowledge of UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the practical application of privacy-by-design principles.
• Experience managing and developing multidisciplinary data teams, including optimising organisational design to meet evolving organisational needs.
• Ability to translate complex data governance concepts into accessible language and practical action for non-specialist audiences and executive stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to diagnose root causes of data quality issues and design sustainable remediation approaches, working with others across the organisation.
• Collaborative working style with the ability to influence both technical and non-technical stakeholders without direct authority across a large, mission-driven organisation.

What will I gain?

Each and every one of our employees contributes to our progress and is supporting our work to beat cancer. We think that's