Data Lead

London, United Kingdom | Posted on 04/06/2026

At Scrumconnect, we are a people‑first digital consultancy that partners with government and private sector organisations to design, build, and deliver user‑centred digital services. We bring together multidisciplinary teams of consultants, designers, engineers, researchers, and data specialists to solve complex challenges and create meaningful outcomes for millions of users.

We are passionate about delivering high‑quality digital solutions that improve public services, drive innovation, and create lasting impact. Our culture is built on collaboration, continuous learning, inclusivity, and excellence.

Scrumconnect is seeking an experienced Data Lead to lead the development and execution of a strategic data vision for a large‑scale government programme supporting services used by millions of citizens.

This role will be responsible for assessing the current data landscape, defining the future‑state architecture and operating model, and creating a roadmap that enables data‑driven decision making, operational excellence, and regulatory compliance. The successful candidate will provide both strategic leadership and technical direction while helping shape and scale the data capability required to deliver long‑term transformation.

Working closely with senior stakeholders, delivery teams, architects, and data specialists, you will ensure that data platforms, governance frameworks, and analytical capabilities align with organisational objectives and government standards.

• Lead the development and execution of the overall data strategy.
• Assess and document current ("as‑is") data capabilities, platforms, processes, and governance arrangements.
• Define the target ("to‑be") data architecture, operating model, and roadmap.
• Establish and maintain data governance frameworks, standards, policies, and best practices.
• Ensure alignment with wider government data strategies and organisational objectives.
• Promote a culture of data‑driven decision making across programmes and stakeholders.

• Provide technical leadership across data engineering, analytics, and data science initiatives.
• Define and evolve data architecture, engineering standards, tools, and methodologies.
• Design scalable, secure, and resilient cloud‑based data solutions.
• Oversee the implementation of data platforms, ETL/ELT pipelines, and analytical solutions.
• Ensure data services meet both functional and non‑functional requirements, including security, performance, and scalability.
• Drive continuous improvement of data engineering and analytical capabilities.
• Define the optimal team structure, skills, and capabilities required to deliver the data strategy.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams including data engineers, analysts, data scientists, and architects.
• Mentor and support team members to foster technical excellence and professional growth.
• Collaborate with delivery partners and stakeholders to identify and onboard specialist expertise when required.
• Ensure successful delivery of strategic data initiatives within agreed timelines and budgets.

• Implement robust data quality, lineage, metadata, and governance practices.
• Ensure compliance with GDPR, security policies, government standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Establish monitoring and reporting mechanisms to maintain data integrity and reliability.
• Support audits, risk assessments, and compliance activities.
• Champion secure‑by‑design and privacy‑by‑design principles across all data initiatives.

• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders across business and technical teams.
• Translate complex technical concepts into clear business outcomes and recommendations.
• Present strategic plans, progress updates, and key insights to executive audiences.
• Facilitate workshops and decision‑making sessions to drive alignment and delivery.
• Significant experience leading data engineering, analytics, or data science functions within complex organisations.
• Proven track record of developing and delivering enterprise‑wide data strategies.
• Experience establishing data governance…