Head of Data Governance

Location: London (Hybrid working, 3 office days per week)

Employment Type: Permanent, Full Time

Why Join Us?

• Annual bonus, cash car allowance and private medical insurance
• Shape and embed The AA’s critical data governance operating model across a large, complex organisation
• Build a meaningful Group wide capability with strong executive sponsorship and the opportunity to influence how data is governed from an early stage
• Play a key role in ensuring trusted, high-quality data supports better decision making, customer outcomes and our growing Data and AI ambitions

For over a century, The AA has been keeping Britain moving. Today, millions of drivers trust us to be there when it matters most, and we're equally committed to supporting the people who make that possible. With a 4.5-star Glassdoor rating, we've built a culture where colleagues are empowered to grow, collaborate and make a real impact for our customers on every journey.

Which has been recognised by Sunday Times “Best Places to Work” for the last two years.

This is the Job

At The AA, we are putting data at the heart of how we make better decisions, deliver better customer outcomes and shape the future of our business. As we continue centralising our key commercial and customer data onto a modern lakehouse platform, we are looking for a Head of Data Governance to build and embed the operating model that ensures our most critical data is trusted, controlled and used with confidence.

This is a high impact leadership role where you will lead the rollout of our critical data governance operating model, introduce data domain ownership and stewardship, embed governance controls into business change and ope rationalise data quality monitoring across our lakehouse platform.

You will play a visible Group level role, partnering with senior leaders across Data, Technology, Risk, Compliance, Cyber Security, Data Privacy and our business domains. With strong executive sponsorship and the foundations already in place, this is an opportunity to build a lasting capability and create governance that enables the business rather than slows it down.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, rollout and embedding of a critical data governance operating model across the Group, including data domain owners, data stewards, critical data elements, definitions, lineage, quality rules and service levels
• Embed data governance controls into business and technology change, ensuring upstream changes are managed effectively and do not compromise critical data, reporting or customer outcomes
• Own Group wide oversight of data and reporting risk, including governance, controls, Key Risk Indicators and audit actions across the Data and AI function
• Select, deliver and ope rationalise enterprise grade data governance and data quality tooling across a modern lakehouse environment, including Microsoft Purview and comparable platforms
• Partner with senior stakeholders to build confidence, understanding and advocacy for data governance, translating complex topics into clear business value
• Lead and develop a specialist team, creating a positive, delivery focused culture with clear standards, strong accountability and opportunities for professional growth

What Do I Need?

You’ll Bring

• Proven experience designing, building and rolling out a critical data governance operating model within a large, complex or regulated organisation, including establishing or significantly evolving the capability rather than solely operating an established model
• Strong practical knowledge of data governance and data management, including data ownership and stewardship, critical data elements, data quality, metadata, lineage, controls and governance by design
• Hands on experience selecting, implementing…