Lead Data Strategist

About:
Our client is a learning experience platform built for higher education. We help universities and
colleges create engaging, connected learning environments - replacing fragmented tools with a
single, purposeful space for students and educators.

They work with institutions across the UK and internationally. The platform spans course spaces,
communication, assessments, and learning analytics. As platforms deepen into AI capabilities,
data sits at the centre of every product decision we make.

Role Overview :
We are looking for a Lead Data Strategist to own how data is collected, structured, governed, and
activated across the platform.

This is a senior individual contributor and leadership role. You will set the direction for the data
and AI intelligence layer - working closely with Product, Engineering, and Customer Success to
turn raw platform signals into outcomes that matter for learners and institutions.
You will not just advise on data. You will make consequential decisions about what we build, how
we model it, and how AI uses it.

What You Will do:

Data Strategy & Governance

• Define and own platform’s data strategy - spanning learner activity, assessment signals,
engagement patterns, and institutional outcomes.

• Design and maintain scalable data models that support product features, AI capabilities,
and institutional reporting.

• Establish data governance standards: quality, lineage, access controls, and UK GDPR /
FERPA compliance.

• Set the roadmap for moving from descriptive analytics toward predictive and prescriptive
intelligence.

AI Capability Development

• Lead the definition of AI-powered features - learning recommendations, at-risk student
detection, assessment feedback intelligence, and engagement nudges.

• Work with data engineers to shape feature engineering, model objectives, and production
readiness criteria.

• Evaluate and integrate LLM-based capabilities- including RAG pipelines, embeddings,
and AI-assisted feedback - into the product responsibly.

• Maintain a clear AI ethics and explainability standard, particularly given the sensitivity of
student data in higher education.

Product & Platform Partnership

• Partner with Product Management across roadmap areas:
Assignments, Learning
Spaces, Analytics, Onboarding, and RBAC.

• Translate data capabilities into concrete, shippable product features

• Build data products and dashboards that give institutions visibility into learning outcomes
and engagement.

• Support Customer Success with data insights that improve onboarding, retention, and
institutional renewals.

Standards & Team Development

• Define data team structure and capability needs as platform scales.

• Raise data literacy across the product and engineering organisation.

• Contribute to accessibility and inclusive design standards (WCAG 2.2) as they apply to
data-driven UI.

• Mentor analysts and data engineers on both technical execution and strategic
prioritisation.

What You Will Bring:
Essential

• 7+ years in data strategy, data product management, or applied AI - with at least 2 years
at lead position

• Experience designing data models for complex, behaviour-rich platforms - EdTech, LMS,
LXP, or SaaS preferred.

• Strong understanding of AI/ML product development: translating product goals into data
pipelines, model requirements, and evaluation frameworks.

• Hands-on with modern data stack tools - dbt, Airflow, Snowflake, or equivalents.

• Proficient in SQL; comfortable with Python for analysis and pipeline scripting.

• Clear communicator - you can explain a data architecture decision to a PM and a
compliance implication to a university..

• Working knowledge of UK GDPR and data protection obligations in education contexts.

Desirable

• Experience with LLM integration, RAG pipelines, or embedding-based personalisation
systems.
Familiarity with learning standards: xAPI, IMS LTI 1.3, SCORM, or H5P.
Background in higher education technology or student success platforms.

How We Work
We follow a Minimal Lovable Experience approach - we ship the smallest version that works well
for real users and iterate fast. We favour structured thinking over instinct, and workflow continuity
over theoretical redesigns.

We expect you to be opinionated about sequencing: what data capability to build now, what to
defer, and why. You will be held to decisions, not just recommendations.

How to Apply

Join us in shaping the future of technology by applying your expertise as a Lead Data Strategist.
If you are passionate about driving innovation and delivering impactful solutions, we invite you
to be part of our dynamic team.
Apply at: hrconnecttures.