Data Operations Manager

Location: London (hybrid, min. 3 days/week in our Farringdon office). We will also consider applications for a remote home‑based contract for those who live more than 90 minutes away from the office.

Company: Ascend Media (Elite Traveler, Spear’s, The World of Fine Wine, World of Fine Spirits)

Ascend Media is home to some of the world’s leading luxury media brands:
Elite Traveler, Spear’s, The World of Fine Wine, and The World of Fine Spirits. We create world‑class content, digital platforms, and immersive brand experiences that connect with ultra‑high‑net‑worth audiences and luxury brands worldwide.

We’re looking for a highly organised and detail‑oriented Data Operations Manager to join our Data & Insights team.

This role is responsible for the day‑to‑day operational delivery of data projects, ensuring that work is effectively planned, coordinated, executed, and delivered to a consistently high standard. Sitting at the intersection of data, editorial, and operations, the Data Operations Manager will coordinate team activity, maintain and improve databases and datasets, oversee data quality processes, and ensure projects progress smoothly from planning through to delivery.

Working closely with the Data & Insights Director, data researchers, editorial teams, and other stakeholders across the business, you will translate priorities and project requirements into clear execution plans, allocate and coordinate work, monitor progress, and ensure that data remains accurate, complete, structured, and well maintained.

• Oversee the day‑to‑day maintenance and management of databases and structured datasets across the Data & Insights function.
• Ensure data is accurate, complete, consistent, and maintained according to agreed standards.
• Coordinate regular data validation, auditing, cleaning, and quality assurance processes.
• Identify data gaps, inconsistencies, duplicates, and structural issues, and coordinate their resolution.
• Ensure database structures, fields, taxonomies, and documentation are maintained consistently.
• Support the continuous improvement of data management processes and operational standards.
• Maintain clear documentation covering database structures, processes, data definitions, and operating procedures.

• Coordinate the execution of data and rankings projects from planning through to final delivery.
• Translate project priorities into clear tasks, timelines, responsibilities, and deliverables.
• Coordinate day‑to‑day team workloads and ensure priorities and expectations are clearly communicated.
• Create and maintain detailed project plans, workflows, trackers, and delivery schedules.
• Monitor progress across multiple projects and proactively follow up on outstanding actions and dependencies.
• Identify risks, delays, resource constraints, or process gaps and escalate them where appropriate.
• Ensure projects are delivered accurately, efficiently, and according to agreed timelines.

• Own and coordinate quality assurance processes across data projects and ongoing database maintenance.
• Establish and maintain clear data quality checks and validation procedures.
• Review datasets and project outputs for accuracy, consistency, completeness, and adherence to defined requirements.
• Ensure quality checks are completed before data is published, transferred, or handed over to another team.
• Track recurring data quality issues and implement processes to reduce errors and improve consistency.
• Promote strong attention to detail and accountability for data quality across the team.

• Act as a key operational link between the Data & Insights team and editorial stakeholders.
• Coordinate timelines, requirements, dependencies, and handovers between teams.
• Follow up with stakeholders to ensure required information, decisions, and deliverables are provided on time.
• Translate meetings and discussions into clear briefs, specifications, action plans, and responsibilities.
• Ensure project requirements and changes are clearly documented and communicated to the relevant…