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Head of Data & Business Intelligence

Forward Role
Manchester
2 days ago
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Head of Data & Business Intelligence
£75,000 – £85,000 + Benefits
NW Based, with frequent travel across UK sites
Forward Role are looking for an experienced Head of Data & BI to shape and lead the data strategy for a diverse, multi-entity organisation operating across manufacturing, distribution, and e-commerce. This is a fantastic opportunity to take ownership of building a centralised view of data in a complex environment, transforming siloed information into actionable insights that drive decision-making across the business.
Role & Responsibilities
Lead the development of a comprehensive Data, BI and Analytics strategy, creating a “single version of the truth” across multiple ERP systems, IT platforms, and digital sources.
Oversee the design and delivery of data warehouses, BI solutions, and reporting frameworks, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and compliance,
Translate complex and fragmented data into clear KPIs and actionable insights for commercial, operational, and customer-facing teams.
Establish and enforce data governance standards, driving best practice across the organisation.
Partner with senior stakeholders to support digital transformation, while educating and influencing teams that are not yet data-savvy.
Lead and grow a data team, while working closely with external partners.
Champion innovation in analytics, AI, and predictive insights to optimise performance and create business value.
About You
We're looking for a candidate who can balance technical expertise with leadership and change management skills.
Proven experience delivering enterprise-wide BI solutions and data governance frameworks.
Strong technical knowledge of SQL, Power BI, Azure, and data warehousing (flexibility on stack).
Experience managing large-scale reporting or transformation projects, ideally in manufacturing, distribution, or complex data environments.
The ability to educate, influence, and bring stakeholders on the journey, even in non-data-native teams.
A strong grasp of KPIs and insight requirements for operations, finance, and commercial functions.
A track record of shaping centralised reporting solutions from fragmented and siloed data sources.
Desirable – but not essential:
AI/ML and predictive analytics
Knowledge of IoT data integration
Familiarity with multiple ERP systems and complex data landscapes.
This is an incredible opportunity to shape and build the data function in a highly diverse, fast-changing organisation – if you are interested please apply to this advert with your CV.
As an industry leading, nationwide Marketing, Digital, Analytics, IT and Design recruitment agency, we are continually receiving new assignments to work on, so keep a close eye on our website, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages for a full list of current permanent and interim opportunities as well as marketplace news and fun stuff.
Forward Role is operating as an employment agency.

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