Jobs at LINK

Location

Hybrid Working, with a minimum of one day a week in the Head Office located in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

Candidates must be within reasonable commuting distance of Harrogate.

Contract Length

Permanent

Who we are

LINK is a not-for-profit company governed by an independent Board and is the UK's largest cash machine network, connecting virtually all the UK’s ATMs and providing communities with access to cash through services such as cashback at retailers’ tills and Banking Hubs.  While many consumers are now embracing digital payments, there are still millions of people who rely on cash every day.  At LINK, we are passionate about protecting access to cash on the UK’s High Streets and ensuring it is maintained for as long as it is needed through the operation of our well-established Financial Inclusion Programme. LINK is regulated by the Payments Systems Regulator and the Bank of England and have a great track record of delivering results for communities.

What does the role involve? 

The Head of Data will be accountable for leading LINK’s Data Department, including Data Engineering and Analytics, and for delivering the data strategy, architecture, governance, reporting and modernisation agenda. This is a senior leadership role requiring a balance of strategic direction, technical credibility, delivery oversight and strong stakeholder influence across the business.

• Refine and implement LINKs existing Data Strategy, its existing data architecture and future technologies and the data related elements that LINK requires in its operating capacity.
• Gain a deep understanding of our current technologies, including existing SQL Server environments, and incorporate this knowledge to drive the decommissioning and migration strategy as part of the Database Optimisation programme, including the transition to modern data platforms such as Databricks or Microsoft Fabric and the adoption of modern data engineering practices.
• Lead on an optimisation programme of the model driven app that services regulated access to cash work LINK undertakes.
• Select and lead on the delivery of techniques and technologies to deliver resilient, scalable and future proofed analytics solutions, following best practice analytics architecture development.
• Lead the development and oversee data quality standards, assurance frameworks and compliance practices. Ensuring the adoption of data governance and ownership through a team of data owners and data stewards.
• Ensure robust governance of data models and data cataloguing for internal and external requirements.
• Ensure secure, efficient and scalable data pipelines and integrations between systems using modern best practice.
• Lead, manage and develop an expanding team of circa 10 data specialists, including Data Engineers and Analysts, through regular coaching and mentoring, driving technical excellence by supporting the team in their respective roles to further develop their skills, technical and industry knowledge.
• Champion data culture, design, quality and control to ensure that LINKs data meets best practice and fully supports regulatory requirements, stakeholder needs and reporting obligations.
• Manage the day-to-day operations and future development of LINKs data architecture and connected back-end and front-end systems through the implementation of a robust and auditable data change control process.
• Ensure the delivery of high quality reporting and analysis in support of the businesses operating requirements. Optimising Power BI data models and performance, ensuring all areas of LINK have access to reliable and timely insights.
• Develop and grow existing and new relationships with LINKs data suppliers and architecture support to ensure the effective flow and quality of source data.
• Work with all areas of the business to enable self-service reporting and data literacy.
• Translate business requirements into scalable data roadmaps, ensuring alignment across product, technology and data teams.
• Support the Senior Management Team in the strategic direction of LINKs data strategy, architecture, technologies and analytics.

What will I need to know?

Must-have skills:

• Strategic data leadership, including the ability to define, refine and deliver an enterprise data strategy aligned to organisational objectives.
• Proven experience leading data engineering and analytics teams, including coaching, mentoring, capability building and performance management.
• Strong knowledge of data architecture, data platforms, data modelling, data warehousing, integration patterns and scalable analytics solutions.
• Hands-on credibility with SQL Server environments and experience supporting migration to modern platforms such as Databricks, Microsoft Fabric or comparable technologies.
• Strong understanding of data governance, data ownership, data stewardship, metadata management, data quality standards and assurance frameworks.
• Experience designing and operating secure, resilient, auditable and scalable data pipelines and integrations across multiple systems.
• Strong stakeholder management, influencing and communication skills, with the ability to engage senior leaders, technical teams, suppliers and wider business users.
• Strong risk, control and compliance mindset, with awareness of regulatory requirements, information security, privacy and auditability of data processes.

Desirable skills:

• Advanced analytics and business intelligence capability, including the ability to oversee robust reporting, Power BI model optimisation and self-service analytics.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to translate business requirements into practical data roadmaps, delivery priorities and measurable outcomes.Change management capability, including experience leading teams through technology migration, process improvement and adoption of modern data engineering practices.
• Supplier and partner management skills, including the ability to manage data providers, technology partners and architecture support relationships effectively.
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex data concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.

What is in it for me?

You will be joining a not-for-profit business with a lovely working culture, and our employees are at the centre of our focus.

In addition to the base salary, LINK operates a bonus scheme and offers a wide range of employee benefits including group life and income protection, company pension scheme, private medical and dental insurance, hybrid working and learning opportunities. Our Harrogate office has an on-site café, gym, free car parking including electric charging points and bike parking facilities as well.

We will be interviewing as we receive CVs so if you are interested in this role, please apply as soon as possible.