Senior Data Services Manager

As a Senior Data Services Manager, you will play a pivotal role within Kensington\’s Data Services Leadership Team, reporting directly to the Head of Digital & Data Engineering. Acting as the Deputy Head of Data Services, you will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Data Services function, providing leadership, mentorship, and guidance to the team.

You will build and maintain strong working relationships with cross functional technical teams, change delivery and business functions. You will enable, empower and support the Data Service team with the design, implementation and continuous improvement of advanced data solutions that adhere to Kensington\’s Enterprise Architecture principles and industry best practices.

A key aspect of the role is to ensure that the Data Service Team leads and supports the business with strong Data Governance, Data Quality and Data Management; ensuring the business meets its regulatory obligations and manages risk in accordance with our Enterprise Risk Framework.

Key Accountabilities

• Technical Leadership: Provide strategic and technical leadership for a high-performing Data Engineering and Business Intelligence function, overseeing the entire data services lifecycle, including development, testing, BAU activities, and production support.
• Delivery of Solutions: Support, enable and empower the Data Team with the design and implementation of complex data, analytics, and reporting solutions, ensuring alignment with business objectives, architectural principles, and engineering standards.
• Data Governance and Data Quality: Oversight of data governance to ensure data accuracy, quality, security, and compliance. Promote accountability in data management to enhance reliability and trust in data as a strategic asset.
• Standards and Best Practices: Evolve and maintain engineering standards, policies, principles, patterns, and practices for constructing robust data solutions and products, embedding governance and quality controls throughout the data lifecycle.
• Resource and Project Management: Manage team resources and forward planning to deliver projects and product roadmaps effectively.
• Work Prioritisation: Oversee the intake, prioritisation, and flow of work into the team,
• Team Development: Mentor, coach, and support the Data Services team, fostering a culture of growth, excellence, and collaboration.
• Agile Delivery: Drive continuous improvement through Agile development methodologies, emphasizing automation, shorter development cycles, and faster time-to-market through process improvement, tooling, and fostering a culture of ¿inspect and adapt¿.
• Peer Review and Quality Assurance: Oversee peer reviews, ensuring constructive feedback to engineers to improve craftsmanship, maintain adherence to architectural principles, and promote continuous improvement.
• Strategic Support: Assist the Head of Digital & Data Engineering with defining and delivering the Data Strategy, achieving business objectives, reporting project/product statuses to the CIO, and managing external supplier and partner relationships.
• Technical Design Authority: Hold a position on Kensington\’s Technical Design Authority; influencing, advising, and reviewing critical architectural and technology decisions.

Experience, Knowledge, Skills

Leadership and People

• Proven track record of successfully leading and developing high-performing Data Engineering and Business Intelligence teams
• Expertise in engaging and influencing C-suite executives and board members, building strong, trusted relationships across all levels of the organization.
• Adept at identifying resource, skills, and capability gaps, and proactively addressing them to meet business objectives and drive team success.

Governance, Commercial and Finance

• Commercially astute and financially literate, with the ability to align data strategy with business goals to drive growth and profitability.
• Extensive experience in Data Governance, including the development and management of policies, standards, and best practices to ensure data integrity, compliance, and security.

Technology

• Deep knowledge of Microsoft Data Platform technologies, including both on-premises and Azure-based solutions, with experience guiding the design and implementation of hybrid architectures that span cloud and on-premise environments.
• A broad understanding of established and emerging technologies, including data integration, data warehousing and advanced analytics platforms, with the ability to assess and recommend appropriate solutions.
• Strong knowledge of dimensional modelling techniques, including Kimball¿s Business Dimensional Lifecycle, with the ability to provide oversight and guidance in applying these concepts effectively.
• Demonstrated experience in overseeing the design and delivery of scalable and user-friendly reporting frameworks that empower business users with actionable insights.
• Proven ability to lead teams in designing and delivering ¿hybrid¿ data solutions that seamlessly integrate on-premise and cloud data sources, ensuring performance, security, and scalability.
• Familiarity with data engineering tools and automation technologies, including CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices

Qualifications

• 10+ years of prior Hands-on experience as a Data Professional (e.g. Data Engineering, BI Developer or Data Analyst)
• 7+ years leading and managing a Data Engineering / MI / BI Team