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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead data strategy and operations for a fast-growing tech company in finance.
- Company: Join 9fin, revolutionising the debt capital markets with innovative technology.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity options, hybrid work, and generous holiday allowance.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by transforming complex data into business advantage.
- Qualifications: Experience in data leadership within finance and strong stakeholder management skills.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for professional growth and a focus on inclusivity.
The predicted salary is between 48000 - 84000 £ per year.
About 9fin
The world's largest asset class, debt, operates with the worst data. Technology has revolutionised equity markets with electronic trading, quant algos and instantaneous news. However, in debt capital markets, the picture is completely different. It still behaves like it's in the 1980s; trillions of dollars of trades are placed over the phone, news is slow, and corporate credit information is imperfect and scattered. Our mission is to change this. 9fin's proprietary technology delivers fast and comprehensive financial, credit, legal & ESG analysis. Our clients are able to make faster, more informed decisions, win more business and most importantly, save time. Our fast growing list of clients include 9 of the top 10 Investment Banks, leading Asset Managers, Hedge Funds and Law Firms.
The Opportunity
We're seeking a Director of Data to own 9fin's data strategy and operations. 9fin's Data Operations team plays a critical role in ensuring that timely, accurate information is ingested into our platform at scale. This is a unique opportunity to define what data we collect, why it matters, how we deliver it - while leading a large (150+ person) operations organisation to execute at vision. You'll join at a moment when the data function is maturing, giving you meaningful influence over the direction and pace of our growth. If you're energised by driving strategy, building and scaling teams, and turning complex market data into business advantage, this is for you.
This role requires a commercially minded data leader with finance expertise and ability to set strategy in a fast paced, growing environment. You'll need to be comfortable operating at both altitude and detail: shaping our long-term data vision while making thoughtful trade-offs to maximise impact. You'll be the person who can translate complex market documentation into clear data priorities, balance multiple stakeholder demands, and guide the existing data operations organisation through growth with clarity and confidence. You will bring credibility, independence and strong relationship building skills to a role that sits at the intersection of product, content and the rest of executive leadership.
What you'll work on
- Define and lead 9fin's operational data strategy by identifying what data we need, why we need it, the ROI of acquiring it, and what that means for Data Ops resourcing to ensure operational readiness for new products.
- Interface and partner with senior stakeholders across the business to ensure alignment of the data roadmap, maintain strong executive-level relationships.
- Drive cross-functional delivery by coordinating discovery, scoping and delivery for data-heavy projects.
- Lead the Data Operations organisation based in Belfast that is expanding globally which handles financial and news / market data with 30+ workstreams.
- Own external data vendor strategy. Centralise licensing, negotiate improved terms, assess alternatives, and maintain a unified view of 9fin's external data sources to reduce duplication and improve commercial outcomes.
- Operate with a value-driven mindset to prioritise investments, make smart trade-offs, and ensure we direct resources toward the highest impact data while ensuring buy-in from relevant stakeholders.
- Champion best-in-class data quality by defining clear standards, driving continuous improvement across accuracy, completeness and timeliness to ensure that our data meet our client's expectations.
- Build performance transparency by owning the dashboards, metrics and SLAs that drive Data at 9fin.
About You
This role will be a great fit if you're an experienced data-leader in the finance industry - ideally with direct exposure to leveraged finance - and you're equally comfortable defining strategy and rolling up your sleeves on execution. You have:
- Finance domain expertise: You are familiar with offering memorandums, credit structures, covenants or similar complex documentation.
- Leadership experience: You've led large international data operations teams (100+ people) and know how to scale people, processes and performance across multiple jurisdictions and offices.
- Data systems understanding: You grasp database mechanics, data workflows, and quality frameworks at a high level, enabling productive collaboration with engineering and operations.
- Stakeholder management: You excel at navigating competing priorities, influencing senior leaders and building credibility quickly across functions.
- Strategic and execution balance: You can define long-term data strategy while diving into detail when needed to drive operational excellence.
- Executive ownership: You operate confidently at a senior level, exercising sound judgement, setting direction, and bringing clarity to ambiguous environments.
Benefits
We're a scaling start up, and we enjoy sharing our success, when the company succeeds, we always reinvest that in our people. We also offer huge amounts of responsibility, an abundance of opportunity for growth and a platform to truly excel.
- Competitive Salary (our salary bands are benchmarked at 75-90th% of market)
- Equity
- Pension (your minimum contributions are 4% with 9fin matching up to 7%)
- Private Medical Insurance
- Paid sick leave with Income Protection for long periods of illness
- Group Life Assurance
- Season Ticket Loan & Cycle to Work schemes
- 25 holiday days per year
- Local public holidays (with the ability to exchange them for alternative days)
- Hybrid working model, to allow you the flexibility to decide how, where and when you do your best work
- Work abroad for up to 3 months a year
- 1 month paid sabbatical after 5 years of service
- Enhanced parental leave & flexible working arrangements available
- Professional learning and development budget
- Quarterly team socials
- Summer and Winter company social events
9fin is an equal opportunities employer. At 9fin we are dedicated to building and promoting a fair and inclusive workplace where everyone can reach their full potential and truly belong. We recognise that building diverse teams enables a more creative and productive environment. If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't perfectly align with the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be who we're looking for - either for this role, or perhaps another.
Director of Data Operations in London employer: 9fin
Contact Detail:
9fin Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Director of Data Operations in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their data operations and think about how your experience aligns with their needs. This will help you stand out and show that you're genuinely interested in the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how your skills and experiences make you the perfect fit for the Director of Data Operations role. Keep it concise but impactful, focusing on your leadership experience and strategic mindset.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our mission at 9fin.
We think you need these skills to ace Director of Data Operations in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Director of Data Operations. Highlight your experience in data strategy and operations, especially in finance. We want to see how your background aligns with our mission at 9fin!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about transforming data in debt capital markets. Share specific examples of how you've driven data initiatives in the past, and let us know why you want to join our team.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: As a potential leader in our Data Operations team, we want to see your leadership style. Share experiences where you've successfully led large teams or projects, and how you navigated challenges. This will help us understand how you can guide our growing organisation.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates. Plus, it shows you're keen on joining 9fin!
How to prepare for a job interview at 9fin
✨Know Your Data Inside Out
As a Director of Data Operations, you need to demonstrate a deep understanding of data strategy and operations. Brush up on your knowledge of financial data, credit structures, and the specific challenges faced in debt capital markets. Be ready to discuss how you would approach defining and leading 9fin's operational data strategy.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role requires strong leadership experience, so be prepared to share examples of how you've successfully led large international teams. Highlight your ability to scale processes and performance across multiple jurisdictions, and discuss how you’ve navigated competing priorities while maintaining team morale.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Stakeholder management is key in this position. Think about how you can illustrate your experience in building relationships with senior leaders and aligning data roadmaps with business objectives. Prepare to discuss specific instances where you influenced decision-making and drove cross-functional collaboration.
✨Balance Strategy and Execution
You’ll need to show that you can think strategically while also being hands-on. Prepare to talk about how you’ve defined long-term data strategies in previous roles, but also be ready to dive into the details of execution. This balance is crucial for success at 9fin, so have examples ready that showcase both sides of your skill set.
