Head of Data & Analytics Technology

Purpose of the role: MUST BE ELIGIBLE FOR SC CLEARANCE

We're seeking an exceptional Head of Data & Analytics Technology to lead the vision, strategy, and delivery of Capita's enterprise-wide data ecosystem. This is a high-impact leadership role where you'll own and evolve our Enterprise Data Platform (EDP), shaping a modern, scalable, and secure data environment that powers insight, innovation, and growth. As a key member of the data leadership team, you'll define the future of data and analytics technology across the organisation—driving forward platform architecture, platform engineering, and cutting‑edge solutions. You'll lead a talented technology and platform architecture function, delivering large‑scale, data‑driven initiatives and building products and services that create measurable business value. Working in close partnership with senior stakeholders across Data Governance, Data Services, and Data Transformation, you'll enable the delivery of world‑class data capabilities—both internally and for our clients. Your focus will be on creating a high‑performing, resilient, and future‑ready platform that unlocks the full potential of data across Capita. This is a unique opportunity to shape enterprise data strategy at scale, influence senior stakeholders, and make a lasting impact in a role at the forefront of digital transformation.

What you will do:

• Provide enterprise‑wide technical leadership across data & analytics technology, driving innovation, best practice, and adoption of emerging technologies.
• Own and evolve the Enterprise Data Platform (EDP), including standards, tooling, platform architecture, performance, and day‑to‑day operations.
• Define and deliver Capita's platform architecture strategy, ensuring alignment with business goals, governance, and security, and enabling seamless cross‑platform data integration.
• Build and lead a high‑performing centre of excellence, partnering effectively with internal teams and external vendors.
• Own and deliver the platform roadmap, applying strong governance, risk management, and agile delivery practices.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to design and deliver data products, solutions, and capabilities that meet business and client needs.
• Provide technical expertise and guidance across design, scalability, performance, and delivery.
• Manage a structured product backlog, balancing innovation, technical debt reduction, and commercial outcomes.
• Act as a trusted advisor across major programmes, transformation initiatives, and client opportunities, championing data governance and quality.

What we are looking for:

Experience

• Proven leadership of enterprise‑scale data platforms in complex organisations.
• Deep expertise in cloud data technologies, including Snowflake, Databricks, AWS, and Microsoft stack.
• Strong background in platform architecture and multi‑vendor, multi‑cloud environments.
• Experience working in Agile environments with diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge of DevOps, CI/CD, and continuous improvement practices.
• Demonstrated success in innovation and emerging technologies, including AI/ML.
• Proven ability to build and lead high‑performing teams.

Leadership & Personal Attributes

• Inspiring leader with strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Commercially aware, strategic, and results‑driven.
• Resilient, adaptable, and able to operate in fast‑paced, complex environments.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving capability.
• Pragmatic approach, balancing governance with innovation.

Technical Capability & Background

• Degree (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field.
• Extensive experience in data platforms, platform architecture, and analytics within large, complex organisations.
• Strong hands‑on expertise across:
• Modern data stack & DataOps (Snowflake, Databricks).
• Platform architecture & engineering (ETL/ELT, modelling, warehousing).
• Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Programming (SQL essential, Python, Spark, Java/Scala).
• Data governance & security (including GDPR).
• Advanced analytics & AI/ML.
• Experience building and scaling enterprise data platforms and leading transformation at scale.

What's in it for you?

• Competitive salary.
• 23 days' holiday, rising to 27 (pro rata) — plus the option to buy more after qualifying period.
• Paid volunteering day with a charity of your choice.
• Generous family leave policies — including 15 weeks' fully paid maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave.
• Cycle2Work scheme, pension, life assurance, and more.

We are committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. As part of our strategic goals, we are focused on accelerating gender and ethnic representation in leadership roles. We warmly encourage applications from women and individuals from Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority backgrounds. We're an equal opportunity and Disability Confident employer, which means we recruit and develop people based on their merit and passion. We are committed to providing an inclusive, barrier‑free recruitment process and working environment for everyone. If you need the job description or application form in an alternative format (such as large print or audio), or if you'd like to discuss other changes or support you might need, please email reasonableadjustments@capita.com and we'll get back to you. For more information about equal opportunities and process adjustments, please visit the Capita Careers website.