Head of Data in Bristol

At Ecosurety, we’re entering one of the most exciting phases in our history. We’re a strong, established business, now with an increased focus on building out our product range that helps organisations make critical decisions about their packaging - increasing its sustainability and reducing costs. At the centre of this is our platform that brings together fragmented packaging data, applies complex regulatory logic making reporting accurate and simple, and enables customers to model packaging decisions that reduce cost and increase recyclability across multiple markets. Data is a critical, funded investment area for us, with backing already in place and a clear mandate from leadership. What’s missing is the person to define how it all comes together.

We’re an industry-leading packaging data company on a mission to rid the world of unnecessary packaging, and we’re scaling fast. More than 500 brands and retailers, including some of the UK’s biggest household names, rely on us to navigate complex packaging decisions. We’re evolving from a compliance-focused organisation into a data-first product company, building the digital infrastructure that will shape the future of packaging at scale. At the centre of this is our next-generation data platform, powering intelligent tools that help businesses make smarter, faster, and more profitable decisions. We’re a commercially strong, mission-driven, certified B Corp, using technology to solve complex problems with a direct impact on sustainability.

This is a true player-coach role, combining strategic ownership with hands-on delivery. You’ll define and own our data strategy, setting direction for how data is structured, used, and scaled across the business.

You’ll be responsible for:

• Defining the data architecture
• Shaping how data supports product and engineering
• Building the data platform from the ground up
• Defining what belongs in the data layer vs the application layer
• Taking ownership of how data is ingested, structured, validated, and made usable across the platform

In the early stages, you’ll work closely with external delivery partners while building out an internal engineering capability over time. You’ll also be:

• Designing and implementing the core data architecture
• Turning fragmented, manual processes into robust, scalable data pipelines
• Working with messy, multi-source data and shaping it into something usable
• Partnering closely with Engineering and Product to ensure data enables real outcomes
• Introducing the right level of structure, governance, and data quality standards
• Delivering through a mix of hands-on work, new hires, and external/augmented teams

This is a foundational leadership role. You’ll:

• Build and scale the data team from the ground up
• Define the structure, capabilities, and hiring roadmap
• Work with external partners and consultancies alongside internal hires
• Establish how data works as a core capability across the business

In 12 months’ time, you’ve:

• Defined and embedded a clear, scalable data strategy
• Built a data platform that reliably supports product use cases
• Established a high-performing data team and delivery model
• Created confidence in data quality, structure, and traceability
• Brought clarity to how data, product, and engineering work together

This is a rare opportunity to join a commercially successful, established business at the exact point we’re building a brand-new data and product capability. You’re not inheriting a mature platform or scaling something already defined, you’re defining the strategy, building the platform, and creating the function from the ground up, with real backing from the business.

This is one of the first senior technology hires in this new phase of the business. Which means:

• You’ll define and own the data strategy from day one
• You’ll shape how the data function is structured and built
• You’ll play a key role in establishing a data-led product organisation
• As we scale, the scope and impact of the role will naturally grow with it.

You’ve likely:

• Built and scaled data platforms in SaaS or data-led environments
• Worked across data architecture, pipelines, and modelling - not just one area
• Been hands-on with tools like Snowflake, dbt, and Azure (or similar cloud environments)
• Designed and maintained ETL/ELT pipelines, ideally using tools like Azure Data Factory
• Strong SQL skills, including complex querying and performance optimisation
• Experience working with CI/CD pipelines and Git-based workflows
• A solid understanding of data modelling concepts (e.g. star/snowflake schema, slowly changing dimensions)

Alongside this, you:

• Are comfortable operating as a player-coach, staying close to the detail while setting direction
• Can move between hands-on problem solving, architecture, and senior stakeholder conversations
• Have experience building teams and capabilities from scratch
• Are comfortable working with both internal teams and external partners
• Know how to balance pragmatism with long-term thinking
• Can bring clarity to complexity and structure to ambiguity.

From £90,000 salary

Hybrid working (Bristol, 50% office)

High ownership and autonomy

Backed investment in data as a core business priority

Opportunity to build a data platform and team from the ground up

Long-term progression as we scale

If you’re looking for the chance to define strategy, build a team, and create the foundations of something meaningful, with real backing from the business, this is a genuinely exciting opportunity.