At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a global team in sourcing and managing external data efficiently.
- Company: Join EY, a leader in professional services with a diverse and inclusive culture.
- Benefits: Flexible work environment, world-class training, and career development opportunities.
- Other info: Be part of a dynamic team with global reach and growth potential.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by driving operational excellence in data acquisition.
- Qualifications: Experience in data sourcing and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
About the Delivery Team
The Data Acquisition team consists of Category Managers, Inventory & Finance specialists, and works with colleagues in the wider Data Office and other teams such as Procurement. Together, the team delivers an integrated approach to sourcing and managing data across EY. Category Managers work directly with business stakeholders and collaborate with Procurement, GCO, Finance, Risk and other global functions to meet enterprise data needs efficiently and compliantly.
The Opportunity
The Data Acquisition Assistant Leader acts as the primary deputy and right hand to the Head of Data Acquisition, strengthening leadership capacity, operational discipline and execution effectiveness across the function. This role blends strategic support, operational leadership, team management, and category oversight, ensuring the global sourcing of external data operates consistently, efficiently and in alignment with enterprisewide priorities. You will help translate strategy into execution, coordinate day‑to‑day team operations, support key vendor and stakeholder relationships, and enable value realization from externally sourced data across service lines, sectors and geographies. This role is ideal for a senior sourcing professional ready to take on leadership of a global, virtual team and drive operational excellence.
Your Key Responsibilities
- Strategic & Operational Support
- Act as the primary deputy to the Head of Data Acquisition, supporting the design, execution and continuous improvement of EY’s global external data sourcing strategy.
- Translate data strategy into actionable execution plans, operating models and delivery roadmaps.
- Contribute to the global vision and strategic direction for enterprise external data acquisition.
- Support monitoring of sourcing outcomes, usage insights, consumption patterns and ROI to guide renewal recommendations and prioritization.
- Team & Assistant Leadership Responsibilities
- Manage day‑to‑day operations of the global Data Acquisition team, including workload planning, prioritization, delivery oversight and issue resolution.
- Serve as the first point of escalation for operational, vendor or delivery challenges.
- Provide people leadership including coaching, mentoring, onboarding and skills development support.
- Partner with the Head of Data Acquisition and counsellors to support performance management, capability building and resource planning across the team.
- Category Strategy & Vendor Management
- Support development and maintenance of category strategies based on demand, market insights and EY’s data strategy.
- Identify emerging opportunities, risks and market trends shaping future category direction.
- Partner with stakeholders across regions and service lines to clarify priorities and align sourcing decisions.
- Support vendor evaluations, onboarding, lifecycle management, renewals and performance monitoring.
- Participate in commercial negotiations ensuring alignment with licensing, IP, privacy and usage requirements.
- Maintain segmentation frameworks and scorecards to track vendor performance and product value.
- Commercial & Financial Management
- Support budget planning, cost transparency and financial risk assessments across categories.
- Assess TCO, ROI and financial implications of sourcing decisions.
- Collaborate with Procurement, Finance, GCO and Risk to optimize commercial terms, compliance and cost efficiency.
- Execution, Governance & Value Delivery
- Support development of business cases, sourcing recommendations and funding requests.
- Co-ordinate deployment of sourced content, catalogue updates and practitioner communications.
- Support design and tracking of usage, adoption and value metrics for external data.
- Help ensure consistency in processes, governance, tools and reporting across geographies and service lines.
- Analytical / Decision‑Making Responsibilities
- Apply strong judgment when reviewing vendor proposals, commercial options and data products.
- Use insights from usage, adoption and ROI data to guide decision‑making.
- Balance business value, cost efficiency and governance requirements when shaping recommendations.
Knowledge and Skills Requirements
- Strong understanding of external data sourcing, data management and vendor ecosystems (e.g., LSEG, S&P, IDC, Gartner).
- Ability to support strategic planning while maintaining disciplined operational execution.
- Experience supporting or managing globally distributed virtual teams.
- Strong negotiation, relationship‑management and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
- Analytical mindset with ability to interpret usage, cost and value data.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, with strong stakeholder‑facing presence.
- Proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint and Teams; familiarity with Power BI preferred.
Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
- Significant experience in data sourcing, data management, content acquisition or related fields.
- Experience in vendor evaluations, RFP processes, contract management and renewals.
- Proven ability to collaborate across Procurement, Finance, Knowledge, Risk and Technology.
- Ability to manage competing priorities, ambiguity and complex delivery environments.
Ideally, You’ll Also Have
- Experience acting as a deputy, second‑in‑command or lead support within a global function.
- Exposure to enterprise data platforms, data fabrics or cloud‑based data solutions.
- Strong commercial acumen with understanding of cost, value and ROI considerations.
- Experience supporting large, complex, cross‑border initiatives.
- A proactive, self‑starter mindset with strong ownership and accountability.
What We Offer You
EY will develop you with future‑focused skills and equip you with world‑class experiences. We’ll empower you in a flexible environment, fueling your extraordinary talents in a diverse and inclusive culture of globally connected teams. To help create an equitable and inclusive experience during the recruitment process, please inform us as soon as possible about any disability‑related adjustments or accommodations you may need. EY is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status.
Data Acquisition Assistant Lead in Birmingham employer: EY
At EY, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters collaboration and innovation. As a Data Acquisition Assistant Lead, you will benefit from extensive professional development opportunities, a commitment to diversity and inclusion, and the chance to work within a global team that values your contributions. Our flexible environment empowers you to thrive while making a meaningful impact on enterprise data sourcing strategies.
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