Data Governance Lead

Hampshire Trust Bank is a specialist bank, staffed by experts focused on helping UK businesses realise their ambitions. We offer niche specialty lines, as a SME bank, targeting under-served segments. Our dedicated Wholesale Finance, Bridging Finance, Development Finance and Specialist Mortgages teams ensure that businesses receive the outstanding service, lasting relationships, integrity and expertise they need to prosper. We also provide savings accounts to individuals and businesses and since we lend to SMEs, our savers can be sure their money will help boost the British economy.

About The Department

Hampshire Trust Bank has a strong growth forecast for the years ahead, having achieved strong growth over recent years, and becoming a data driven business is identified as a key success criterion for achieving those forecasts on a cost-effective basis. The Bank is investing in becoming a data driven business and is in the process of migrating to a new data platform, comprising of a Snowflake data warehouse, Tableau reporting and analysis platform, and a new data governance operation. As a result, we are seeking a new Data Governance Lead to own and maintain the organisation’s data governance framework, covering policies, standards, controls, and operating processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the rollout, adoption, and effective usage of the enterprise data management tool (e.g., data observability, data catalogue, metadata, lineage).
• Provide leadership and development for team members within the data governance function, building capability as the function scales.
• Drive the identification, definition, prioritisation, and ongoing maintenance of Critical Data Elements (CDEs), ensuring they are agreed, documented, and governed consistently across the organisation.
• Define and maintain data quality rules, metadata standards, and classification frameworks, including CDE‑specific quality thresholds and controls.
• Establish and run data governance committees and forums, supporting cross‑functional decision‑making, risk escalation, and alignment.
• Strengthen data stewardship across the business, ensuring data owners and stewards are engaged and accountable for CDEs and other governed data assets.
• Monitor and improve data quality, including root‑cause analysis, profiling, dashboards, and structured remediation programmes.
• Support audit, risk, and compliance processes, including governance documentation and assurance of CDE controls and data quality standards.

Required Skills & Experience

• Extensive experience in data governance, data management, data quality, or regulatory data environments.
• Demonstrable expertise implementing or administering data management tools (data catalogue, metadata, lineage).
• Robust experience leading governance activities across business and technical teams.
• Experience managing or developing team members or governance communities.
• Strong understanding of GDPR, data retention, classification, and privacy controls.
• Comfortable collaborating with technical teams (data engineers, BI, architects) to embed governance.
• Recognised expert in data governance practices and regulatory expectations.
• Strong communicator able to influence senior stakeholders.
• Highly organised, structured, and detail‑oriented.
• Analytical mindset with practical problem‑solving ability.
• Able to balance governance rigour with business practicality.
• Committed to capability building and continuous improvement.

Benefits

• Competitive remuneration including discretionary annual bonus and annual pay review.
• Private Medical Insurance (Bupa).
• Mental health & wellbeing support via YuLife & Bupa.
• 25 days annual leave (increasing with service) + Holiday Buy Scheme.
• Cycle to Work Scheme & Green Car Scheme.
• Enhanced family leave policies.
• Study support & professional memberships.
• Hybrid working (50/50 London).
• YuLife Rewards – retail, lifestyle & experience discounts.
• Pension scheme – 8% employer contribution (non‑contributory).
• Interest‑free season ticket loan.
• Annual volunteering day & Net Zero employer commitment.