Data Governance Lead

The Data Governance Lead will lead the growth and execution of nxzen’s Data Governance and Data Operating Models offerings in the UK market. Reporting to the UK Head of Data and AI, and working alongside the AI and Analytics Lead, you will support business development, shape client propositions, and deliver complex data governance engagements for major energy and utilities clients.

You will act as the recognised authority on data governance within nxzen, bringing deep DAMA-DMBOK expertise and hands-on platform experience to every engagement. This is a hybrid role: delivery-led with a strong business development component. You will personally lead complex engagements, work directly with client data teams, and build governance solutions alongside your team rather than delegating from a distance.

The role spans the full lifecycle of data governance and data management: from executive-level data vision and strategy advisory, through operating model design and organisational change, to hands-on implementation and configuration of governance tooling such as Microsoft Purview and Collibra, and driving data adoption through use case discovery and implementation. You will be expected to roll up your sleeves and deliver, not just advise.

You will ensure all solutions are commercially sound, scalable, and aligned to nxzen’s onshore/offshore delivery model. You will build and coach a data governance practice line spanning the UK and India, develop strategic relationships with technology partners and industry bodies, align with the AI and Analytics practice line, and work closely with nxzen’s client partners and cross practices to embed data governance into the broader service portfolio.

Success in this role requires genuine subject-matter depth, strong consulting acumen, an entrepreneurial mindset, and a sharp commercial focus.

We are looking for a senior data governance leader with genuine subject-matter expertise, not a project manager who has supervised governance programmes from a distance. We need someone who has personally designed governance frameworks, configured governance platforms, and run data quality remediation workstreams with their own hands.

You will bring deep, hands-on knowledge of DAMA-DMBOK principles and their practical application, combined with real implementation experience on Microsoft Purview, Collibra, or Informatica (Cloud Data Governance and Catalog). CDMP certification (or equivalent DAMA credential) is strongly preferred.

You will be highly client-facing, commercially sharp, and comfortable working with onshore/offshore teams. An entrepreneurial mindset is essential, with the energy and vision to build and scale a new data governance practice. You must be equally credible advising a Chief Data Officer on data strategy as you are defining sensitivity labels in Purview or defining business glossary workflows in Collibra.

Deep, hands-on expertise in DAMA-DMBOK key knowledge areas: Data Governance, Data Quality, Metadata Management, and Master and Reference Data. Complemented with a good understanding of additional DAMA-DMBOK areas including Data Architecture, Data Security, Data Integration and Interoperability, Document and Content Management, and Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence.

Proven hands-on implementation experience with Microsoft Purview (data catalogue, sensitivity labelling, data classification, compliance policies, data lineage) and Collibra (business glossary, data dictionary, data quality rules, workflow configuration, stewardship assignments). Alation and Informatica (Cloud Data Governance and Catalog) are desirable, not essential.

Track record of designing and delivering Data Operating Models, including organisational design, RACI definitions, stewardship networks, and governance council structures. Trusted advisor status with senior stakeholders in regulated industries, from Data Owners and CDOs to C-suite.

CDMP certification (Certified Data Management Professional) or equivalent DAMA credential strongly preferred. Practitioner or Master level ideal. Comfortable building and coaching onshore/offshore delivery teams, with experience developing capability in offshore centres (ideally India).

Experience with UK energy and utilities clients, including familiarity with Ofgem, or Ofwat, regulatory data and reporting requirements (highly desirable, not essential). Experience partnering with Client Partners on solution design, planning, and commercials for data governance engagements.

Knowledge of Azure and/or AWS cloud data platforms (data lakes, data lakehouse, data mesh, data Fabric) as enabling infrastructure for governance solutions (desirable). Enjoys being front-of-house with clients, not only in internal or technical roles.

Equally comfortable running a board-level data strategy workshop and spending the next day configuring governance tooling in a client environment. You lead by doing.

Awareness of AI Governance and Guardrails frameworks, including responsible AI principles, model risk management, and the interplay between data governance and AI governance. Working with the Director of AI and Analytics to ground nxzen’s AI Governance offering in robust data foundations. Direct experience in this area is desirable.

Strong commercial judgment in shaping, pricing, and negotiating data governance engagements, including fixed-price, time-and-materials, and managed-service models. Natural credible voice in the data governance and data management community, aligned to nxzen’s purpose and brand.

Key responsibilities

• Lead data governance consulting, pre-sales, and senior stakeholder engagement across nxzen’s energy and utilities client portfolio.
• Define and deliver Data Operating Model engagements for UK energy and utilities clients (covering electricity networks, gas distribution, water, renewables, and oil & gas).
• Shape proposals, solution options, and commercials with Client Partners, pricing and packaging data governance offerings as repeatable, scalable services.
• Represent nxzen as a credible data governance authority in the market, building visibility through thought leadership, industry events, and client workshops.
• Design and deliver end-to-end data governance frameworks aligned to DAMA-DMBOK, covering data quality, metadata management, data cataloguing, data lineage, master and reference data management, data privacy, and regulatory compliance.
• Personally lead and execute implementation and configuration of Microsoft Purview and Collibra on client engagements, including data classification, sensitivity labelling, policy enforcement, data cataloguing, business glossary definition, and stewardship workflow design.
• Hands-on in tooling, not overseeing from a programme management layer.
• Define and implement Data Operating Models covering organisational design, roles and responsibilities (Data Owners, Data Stewards, Data Custodians), decision rights, escalation paths, and performance metrics (data quality scorecards, compliance dashboards).
• Embed these models within client organisations through direct facilitation, training, and change management.
• Build and coach a data governance practice line with team members in the UK and India, developing capability across Data Stewardship, metadata management, data quality engineering, and governance tooling.
• Develop strategic partnerships with data governance platform vendors (Microsoft, Collibra) and advisory bodies (DAMA UK, industry regulators).
• Strengthen collaboration with nxzen’s Global Capability Centre in India to scale delivery capacity and build a sustainable onshore/offshore governance delivery model.
• Advise clients on data governance maturity assessments, target state definition, and transformation roadmaps, with specific focus on Ofgem and Ofwat regulatory data requirements.
• Work alongside Client Partners to integrate data governance into broader nxzen engagements spanning data management, analytics, AI, asset intelligence, enterprise optimisation, and IT/OT transformation.
• Support the development of nxzen’s AI Governance and Guardrails offering, working with the Director of AI and Analytics to ensure responsible AI practices are grounded in robust data governance foundations.
• Contribute to nxzen’s thought leadership on data governance in energy and utilities, including whitepapers, conference presentations, and client-facing collateral.
• Support business development across nxzen’s priority accounts.