Data & Insights Lead (Workspaces)
Application Deadline: 9 July 2026
Department: Residents Team (creative community)
Employment Type: Fixed Term Contract
Location: London
Reporting To: Katherine O'Sullivan
Compensation: £35,000 - £37,000 per year
Description
At our landmark London location, Somerset House offers professional workspaces within a vibrant, value‑led community for businesses and organisations working in the creative industries and social innovation.
Our thriving community brings together artists, makers, freelancers, and over 600 creative and cultural organisations. From emerging teams to established businesses, B Corps, and charities, everyday working life is enriched by the powerful network and a year‑round cultural programme of world‑class exhibitions and events.
The Residents Team manages part of this dynamic, expansive creative network. Supporting our resident community to settle into and thrive in our workspaces, we actively manage relationships with our residents and deliver a community support programme designed to foster their professional growth.
With an emphasis on flexibility, our workspace options include private full and part‑time offices, co‑working and dedicated desks. The provision of these spaces is a major source of income for our charitable trust, in addition to our department also generating income from meeting room and resident event hires.
We are seeking a Data & Insights Lead to oversee the financial management and administration of the departmental systems, processes, and ensuring the highest level of efficiency, accuracy and insight generation. Crucially, this role will lead our transition from a complex Excel‑based database to a dedicated database system, defining requirements, shaping reporting capability, and enabling data‑driven decision making across the department.
Key Responsibilities
Lead Database Transition & Systems Development:
- Lead the full transition from an Excel‑based database to a fit‑for‑purpose dedicated database platform.
- Document, define and validate system requirements to ensure the database structure supports all business, reporting and performance management needs.
- Work closely with internal technical teams and external providers to adapt off‑the‑shelf systems to departmental requirements.
- Oversee configuration, testing, data migration, data integrity checks and rollout.
- Act as system “super user”, including creating documentation, delivering training and embedding best practice.
Budgeting & Forecasting:
- Develop and continually improve records and systems supporting all budgeting, financial, and relationship management processes.
- Administer departmental financial systems, track all income and expenditure.
- Prepare monthly results, forecasts and year‑end information in collaboration with the Finance Team.
Manage & Analyse Data:
- Maintain and enhance databases, ensuring accuracy, completeness and usability across the team.
- Analyse quantitative and qualitative data—financial, survey, operational and performance—to identify patterns, risks, opportunities and areas for system/process improvement.
- Lead on the creation and management of dashboards, OKRs and bespoke analytical tools to support performance monitoring; deliver deep‑dive analyses such as income stream modelling, forecasting, community survey analysis, impact assessments and sales reporting.
Reporting & Insight Generation:
- Partner with senior management to scope, design and deliver reports that provide actionable insights, support strategic planning, and enhance operational oversight.
- Compile, analyse and evaluate information for internal reports, ensuring clear communication of business objectives, progress and success factors.
- Database configuration to produce automated, reliable and decision‑ready reports that support effective management‑level decision‑making.
Systems Management:
- Drive continuous improvement across business processes, introducing effective methodologies to enhance consistency, efficiency across the department.
- Map, analyse and document end‑to‑end processes, facilitating strong stakeholder engagement, consultation and buy‑in throughout.
- Ensure full compliance with financial procedures, GDPR and all relevant data protection regulations, embedding good practice across operational workflows; support cross‑departmental initiatives involving system enhancements, data architecture, improvements, reporting tool development and end‑to‑end process reviews.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Experience:
- Proven experience leading or significantly contributing to system implementation or migration projects, ideally involving databases or CRM platforms, with a track record of transforming complex datasets into clear, actionable reporting.
- Experience in advanced budgeting, bookkeeping or financial administration.
- Demonstrated success in project management, applying analytical problem‑solving approaches to deliver high‑quality outcomes; implementing new processes or developing operational structures to drive change and improve ways of working.
- Designed, evaluated and refined processes to enhance efficiency, accuracy and operational performance.
- Experience in sales operations, business operations, or project management environments (desirable).
- Worked in the creative industry and/or with small businesses and entrepreneurs (desirable).
Skills:
- Advanced Excel skills and strong capability with data modelling, dashboard creation and analytical tools.
- Proficiency in PowerBI (desirable).
- Strong commercial acumen and a track record of identifying opportunities to increase efficiency or profitability.
- Strong project administration skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesise results and share with a senior audience as needed.
- Excellent IT skills, including advanced knowledge of MS Office applications, with ability to learn new systems and software quickly.
- Ability to work independently, prioritise own workload, and deliver to deadlines.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced, evolving environment.
Benefits
Mental Health & Wellbeing:
- Access to our external Employee Assistance Programme (CiC) for free 24/7 confidential advice and support, including up to 6 free counselling sessions per year where needed.
- Mental health support and guidance from our in‑house trained Mental Health First Aiders.
- Hybrid working based on having 3 days in the office per week (pro‑rata if part‑time). *
- Contribution towards eye tests and glasses.
- Trust life insurance scheme.
- We offer winter flu vaccination vouchers.
* dependent on the needs of the role
Holiday:
- Enhanced annual leave – 25 days plus bank holidays (pro‑rata).
- Birthday leave – additional day leave.
- Celebration day – to celebrate anything of your choice.
Other Leave:
- Sick leave – 20 days full pay, followed by 20 days half pay (pro‑rata & following 3 months service).
- Emergency dependent care – option to use 25% of paid sick leave for emergency care of a dependent (pro‑rata & following 3 months of service).
- Enhanced maternity pay.
Benefits:
- 8% employer pension contributions, no employee contribution required.*
- Option for salary sacrifice.
- Season ticket loan.
- Cycle to Work scheme.
* following 3 months of employment
Discounts, offers and free stuff:
- The list is endless and includes tickets to Somerset House events and entrance to other museums, galleries and heritage sites in London.
- Discounts in Somerset House cafés and restaurants.
- Discounts with various high‑street retailers and restaurants.
- Discounts to local leisure centres.
