At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the transformation of our Customer Data Platform and optimise CRM communications.
- Company: Join Wickes, a digitally driven retailer with a fun and inclusive culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive bonuses, private medical care, and a supportive wellbeing strategy.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team that values your unique contributions.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in data innovation while growing your career in a collaborative environment.
- Qualifications: 8+ years in customer data platforms and strong communication skills required.
The predicted salary is between 49500 - 60500 £ per year.
Location: Watford Link House Support Centre Wickes
Position Type: Permanent, Contract Type: Full Time
Hours of work: 37.5
Posted: 09-Nov-2026
Wickes is a digitally led, service-enabled business currently undergoing extensive digital and data transformation. We scooped up the highly coveted ‘Digital Excellence Award’ at the prestigious Retail Week Awards 2026 too! Now we’re looking for an enthusiastic, go-getting Data Operations Manager to join the team and lead the next step in our CDP transformation journey.
You’ll be someone who can engage all levels of the business to create, present, and articulate the role of the Customer Data Platform in delivering a unified, single view of customers. You will understand how the CDP supports other areas of the business and be able to work with varied stakeholders to ensure future needs and requirements are met. You will support ongoing customer insight and ensure successful delivery of our multichannel CRM communications whilst providing recommendations to CRM managers on how activity might be optimised. You’ll be an experienced customer data champion, skilled in using AI to drive efficiencies and effectiveness of tasks, along with hands-on operational experience of using CDPs to support and deliver multi-channel CRM marketing communications. You will be a confident communicator, collaborative team player, and someone excited to take ownership of driving customer data innovation.
The role will sit within the Digital & CRM Marketing Team reporting to the Head of CRM. You will be required to work cross-functionally with other teams in Digital, whilst working closely with wider internal stakeholders across Marketing, Operations & IT, and our external agency partners.
What you’ll be doing:
- Lead the future direction of the CDP, including requirements gathering, vision building, and managing the overall project delivery.
- Directing and managing day-to-day CDP operations, including executing campaigns, building target segments, advising on selection strategies, and delivering performance reporting.
- Management of the current CDP provider relationship and Ways of Working optimisation.
- Responsible for the CDP data development roadmap, working with CRM Managers, wider digital teams and the CDP partner to ensure requirements are delivered.
- Provide regular reporting and insights to improve programme effectiveness and identifying opportunities to optimise programme performance.
- Ongoing collaboration with digital, IT and analytics to ensure the CDP is maintained and connected to broader systems in tech stack - data lake, microservices, ESP, personalisation engine.
- Maintain and regularly review all DPIA, GDPR, and CDP documentation, ensuring compliance and data privacy requests—such as Right to be Forgotten—are handled promptly.
- Act as the marketing customer data champion by supporting marketing-wide data protection and security initiatives, while serving as the representative at both the Data Governance Forum and DISCO (Data, Information Security & Compliance Oversight Committee).
- Work with the relevant teams and agencies to join up digital channels by leveraging 1st party CRM data in the CDP to support rollout of the Mission Motivation Engine (MME), our CRM programme.
- Work and collaborate with agency partners across the function to support the big objectives of the CRM and broader digital team.
- Budget management of the CDP.
What we’re looking for:
We’d expect you’d have around 8+ years experience using Customer Data Platforms to support CRM communication programmes and strategies to be successful in this role. As well as this you’ll have:
- Experience using Acquia CDP or similar products.
- Ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical teams.
- Experience of GDPR and Data Governance best practice in a marketing environment.
- Experience with customer segment creation and data planning.
- Experience using data to uncover insight and drive action, presenting results using data visualisation tools such as Data Studio, Google Analytics or similar.
- Working knowledge of SQL in BigQuery and Snowflake.
- Good working knowledge of MarTech tools for data activation and personalisation.
- Experience of data integration with tools like Zapier or Boomi.
- Excellent stakeholder and agency management.
- Experience working with IT / development teams, using project management tools such as Jira and Confluence.
- Excellent spreadsheet skills and experience of using AI and other tools for automation and efficiency.
What can we offer you?
You’ll be supported with fantastic learning and development and have the opportunity to grow and develop your career with us. We also have an early careers network to support you if you’re in your first few years of your career.
We’ll also equip you with a benefits package that includes:
- Competitive bonus
- Private Medical and Life Assurance
- Enhanced contributory pension scheme
- Discount platform including savings and cash back at numerous retailers, savings on gym membership, cycle to work scheme
Our widely recognised wellbeing strategy is something we’re proud of at Wickes. As part of this, we offer a range of health and wellbeing benefits and support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, financial education & loans, and access to parental, menopause and fertility support.
By giving you the support you need to do well at work, and the flexibility to make life work for you. We are giving you a career that doesn’t put your life on hold. Where you can be yourself, do your best work, and make a positive difference every day.
About Us:
Wickes is a multi-channel retailer operating in the home improvement market. With 50 years in industry, Wickes now generates revenue in excess of £1.6bn across 230 stores delivered by 8,000+ colleagues. But it is our culture that is considered our best kept secret; it’s a collaborative, down to earth, fun and inclusive environment where people feel part of a winning team. All our colleagues come from different backgrounds, but what we all have in common is a determination to succeed and a passion for being the best we can be. If that sounds like you, we’ll make you feel right at home.
We aim to create an inclusive workplace with colleagues’ wellbeing at the heart of everything we do. We’re a Disability Confident Employer and committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome applications from disabled people and are committed to providing an accessible recruitment process and workplace for everyone. If you require any support or reasonable adjustments, please let us know here.
Data Operations Manager in Watford employer: Wickes
Wickes is an excellent employer that prioritises customer experience and employee development, offering a supportive and inclusive work environment. With a strong focus on training and growth opportunities, employees are rewarded for their dedication to providing exceptional service, making it a fulfilling place to work in the UK retail sector.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Data Operations Manager in Watford
✨Get Involved in Data Science Meetups
Tap into local data science meetups or workshops to connect with fellow enthusiasts and professionals. These events are goldmines for networking, and sometimes even lead directly to job openings at companies like Wickes!
✨Show Off Your Projects
Start building a public portfolio showcasing your data science projects on platforms like GitHub or personal websites. Highlight unique analyses or models you've developed. This not only demonstrates your skills but also gets your name out there for roles like Data Operations Manager at Wickes.
✨Leverage Professional Networks
Join professional bodies related to data science, like the Data Science Society or similar organisations. Getting involved can lead to mentorship opportunities and insider knowledge about full-time positions at companies like Wickes.
✨Apply Directly through Our Website
When you find a suitable opening like Data Operations Manager at Wickes, make sure to apply directly through our website. It gives you an edge and shows you're keen to join our team. Plus, who doesn’t love a direct application? It’s easier than navigating through job boards!
We think you need these skills to ace Data Operations Manager in Watford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Projects:In the world of data science, your projects can speak volumes about your skills. Make sure to showcase a few key projects in your CV or portfolio, especially those that highlight your ability to work with data sets, build models, or use relevant tools like Python, R, or SQL. Don’t forget to include links to any GitHub repositories if applicable!
Quantify Your Achievements:Employers love numbers! When drafting your CV, highlight your achievements with quantifiable results. For instance, mention how your data analysis led to a certain percentage increase in efficiency or revenue at a previous job or project. These details can really make your application pop!
Craft a Tailored Cover Letter:For a full-time role at Wickes, your cover letter should reflect your passion for data science and your excitement about the specific projects or values of the company. Dive into why you’re a good fit, how your skills align with their needs, and any unique perspectives you can bring to the team.
Stand Out with Relevant Courses and Certifications:Although experience talks, relevant courses or certifications can be your ticket to impressing hiring managers at Wickes. Mention any standout courses you've completed that equipped you with essential skills, such as machine learning certifications or data visualisation courses. This shows your commitment to continuously developing your skills in the field!
How to prepare for a job interview at Wickes
✨Brush Up on Your Statistics
For a data science role, we need to seriously sharpen our statistics skills. Get ready to tackle technical questions on probability distributions, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. These are often the bread and butter of data science interviews, so don't just skim over them!
✨Showcase Your Projects
Prepare a killer portfolio showcasing your data science projects. We should include details about the datasets used, the tools and techniques applied, and the impact of your findings. If we can walk them through a particularly challenging project or a cool visualisation that had real-world implications, it’ll really make us stand out!
✨Get Comfortable with Python and R
Most data science positions require us to be proficient in programming languages like Python and R. We should practice common libraries like pandas, NumPy, and scikit-learn, and be ready for live coding exercises or algorithm questions. Showing off our coding chops can really impress the interviewers at Wickes!
✨Prepare for Case Studies
Expect to encounter real-world case studies during the interview. We might be asked how we’d approach a data problem or analyse a dataset to extract insights. It's essential to think out loud and demonstrate our problem-solving process so that the interviewer can see our logical thinking in action.
