Group Head of Data Product Strategy & Governance

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Group Head of Data Product Strategy & Governance

Company: Lloyds Banking Group

Location: Bristol, Manchester, or London, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Data Strategy & Governance Operations

Date Posted: April 20, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: Hybrid (2 days in office/week minimum)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic direction and operational governance of data products across a large financial institution, ensuring adherence to policy and robust producer-consumer models.

• Define and champion the enterprise-wide approach to governance-by-design, fostering a culture of data safety, compliance, and lifecycle management for all data assets.

• Drive the strategy, roadmap, and operating model for the Group's Data Marketplace, enhancing data discoverability, understanding, and access for all colleagues.

• Oversee the end-to-end operational governance of data products, including integration with the Enterprise Data Platform and critical tooling like data contracts.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is pivotal in modernizing data management within a large, complex financial organization. It requires a blend of strategic vision, deep operational understanding of data governance frameworks, and strong leadership to influence across federated business units. The emphasis on a "Data Marketplace" and "producer-consumer operating models" indicates a modern, product-centric approach to data management, moving beyond traditional siloed data warehousing.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and execute the strategic vision for data product governance, producer-consumer interaction models, and governance-by-design principles across the entire group.

• Establish and maintain Group-wide data safety standards, ensuring compliance with all relevant policies, metadata standards, and data lifecycle requirements across diverse platforms and domains.

• Collaborate closely with CDAO Data Management, Metadata, Contracts, and CTO teams to harmonize governance processes, lifecycle standards, and ensure enterprise-wide alignment.

• Lead the operational governance of data products, encompassing Data Marketplace delivery, sprint planning, release readiness, user support, and integration with data contracts and other relevant tooling.

• Actively engage with and influence senior stakeholders, championing the adoption of the Data Marketplace, leading product demonstrations, and providing comprehensive communications.

• Support domain teams in enhancing data product quality, improving data governance adoption, and fostering a greater trust in data across the organization.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing multidisciplinary team, promoting a culture of collaboration, innovation, and engineering excellence.

• Manage team resources, including recruitment, capacity planning, and individual development to ensure optimal team performance and skill enhancement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a significant leadership scope, requiring the individual to not only set strategy but also to actively manage operational execution and stakeholder engagement. The emphasis on "governance-by-design" and "producer-consumer operating models" suggests a proactive approach to embedding governance early in the data product lifecycle, rather than as an afterthought.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong academic background in a quantitative field such as Data Science, Computer Science, Information Management, Business Analytics, or a related discipline is highly advantageous.

Experience: Demonstrated track record of 10+ years in data, analytics, or data product environments, with a significant portion spent in leadership roles managing complex data initiatives. Experience working with federated business units and cross-organizational delivery models is essential.

Required Skills:

• Data Product Strategy: Proven ability to define and articulate a strategic vision for data products, aligning them with business objectives and technological capabilities.

• Data Governance Leadership: Deep understanding and practical experience in establishing and enforcing data governance frameworks, policies, and standards across large enterprises.

• Data Lifecycle Management: Expertise in managing the entire lifecycle of data products, from creation and deployment to maintenance and retirement, ensuring quality and compliance.

• Metadata Management: Strong knowledge of metadata standards, their importance for data discoverability, understanding, and governance.

• Stakeholder Management & Influence: Exceptional ability to engage, influence, and collaborate with senior stakeholders across diverse business units and technical teams.

• Data Marketplace Operations: Experience in defining, implementing, and managing data marketplaces, including producer-consumer interaction models and user support.

• Enterprise Data Platform Alignment: Understanding of how data products integrate with and leverage Enterprise Data Platforms and related architectural components.

• Team Leadership & Development: Proven experience in leading, mentoring, and developing multidisciplinary teams, fostering a high-performance culture.

• Compliance & Data Safety: Thorough understanding of regulatory compliance requirements in the financial services sector and best practices for data safety and security.

Preferred Skills:

• Data Contracts: Experience with implementing and managing data contracts as a mechanism for defining producer-consumer SLAs and data quality.

• Agile & DevOps Methodologies: Familiarity with agile sprint planning, release readiness, and DevOps principles as applied to data product development and governance.

• Data Architecture Principles: Understanding of data architecture best practices, including domain-driven design and data mesh concepts.

• Financial Services Domain Knowledge: In-depth understanding of the financial services industry, its regulatory landscape, and common data challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement of "10+" years, coupled with the seniority of the title "Group Head," signifies a highly strategic and impactful role. The emphasis on "federated business units" suggests the need for strong change management and communication skills to drive adoption in a decentralized environment. "Data contracts" and "governance-by-design" are key modern data management concepts that candidates should be prepared to discuss.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Data Governance Frameworks: Examples of implemented or significantly contributed-to data governance frameworks, detailing their structure, key components, and impact on data quality and compliance.

• Data Product Strategy & Roadmap: Case studies showcasing the development and execution of data product strategies, including how they were aligned with business goals and supported by underlying governance.

• Data Marketplace Initiatives: Evidence of involvement in the design, development, or operationalization of data marketplaces, highlighting improvements in data discoverability and user adoption.

• Process Optimization Projects: Demonstrations of how you've optimized data lifecycle management, governance workflows, or producer-consumer interactions, with quantifiable results.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration Models: Examples of successful collaboration models implemented to drive alignment and execution across diverse business and technical teams for data initiatives.

Process Documentation:

• Governance Policy Development: Documentation outlining the process for creating, approving, and disseminating data governance policies and standards.

• Data Product Lifecycle Management: Detailed workflows for managing data products from inception through retirement, including quality checks, access controls, and metadata capture.

• Metadata Capture & Utilization: Processes for ensuring robust metadata capture, its integration into governance frameworks, and its use in the Data Marketplace.

• Producer-Consumer Operating Model: Documented models for defining roles, responsibilities, and interactions between data producers and consumers, including service level agreements (SLAs) and support mechanisms.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this senior role, a portfolio should not just list achievements but demonstrate a strategic approach to building and governing data products at scale. Candidates should be prepared to discuss the operationalization of these concepts, not just their theoretical underpinnings. The emphasis on "governance-by-design" implies that portfolio examples should showcase how governance was integrated into the development process from the outset.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £116,535 - £170,000 per annum (GBP)

Benefits:

• Pension: Generous contribution from the company, up to 15%.

• Bonus: Annual performance-related bonus.

• Share Schemes: Includes free shares, offering direct equity in the company.

• Lifestyle Benefits: Discounted shopping and other adaptable benefits to suit personal needs.

• Holiday: 30 days of annual leave, in addition to bank holidays.

• Wellbeing: Comprehensive wellbeing initiatives to support employee health and mental wellness.

• Parental Leave: Generous policies to support new parents.

Working Hours: Full-time, with an expectation of 40 hours per week. The work style is hybrid, requiring a minimum of 2 days per week (or 40% of time) spent in one of the designated office sites (Bristol, Manchester, or London).

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is at the senior executive level, reflecting the strategic importance and broad responsibility of this role within a major financial institution. The benefits package is comprehensive, typical for senior roles in large corporations, with a strong emphasis on long-term financial security and employee well-being. The hybrid working model is clearly defined, with specific expectations for office presence.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (Banking). Lloyds Banking Group is one of the UK's largest financial services groups, offering a wide range of products and services. This context implies a highly regulated environment with a strong emphasis on data security, compliance, and customer trust.

Company Size: A very large enterprise, employing thousands of individuals across the UK. This scale means complex organizational structures, diverse business units, and significant data volumes and variety.

Founded: The current structure of Lloyds Banking Group has evolved through various mergers and acquisitions, with its origins tracing back to 1765. This long history suggests a blend of traditional banking practices and a drive for modernization.

Team Structure:

• The role likely sits within a central data organization or a Chief Data & Analytics Officer (CDAO) function, focusing on enterprise-wide data strategy and governance.

• It involves close collaboration with CDAO Data Management, Metadata, Contracts, and CTO teams, indicating a matrixed reporting or strong interdependency structure.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The company emphasizes making decisions based on data insights, requiring robust data platforms and governance.

• Agile & Hybrid Working: A commitment to agile methodologies and a hybrid work model fosters flexibility and efficient collaboration.

• Customer-Centricity: A core value is to serve customers, which translates to ensuring data products are designed with user needs (internal and external) in mind.

• Engineering Excellence: A focus on high-quality engineering practices is expected for building and maintaining robust data solutions.

Company Website: https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Operating within a large, established financial institution like Lloyds Banking Group means navigating a complex regulatory landscape and a culture that values stability and compliance. However, the emphasis on "transforming at pace," "investing billions in data and tech," and the "Data Marketplace" signals a strong commitment to modernization and innovation within this traditional sector. The role requires influencing and driving change across a large, potentially siloed, organization.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This position represents a senior leadership role, equivalent to an executive or director level within the data and analytics domain. It is a strategic position with significant influence over the organization's data architecture, governance, and product strategy. The scope covers the entire Group, indicating a broad impact.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into senior data leadership, likely the Chief Data & Analytics Officer (CDAO) or a similar executive responsible for data strategy and governance. The individual will also have a team reporting directly to them.

Operations Impact: This role is critical for enabling the organization's broader digital transformation and data strategy. By ensuring data is safe, discoverable, understood, and accessible, it directly impacts the ability of other business units to innovate, make data-driven decisions, and serve customers effectively. It underpins trust in data, which is foundational for all data-related initiatives.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership Expansion: Potential to expand scope to cover broader data strategy, enterprise architecture, or advanced analytics leadership within the Group.

• Industry Influence: Opportunity to shape industry best practices in data governance and data product management within the financial sector.

• Mentorship & Team Development: Significant opportunity to mentor and develop a high-performing team, fostering future data leaders and specialists.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Exposure to and leadership opportunities in driving large-scale organizational change initiatives impacting data usage and culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: This is a career-defining role for a data leader. The "Group Head" title and the scope of responsibilities indicate a significant level of autonomy and strategic input. Growth opportunities are geared towards broader executive leadership within data or even into broader business strategy roles, leveraging deep data expertise.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role operates under a hybrid model, meaning it is a blend of remote work and in-office presence. The company has multiple office locations (Bristol, Manchester, London) where employees are expected to spend at least 40% of their time.

Office Location(s):

• Bristol Harbourside: A modern, accessible location in Bristol, likely with excellent transport links and amenities.

• Manchester: A major city with a strong business presence, offering a dynamic work environment.

• London: A global hub for finance, providing access to a vast network and diverse talent pool.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Offices are designed to facilitate collaboration, with meeting rooms, breakout areas, and potentially hot-desking or assigned desks.

• Technology Enabled: Expect modern office technology, including robust IT infrastructure, meeting room AV equipment, and access to company-provided hardware and software.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: The hybrid model and the nature of the role encourage interaction with colleagues from various departments, fostering a dynamic and interconnected work environment.

Work Schedule: Full-time, with a hybrid model requiring a minimum of 2 days per week in a designated office. This structure allows for focused work at home and collaborative/team-based activities in the office. The 40-hour work week is standard.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature is a key aspect, balancing the need for in-person collaboration and team cohesion with the flexibility of remote work. The choice of major city locations suggests a commitment to accessibility and a vibrant work culture.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and application, likely by an HR or recruitment specialist, focusing on alignment with core requirements.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A conversation with the direct hiring manager to assess your experience, leadership style, strategic thinking, and fit for the team and role. Expect questions on data governance strategy, team leadership, and stakeholder management.

• Panel Interview/Presentation: A likely stage involving presentation of a case study or a strategic proposal related to data product strategy or governance. This will involve senior stakeholders from relevant departments (e.g., CDAO, CTO, business unit leaders).

• Final Interview: Potentially a conversation with a more senior executive (e.g., CDAO) to confirm strategic alignment and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Strategic Vision: Clearly articulate your approach to developing and implementing data product strategies and governance frameworks. Use case studies to illustrate this.

• Quantifiable Impact: For each project or initiative presented, emphasize the measurable outcomes and business impact (e.g., improved data quality metrics, increased data adoption, cost savings, risk reduction).

• Governance-by-Design Examples: Showcase instances where you successfully embedded governance principles early in the data product lifecycle.

• Producer-Consumer Model Clarity: Explain how you've structured or improved producer-consumer interactions, using examples of data marketplaces or similar platforms.

• Stakeholder Engagement Narrative: Be prepared to discuss how you managed complex stakeholder relationships, navigated organizational politics, and drove consensus.

• Team Leadership Philosophy: Discuss your approach to building and leading high-performing, multidisciplinary teams.

Challenge Preparation:

• Data Governance Strategy Case Study: You may be asked to present a strategy for improving data governance in a specific scenario or for a particular business challenge within Lloyds Banking Group.

• Data Marketplace Vision: Prepare to outline your vision for a Data Marketplace, its key features, operational model, and how it would integrate with existing systems and processes.

• Stakeholder Alignment Scenario: Practice articulating how you would gain buy-in and manage conflicting priorities from various business units and technical teams for a group-wide data initiative.

• Team Development Plan: Be ready to discuss your approach to developing talent within a data governance and product team, addressing skill gaps and fostering innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the seniority and strategic nature of this role, the interview process will be rigorous and likely involve multiple stages with senior leadership. A strong portfolio demonstrating strategic thinking, operational execution, and leadership impact is crucial. The emphasis on "governance-by-design" and "producer-consumer models" means candidates should prepare specific examples related to these modern data management paradigms.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Data Governance Platforms: Experience with tools like Collibra, Alation, Informatica Axon, or similar enterprise data governance solutions.

• Data Catalogues/Marketplaces: Familiarity with platforms that enable data discovery, understanding, and access, such as those integrated into broader data platforms or standalone solutions.

• Metadata Management Tools: Proficiency in tools that manage technical, business, and operational metadata.

• Data Quality Tools: Experience with tools for profiling, monitoring, and remediating data quality issues.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Business Intelligence Tools: Familiarity with tools like Tableau, Power BI, or Qlik for understanding data product usage and impact.

• Data Lineage Tools: Understanding of tools that track data flow from source to consumption, critical for governance and impact analysis.

CRM & Automation:

• Workflow Automation: Experience with tools used for automating governance workflows, approval processes, or data access requests (e.g., ServiceNow, or custom workflows).

• Project Management Tools: Proficiency in tools like Jira, Asana, or Azure DevOps for managing sprint planning, release readiness, and team tasks.

• Enterprise Data Platform Concepts: Understanding of how data products integrate with core enterprise data platforms, which may include data lakes, data warehouses, or cloud-based data solutions (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP).

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, the role's responsibilities point towards a need for experience with enterprise-grade data governance, cataloging, and quality management solutions. Familiarity with cloud data platforms and agile project management tools is also highly relevant. The emphasis on a "Data Marketplace" suggests experience with tools that facilitate data discovery and self-service access.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A commitment to serving the needs of 28 million customers, which translates to ensuring data products are reliable, accurate, and safe, ultimately benefiting the end-user.

• Integrity: Upholding the highest ethical standards, crucial in financial services where trust and data security are paramount. This means rigorously adhering to policies and regulations.

• Collaboration: Working together across diverse teams and business units to achieve common goals. This role requires extensive cross-functional partnership.

• Innovation: Driving transformation and adopting new technologies and approaches to improve data management and product offerings. A willingness to embrace change and new methodologies is key.

• Excellence: Striving for high performance, quality, and efficiency in all aspects of data product development and governance.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership-Oriented: Fostering strong working relationships with CDAO, CTO, and business unit leaders to ensure alignment and shared ownership of data initiatives.

• Data-Driven Dialogue: Encouraging discussions and decisions based on data insights, evidence, and agreed-upon metrics.

• Transparent Communication: Maintaining open and honest communication channels, especially when championing new initiatives like the Data Marketplace or discussing governance challenges.

• Empowerment & Accountability: Creating an environment where team members are empowered to take ownership of their work while being accountable for outcomes and adherence to standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: Lloyds Banking Group emphasizes its "values-led culture." Candidates should be prepared to articulate how their experience aligns with these values, particularly integrity, customer focus, and collaboration, within the context of data governance and product strategy.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Organizational Scale & Complexity: Navigating the sheer size and diverse business units of Lloyds Banking Group to implement consistent data governance and product strategies.

• Legacy Systems & Processes: Integrating modern data product approaches with existing, potentially legacy, infrastructure and established operational processes.

• Cultural Inertia: Driving adoption of new data governance practices and the Data Marketplace in a large, established organization that may resist change.

• Balancing Governance with Agility: Ensuring robust governance and data safety without stifling innovation and the speed of data product delivery.

• Talent Development: Building and retaining a high-performing team of specialists in data governance, data product management, and related fields.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Executive Leadership Training: Access to leadership development programs tailored for senior roles within the financial services sector.

• Industry Conferences & Certifications: Opportunities to attend leading data governance, data product, and financial services industry events.

• Mentorship from Senior Leaders: Guidance from experienced executives within Lloyds Banking Group on strategic leadership and organizational navigation.

• Exposure to Cutting-Edge Data Technologies: Working with and influencing the adoption of new technologies within a large-scale enterprise data platform.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a senior role in a large, established financial institution. Success will depend on strong change management, strategic influence, and the ability to balance competing priorities. The growth opportunities are significant, offering pathways to broader executive leadership.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you define and implement 'governance-by-design' for data products across a large financial institution like Lloyds Banking Group?" (Focus on practical steps, stakeholder buy-in, and integration into the SDLC/PDLC).

• "Describe your vision for a 'Data Marketplace' within a complex federated organization. What are the key success factors and potential pitfalls?" (Emphasize user experience, data discoverability, trust, and operational model).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How does your experience in data governance and product strategy align with Lloyds Banking Group's values of Customer Focus, Integrity, Collaboration, Innovation, and Excellence?" (Provide specific examples for each value).

• "Describe a time you had to influence senior stakeholders with differing priorities to adopt a new data strategy or governance framework. What was your approach and outcome?" (Highlight negotiation, communication, and evidence-based persuasion).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each portfolio item, clearly state the problem, your proposed solution (strategy/process), the actions taken, and the quantifiable results.

• Highlight Governance Integration: For case studies, explicitly detail how data governance was integrated into the process, not just as a post-hoc review.

• Visualize Data Impact: Use charts and graphs to illustrate improvements in data quality, discoverability, user adoption, or risk reduction.

• Address Producer-Consumer Dynamics: Be ready to walk through how your past work has defined or improved interactions between data producers and consumers.

• Tailor to LBG: Briefly research LBG's current data initiatives or public statements on data to tailor your examples and demonstrate genuine interest.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to discuss modern data management concepts like data products, data mesh principles (if applicable), and active metadata management. The interview will assess not only technical and strategic knowledge but also leadership capabilities and cultural fit within a large, regulated financial institution.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link: https://lbg.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/LBG_Careers/job/Bristol/Group-Head-of-Data-Product-Strategy---Governance_154557-1

• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your CV to highlight experience in data product strategy, enterprise data governance, leading multidisciplinary teams, and influencing senior stakeholders within large, complex organizations, especially in financial services. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate a selection of your most impactful projects that demonstrate your strategic thinking, operational execution, and leadership in data governance, data product management, and data marketplace initiatives. Focus on quantifiable results and governance-by-design principles.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation, focusing on clear articulation of challenges, solutions, and impactful outcomes. Be prepared to discuss your strategic approach to data governance and product operations.

• Research Lloyds Banking Group: Familiarize yourself with their recent initiatives, financial performance, and stated commitments to data and digital transformation to better align your application and interview responses to their strategic goals.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.