Head of Data and Insights

Contract: 12 months fixed term contract, maternity cover, full time

Salary: £52,200 £56,400 per annum

Location: Burford, Oxfordshire, with hybrid working, minimum two days per week in the office

Closing date: Friday 22 May 2026

Interview date: 1, 4 or 5 June 2026

At Blue Cross, data plays a critical role in how we deliver services for pets and the people who care for them. We are looking for a Head of Data and Insights to provide senior leadership across our data and insight capability, ensuring data is used as a strategic asset to inform decision making, improve performance, and strengthen our impact as a charity.

A key focus during this 12-month period will be supporting critical transformation activity across the organisation, including the Central Platform project and the migration of data from the outgoing Rehoming and Fostering application into Microsoft Dynamics 365, alongside the continued development of our wider data and insights capability.

More about the role

As Head of Data and Insights, you will shape and deliver our data strategy, driving improvements in how we capture, manage, and use data across the organisation. You will lead the development of high quality insight and reporting that supports both strategic and operational decision making, while strengthening data governance, quality, and compliance.

A key focus during this period will be providing direction and support to the Central Platform project, ensuring the safe, accurate, and effective migration of data into Microsoft Dynamics 365. You will also oversee the rebuilding of all reporting capability required by the Rehoming and Fostering teams within the new system, ensuring continuity of insight and decision making throughout the transition.

Alongside this, you will continue to lead the wider Data and Insights function, ensuring data is embedded as a trusted organisational asset. You will strengthen our approach to analytics, insight, and data maturity, while promoting a data driven culture across Blue Cross.

As a senior leader within the Information Services team, you will lead and develop a high performing team, contribute to wider technology and organisational strategy, and build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, including the Executive Team and Trustees.

About you

You are an experienced data leader with strong delivery capability in complex transformation environments. You are confident operating at both strategic and operational levels, able to balance long term data strategy with hands on delivery support in critical programmes.

You bring experience of leading data migration, reporting transformation, or large scale system change, ideally within complex organisations with multiple stakeholders and legacy systems. You are confident influencing senior leaders, providing clear direction, and ensuring delivery remains focused on organisational priorities.

You are collaborative, pragmatic, and solutions focused, with the ability to bring clarity to complex data and system landscapes and translate them into actionable outcomes.

Essential Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

• Significant experience in a senior data, insight, or analytics leadership role
• Strong expertise across data disciplines, including data governance, architecture, analytics, and insight generation
• Proven experience of developing and delivering data strategies that drive measurable organisational impact
• Experience of leading, managing, and developing high performing teams
• Demonstrable experience of influencing senior stakeholders and enabling evidence led decision making
• Strong analytical capability, with experience of working with complex datasets to generate actionable insight
• Experience working within complex organisations with multiple systems and diverse data sources
• Sound understanding of data protection, information governance, and relevant legislation, including GDPR and PECR
• The ability to demonstrate, understand and apply our Blue Cross values.

Desirable qualifications, skills, and experience

• Experience working within a not for profit or charitable organisation
• Experience of business intelligence and data visualisation tools, such as Power BI
• Experience of working with cloud-based data platforms, such as Azure
• Experience of implementing advanced analytics approaches, including predictive modelling or Artificial Intelligence
• Experience of building organisational data capability through training or communities of practice

How to apply

Click the apply button and complete the online application process before the closing date.

Assessment process
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a face-to-face interview which will include a presentation task provided in advance, followed by a Q&A session.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of suitable applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Blue Cross benefits

Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it were not for their amazing efforts and commitment, we would not be able to make the difference that we do today.

In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are.

Our generous benefits package includes:

• Full time equivalent of 38 days holiday rising to 43 with service (including Bank Holidays)
• Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support
• Free access to GP via MetLife- 24/7 GP services, private prescriptions and more for you and your family
• Health cash plan
• Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme
• Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution
• Professional fees paid with Continuing Professional Development and personal development support.
• Life assurance
• 20% discount on Pet Plan pet insurance
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Recognition scheme
• Annual volunteer days
• Charity worker discounts across a variety of retailers

To read more about the benefits Blue Cross has to offer, please visit the 'why work for us' page on our website.