Senior Data and Insights Lead

Senior Data and Insights Lead

Our University

Ravensbourne University London is a dynamic institution at the intersection of creativity, business, and technology. Based in London’s Design District in the heart of North Greenwich, we are home to a diverse, global community in one of the world’s most vibrant business and creative hubs.

The Role

The Senior Data and Insights Lead will help transform how the University uses data to plan, prioritise and make decisions. This is a senior, hands-on role combining leadership of our data modelling capability, translating data into applied insights, and hands-on delivery.

Success will require balancing two different modes. You will be driving implementation of enterprise data modelling with reusable data models and reporting, while also delivering pragmatic quick solutions when decisions cannot wait. You will know when to build for scale, when to prototype, and how to prevent useful tactical work becoming unmanaged technical debt.

You will:

• Lead the development and ongoing management of the University’s insights environment, creating coherent and trusted data models and self-service reporting that support a single view of performance.
• Translate data into actionable insight for the Executive and wider leadership community.
• Deliver rapid prototypes and focused “quick and dirty” builds where there is a clear business need, making limitations explicit and agreeing whether solutions should be retired, improved or incorporated into the enterprise model.
• Lead planned and ad hoc analysis, applying statistical and forecasting techniques to identify trends, risks and opportunities.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the UK higher education context, ensuring that data models and analysis reflect the realities of institutional decision-making.

The Candidate

You will be an experienced business intelligence or planning professional who can move confidently between strategic questions, detailed data and delivery. You will bring strong judgement: able to challenge unclear requirements, distinguish urgent from important, and choose an approach that is proportionate to the decision.

You will be comfortable both building and reviewing data models and reports yourself, and setting direction and developing others. You will be able to communicate complex findings clearly to senior stakeholders and work across organisational boundaries.

You will bring:

• Extensive relevant experience at a senior level in data analysis, business intelligence, institutional planning or a closely related field.
• A strong track record of developing data models, dashboards and analysis that have influenced organisational decisions.
• Practical understanding of dimensional modelling, semantic models, data quality, metadata, testing, documentation and controlled deployment (ideally in SQL and Power BI environment).
• The ability to scope and prioritise competing demands, retain flexibility when unexpected needs arise, and explain the trade-offs between speed, quality and sustainability.
• A good understanding of higher education data and processes across the student lifecycle, alongside an awareness of wider institutional domains such as finance, people, estates, research and enterprise.
• Experience of predictive modelling, advanced statistical analysis and line management would be advantageous.

We Offer

• Generous leave
• We operate a hybrid working model of on-site and working from home
• Competitive Pension Scheme
• An Employee Assistance programme
• A cycle-to-work scheme

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities, and in particular those that are currently under-represented in our workforce. This includes, but is not limited to, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, candidates with disabilities, and female candidates.

At Ravensbourne, we are committed to supporting applicants with disabilities. We offer interviews to those who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role. In situations where we receive a high volume of applications, we will prioritise interviewing those disabled applicants who most closely align with the minimum requirements.

Job Details

Unit

Business Intelligence and Planning

Location

Penrose Way

Salary

£63,387 to £70,173 per annum

Ravensbourne will also contribute 11.1% towards your membership in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

Post Type

Full Time

Contract Type

Permanent

Closing Date

23.59 hours GMT on Wednesday 09 December 2026

Reference

P2026042