About Us
M&C Saatchi Performance is a global digital media agency, connecting brands to people. We deliver business growth for our clients through effective, measurable, and evolving digital media strategies.
Role Summary
We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced
Data Manager to play a pivotal role in our global data transformation, with a clear mandate to drive data unification, collaboration, and trust across the organisation.
The successful candidate will lead the definition and execution of a future-ready data governance and management strategy, enabling consistent, high-quality data that supports sustainable growth, cross-business collaboration, and evolving business and regulatory needs.
This role will ensure our data foundations are fit for purpose to support advanced analytics, responsible AI adoption, and modern data platforms at scale.
As a key contributor to our global IT strategy, the Data Manager will report to the Global Head of Enterprise Infrastructure & Architecture, and work closely with Information Security and business stakeholders worldwide to shape and evolve our long-term data landscape.
The role will balance strategic leadership with pragmatic execution, embedding governance, standards, and ways of working that enable teams to share, reuse, and derive value from data with confidence.
Key Responsibilities
Data Strategy & Future Architecture
- Define and own the global data rationalisation and consolidation initiative, aligned to modern cloud-first principles.
- Design a target-state data storage and governance model that is scalable, secure, and future-proof.
- Provide extensive expertise in modern data platforms, storage technologies, and industry best practices.
Data Analysis & Rationalisation
- Lead enterprise-wide data discovery and analysis, identifying:
- Redundant, obsolete, or trivial (ROT) data
- Data duplication and uncontrolled growth
- Misuse of storage platforms
- Conduct structured data analysis reviews and present clear, evidence-based recommendations.
- Quantify risk, cost, compliance exposure, and opportunity associated with current data platforms.
Data Consolidation & Migration
- Produce and maintain a clear, phased roadmap for:
- Data migrations
- Platform consolidation
- Decommissioning of legacy or redundant storage solutions
- Support end-to-end data migration initiatives, ensuring minimal business disruption.
- Define success criteria and ensure migrations deliver tangible business outcomes.
Cloud Storage & Data Platforms
- Act as a subject-matter expert across cloud storage platforms, including:
- Microsoft 365 (SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive)
- Egnyte
- Google Workspace
- S3-compatible storage (AWS and Wasabi)
- Traditional on-premises storage (SAN and NAS platforms)
- Define clear usage models for each platform, including suitability for structured data, collaboration, long-term retention, and AI consumption.
- Work closely with Infrastructure & Architecture and Information Security teams to ensure designs are secure, compliant, and cost-effective.
Data Governance, Retention & Lifecycle
- Design and implement end-to-end data retention, archiving, and lifecycle management policies.
- Ensure data governance frameworks support:
- Compliance and risk reduction
- Data classification and sensitivity controls
- Clear ownership and accountability
- Controlled exposure of data to AI tools and services
- Embed governance into disparate platforms and processes.
AI Enablement for Data Platforms
- Deep understanding of how AI models consume, analyse, and depend on data.
- Ensure data is structured, governed, and retained in ways that enable responsible AI usage.
- Work with appropriate stakeholders to:
- Define which data is appropriate for AI use
- Prevent uncontrolled or unsafe AI access to data
- Ensure that data platforms comply with our AI guidelines and principles.
Reporting, Communication & Influence
- Produce clear, high-quality reporting and presentations for senior stakeholders.
- Translate complex technical solutions into straightforward business advice.
- Influence decision making across IT and the business through facts, data, analysis, and clear reasoning.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE & SKILLS
Core Experience
- Minimum 6 years experience in data management or related roles.
- Proven experience delivering data migration, consolidation, or large-scale data transformation initiatives.
- Strong hands-on experience with cloud storage and data platforms.
- Demonstrated experience implementing data retention, archiving, and lifecycle management strategies end-to-end.
- Experience producing data analysis outputs and migration roadmaps that drive real change.
Technical & Analytical Capability
- Strong understanding of data storage architectures, cloud platforms, and governance models.
- Proficient in data analysis tooling, reporting, and visualisation.
- Comfortable working with large, complex datasets and extracting meaningful insights.
Strategic & Behavioural Skills
- Forward-thinking mindset – designs for scale, longevity, and change.
- Able to operate comfortably between strategy and execution.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
- Pragmatic, outcome-focused, and comfortable challenging the status quo when needed.
DESIRABLE
- Experience working in global, multi-region organisations.
- Exposure to information security, compliance, or data classification frameworks.
- Experience working alongside Enterprise Architecture or Information Security functions.
Certifications
- CDMP Practitioner (Certified Data Management Professional)
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals
- Microsoft Certified: AI Business Professional
M+C Saatchi Performance as part of M+C Saatchi Group has pledged its commitment to create a company that values difference, with an inclusive culture. As part of this, M+C Saatchi Group continues to be an Equal Opportunity Employer which does not and shall not discriminate, celebrates diversity and bases all hiring and promotion decisions solely on merit, without regard for any personal characteristics.
All employee information is kept confidential according to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
