WPP Enterprise Solutions designs, builds, and operates the growth systems that competitive businesses rely on. In a world where Al is reshaping how companies drive growth, we lead clients in business transformation and marketing modernization, connecting strategy directly to execution. Our 12,000 experts in engineering and platforms, commerce, consulting, content transformation, CRM, and CX work within a unified global operating unit across 40+ markets. WPP Enterprise Solutions works alongside best-in-class partners including Adobe, AWS, Braze, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Shopify, as well as innovators in AI, to deliver growth solutions tailored to the needs of our clients’ businesses. VML, part of WPP, supports WPP Enterprise Solutions by helping brands activate transformation through creativity and experience.
The Data Lead is responsible for building and governing the data foundation that enables executive visibility across strategic initiatives. This role transforms fragmented business information into trusted portfolio intelligence, ensuring leaders have accurate, timely, and actionable insights to make strategic decisions.
What you’ll be doing
Develop Enterprise Data Strategy
- Define and execute the enterprise data strategy supporting portfolio governance, business intelligence and executive decision-making.
- Build a scalable data architecture that integrates information from multiple sources into a trusted reporting ecosystem.
- Standardize business definitions, KPI methodologies, and data governance across functions.
Build Portfolio Intelligence
- Develop portfolio intelligence frameworks, executive dashboards, and scorecards providing visibility into strategic initiatives, financial performance, resource utilization, risks, dependencies, and business outcomes.
- Establish leading indicators that proactively identify execution risks and opportunities.
Lead Data Governance
- Define enterprise data governance standards covering ownership, quality, integrity, stewardship, lifecycle management, and reporting controls.
- Continuously improve data quality and governance practices to ensure trusted executive reporting.
Enable Workforce and Resource Intelligence
- Build analytical models for workforce planning, capacity forecasting, demand management, resource allocation, utilization, and operational efficiency.
- Partner with PMO, and program manager to optimize workforce investments and support strategic planning.
Drive Executive Decision Support
- Translate complex business data into actionable executive insights that support portfolio prioritization, investment decisions, and operational planning.
- Identify trends, risks, dependencies, bottlenecks, and opportunities, providing recommendations that enable proactive decision-making.
Partner Across the Enterprise
- Collaborate with Strategy, Finance, Operations, Technology, Product, Resource Management, and Program teams to align enterprise reporting, analytics, and business metrics.
- Serve as the strategic data partner supporting executive governance and cross-functional decision making.
Advance Analytics and AI
- Partner with data science and engineering teams to develop predictive analytics, forecasting models, scenario planning, and AI enabled insights.
- Evaluate emerging analytics technologies and promote modern data practices that strengthen business intelligence.
Modernize Reporting and Analytics
- Design scalable reporting architectures that automate reporting, enable self-service analytics, and improve executive visibility.
- Standardize dashboards, reporting methodologies, and visualization practices to ensure consistency, accuracy, and timeliness.
Build Organizational Data Capability
- Establish repeatable governance frameworks, metadata standards, reporting templates, and documentation that improve organizational data maturity.
- Mentor analysts and promote a culture of data-driven decision making across the organization.
What we want from you
- 10+ years of progressive experience in Data Strategy, Business Intelligence, Analytics, Business Operations, Portfolio Management, Data Governance, or Management Consulting within a global technology or SaaS organization.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Analytics, Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, or a related discipline; Master's degree or MBA preferred.
- Proven experience designing enterprise reporting architectures, executive dashboards, and business intelligence solutions.
- Strong expertise in enterprise data governance, master data management, and data quality frameworks.
- Experience supporting executive decision-making through advanced analytics and strategic reporting.
- Demonstrated success working with Director, VP, and Executive-level stakeholders.
- Strong understanding of portfolio management, workforce planning, resource management, financial reporting, and business operations.
- Experience with Azure, Snowflake, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, or modern cloud analytics platforms.
- Advanced expertise in Power BI, SQL, Excel, and enterprise visualization tools.
- Experience working with enterprise platforms such as Salesforce, Workday, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, ServiceNow, Anaplan, or similar business systems.
- Experience collaborating with Data Engineering and Data Science teams to deliver scalable analytics solutions.
- Working knowledge of AI-powered analytics, predictive modeling, and modern business intelligence platforms.
- Strong commercial acumen with the ability to translate data into strategic business recommendations.
- Excellent executive communication skills with the ability to simplify complex analytical concepts for senior business leaders.
- Experience leading cross-functional analytical initiatives within highly matrixed organizations.
Beyond the Resume
- Business-First Mindset: Solves business problems through data, not just reporting.
- Strategic Thinker: Connects data across operations, finance, workforce, and business performance.
- Trusted Advisor: Delivers objective, insight-driven recommendations that influence executive decisions.
- Builder Mindset: Creates scalable data, governance, and reporting capabilities that endure.
- Analytical Curiosity: Challenges assumptions and uncovers meaningful insights from complex data.
- Executive Storyteller: Translates complex analysis into clear, decision-ready narratives.
- Collaborative Influencer: Aligns business and technical teams around common goals and standards.
- Innovation-Driven: Leverages AI and modern analytics to continuously improve business intelligence and decision-making.
What we can offer you
Alongside the opportunity to work with some of the most exciting brands around the world, we’ll also prioritise your career development and help you grow your skills. We’ll empower you to make a difference, allow you to be yourself, and respect who you are.
Our culture thrives on our core values, designed for impact-driven individuals: Heart, Brains and Courage.
We lead with Heart, fostering empathy and trust where genuine connections and human-centric work flourish.
We empower your Brains for innovation, valuing relentless curiosity and collaborative intelligence to solve complex challenges.
And we champion Courage, inspiring you to speak up, embrace experimentation, and advocate for bold solutions that push our thinking to be better than yesterday.
WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence and world-class partnerships – all united by our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.
WPP (VML/WPP Enterprise Solutions) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.
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Skills Required
- 10+ years of progressive experience in data strategy, business intelligence, analytics, business operations, portfolio management, data governance, or management consulting within a global technology or SaaS organization
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Analytics, Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, or a related discipline
- Master's degree or MBA
- Experience designing enterprise reporting architectures, executive dashboards, and business intelligence solutions
- Expertise in enterprise data governance, master data management, and data quality frameworks
- Experience supporting executive decision-making through advanced analytics and strategic reporting
- Experience working with Director, VP, and executive-level stakeholders
- Understanding of portfolio management, workforce planning, resource management, financial reporting, and business operations
- Experience with Azure, Snowflake, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, or modern cloud analytics platforms
- Advanced expertise in Power BI, SQL, Excel, and enterprise visualization tools
- Experience with enterprise platforms such as Salesforce, Workday, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, ServiceNow, Anaplan, or similar business systems
- Experience collaborating with Data Engineering and Data Science teams to deliver scalable analytics solutions
- Working knowledge of AI-powered analytics, predictive modeling, and modern business intelligence platforms
- Strong commercial acumen and ability to translate data into strategic business recommendations
- Excellent executive communication skills and ability to simplify complex analytical concepts for senior business leaders
- Experience leading cross-functional analytical initiatives within highly matrixed organizations
What We Do
VML Enterprise Solutions is VML's technology and transformation unit that unites the agency's technology and data groups to deliver consulting, engineering, data, automation and platform services. It supports global brands with AI-enabled solutions, commerce and customer experience transformation, and scalable platform delivery through integrated consulting and technology capabilities.
