Data Strategy & Governance Lead
Remote – with monthly travel required to Bupa Place, M50 3SP
Permanent - full time
Salary: competitive depending on experience
37.5 hours per week - Monday to Friday

We make health happen
Working in our support functions you’ll play a key part in helping our colleagues deliver exceptional standards in patient care. No matter your role, you’ll have an opportunity to do work that matters. Making a difference to the lives of our customers each and every day.

Role Overview
This is an exciting opportunity to lead the data governance agenda for Bupa’s Health Services business, shaping how we manage, protect, and unlock the value of our data—particularly clinical data that underpins patient care and operational excellence.

As a hands-on governance lead, you’ll work closely with the Head of Data, the central CDAO team, and other governance leads to embed best-in-class data practices across the business.

You’ll be responsible for establishing foundational governance frameworks, driving data quality, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, mitigating data-related risks, and supporting the organisation’s data-driven decision-making process.

You will also support the evolution of the Data & Analytics operating model within Health Services, contributing to the adoption of modern data platforms and tooling, and helping ensure the value of data is fully understood and reflected in the Health Services data roadmap and strategic planning.

How you’ll help us make health happen:

• Leading the development and implementation of data governance frameworks, policies, and standards across Health Services, with a particular focus on clinical data and its safe, ethical, and compliant use.
• Collaborating closely with the central CDAO team, governance leads, and business stakeholders to ensure consistent and effective governance practices across the organisation.
• Defining and embedding data ownership and stewardship models, working with nominated data owners and stewards—especially in clinical domains—to ensure accountability for data quality and compliance.
• Chairing or actively contributing to data governance forums and working groups, ensuring decisions are documented, communicated, and actioned.
• Monitoring and improving data quality by identifying issues, coordinating remediation efforts, and embedding controls into business-as-usual processes, with a focus on clinical data integrity.
• Providing subject matter expertise on data governance and regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR, NHS data standards), ensuring risks—especially those related to clinical data—are identified and mitigated.
• Contributing to the development of the Health Services data roadmap and strategic planning by surfacing governance priorities and opportunities.
• Operating with a high degree of autonomy, using sound judgment to prioritise governance activities and escalate risks or issues where appropriate.

Key Skills / Qualifications needed for this role:
Essential:

• Significant hands-on experience in data governance, data management, or data quality roles, ideally within a healthcare or regulated environment.
• Strong understanding of data governance principles, frameworks (e.g. DAMA, DMBOK), and best practices.
• Experience working with clinical data, including understanding of its sensitivity, regulatory requirements, and operational importance.
• Familiarity with data privacy and protection regulations (e.g. GDPR, NHS data standards) and their application in clinical and operational settings.
• Experience working with data stewards, data owners, and governance forums to embed governance practices across business units.
• Proficiency with data governance tools, metadata management, and data cataloguing platforms.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across technical and non-technical teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify data-related risks and propose practical solutions.
• Comfortable operating independently in a fast-paced, evolving environment with a high degree of autonomy and accountability.

Desirable:

• Experience supporting the implementation of modern data platforms or cloud-based data ecosystems.
• Degree or equivalent experience in data management, health informatics, information systems, or a related field.
• Certifications in data governance or data management (e.g. CDMP, DGSP, TOGAF).
• Experience in healthcare, insurance, or other highly regulated industries.
• Exposure to Agile or hybrid delivery environments.
• A passion for promoting data literacy and embedding a culture of data responsibility.

Benefits
Our benefits are designed to make health happen for our people. Viva is our global wellbeing programme and includes all aspects of our health – from mental and physical, to financial, social and environmental wellbeing. We support flexible working and have a range of family friendly benefits.

Joining Bupa in this role you will receive the following benefits and more:

• Bupa health insurance as a benefit in kind
• An enhanced pension plan and life insurance
• Annual Health Services Bonus Scheme
• Support with travel costs via a season ticket loan or cycle2work
• Various other benefits and online discounts

Why Bupa?
We’re a health insurer and provider. With no shareholders, our customers are our focus. Our people are all driven by the same purpose – helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world. We make health happen by being brave, caring and responsible in everything we do.

We encourage all of our people to “Be you at Bupa”, we champion diversity, and we understand the importance of our people representing the communities and customers we serve. That’s why we especially encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Bupa is a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. This means we aim to offer an interview/assessment to every disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria for the role. We’ll make sure you are treated fairly and offer reasonable adjustments as part of our recruitment process to anyone that needs them.

At Bupa we strive to ensure all our of customers, patients and staff are safe. All employees have a duty to ensure that safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk is prioritised and acted on appropriately