Data Governance Lead - Contract

We are seeking an experienced Data Governance Lead on a contract basis (INSIDE IR35) to mature enterprise-wide data ownership and governance capabilities across multiple conceptual data domains. The role focuses on establishing a clear baseline of data ownership maturity, creating roadmaps for improvement, and embedding strong governance practices that support the organisation’s strategic outcomes. You will work closely with business data owners, IT teams, and specialist SMEs to ensure data is well understood, well managed, and fit for purpose. The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of data governance frameworks, strong stakeholder engagement skills, and the ability to drive cultural change around data ownership. This role requires a proactive, collaborative leader with the capability to influence at all levels and embed sustainable, measurable improvements in data governance maturity. Skills:- Establish a data ownership maturity baseline across all conceptual data categories Develop a roadmap to improve data ownership maturity over the upcoming financial year Identify priority data management outcomes for each data category and map them to business objectives Define measurable KPIs to evidence data ownership capability uplift and ongoing engagement Manage and track progress against the maturity roadmap and KPIs, reporting regularly to Information Management sponsors Build strong relationships with business teams and specialist SMEs across data ownership domains Coach data owners on their responsibilities, helping them treat data as a shared organisational asset Support data owners in identifying critical data elements and producing business data glossaries Encourage proactive identification and escalation of data risks and issues Promote good data management practices through business process improvements and data remediation Mobilise, lead, and facilitate data management groups, working groups, or forums for each data category Organise meetings, workshops, and engagement sessions, ensuring actions and minutes are tracked Support domain teams in identifying data management priorities and improvement areas Collaborate with project teams and business units to share knowledge and align governance activities Promote a strong data culture through education, advocacy, and awareness of governance principles Champion the adoption of governance tools, standards, and best practices across the organisation Ensure alignment with enterprise data governance frameworks and regulatory obligations Communicate progress, risks, and recommendations effectively to senior stakeholders Influence data owners and technical teams to adopt consistent, agreed governance practices Act as a subject matter expert for data ownership, governance, and data management disciplines Job Types: Temporary, FreelanceContract length: 6 months Pay: Up to £450.00 per day Work Location: Remote