Senior Data Consultant

Interim Data Strategy Consultant Start: ASAP Day rate: Open, Outside IR35 Reports to: CFO The brief A business in a competitive, mature market is seeking an experienced Data Strategy Consultant to carry out an independent assessment of its data landscape and deliver a clear, actionable roadmap for improvement. The company runs Microsoft Dynamics ERP alongside legacy AS400 and other systems (including Shopify), with no single source of truth. Data from external sources is also being added to ERP, increasing complexity. The business believes much of its data is dormant or underused, but needs a clear, evidence-based view of what’s in place, what can be improved, and where the biggest value lies. This is not a delivery/build project at this stage, the focus is discovery, clarity, and direction. What we need from you • Engage with stakeholders across Finance, Sales, Supply Chain, Logistics, and Marketing to understand current data usage, challenges, and ambitions. • Map current systems, data sources, and flows, identifying duplication, gaps, and quality issues. • Assess the accessibility and potential value of key data sets. • Determine whether a centralised data platform (e.g., data warehouse, Fabric, other) is required, and outline appropriate architecture options. • Recommend governance foundations, including ownership, definitions, and processes. • Produce a 12–18 month roadmap detailing priorities, quick wins, resourcing needs, and indicative costs. • Present findings and recommendations clearly to the CFO and senior leadership. What success looks like • A clear current-state map of systems, data sources, and flows. • Identification of high-value opportunities from finance, sales, supply chain, logistics, and customer data. • Agreement on whether and how to progress to a centralised data platform. • An actionable roadmap with quick wins and phased priorities. • Leadership alignment on people, process, and technology investments. Required experience • Senior-level data leadership background (Head of Data, Director of Data, or equivalent). • Proven track record in short-term discovery and strategy engagements with tangible outcomes. • Experience in multi-system environments, including ERP data (Dynamics 365, AS400 or similar). • Understanding of modern data platforms and architectures (Microsoft stack preferred). • Strong data governance and master data management knowledge. • Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills — able to challenge constructively and translate technical concepts into business terms.