Interim Head of Data at ISL Talent, City Of Bristol, £600–£700 per day

Head of Data (Contract)

Bristol (Hybrid) | Outside IR35 | £600–£700/day | 6 months

The opportunity

We’re working with a growing, data-led business entering a key phase in its evolution.

They’re moving from a largely manual, compliance-driven environment to a more structured, product-focused model, with data at the center of how the business operates and scales.

This contract is about accelerating that shift.

You’ll step into an environment where data exists, but isn’t yet fully structured, connected, or operating as a true platform. The goal is to bring clarity, shape the architecture, and build something reliable enough to support both internal use and customer-facing products.

The role

This is a hands-on Head of Data contract, sitting at the intersection of data engineering, architecture, and product enablement.

You’ll take ownership of a fragmented data landscape and turn it into a more coherent, scalable platform - one that supports reporting, workflows, and product features.

You’ll be working closely with engineering and product leadership to ensure data flows cleanly into applications and is usable across the business.

This is not a pure strategy role, you’ll need to stay close to the detail and drive delivery.

What you’ll be doing

• Define and shape the overall data architecture (ingestion → transformation → consumption)
• Design and improve data pipelines across multiple sources (APIs, files, third-party systems)
• Bring structure to data modelling to support reporting, workflows, and product use
• Introduce data validation, monitoring, and traceability
• Make data usable across the business — not just technically correct
• Work closely with engineering to ensure data integrates cleanly into applications
• Make decisions on tooling, orchestration, and platform design
• Introduce standards around testing, versioning, and deployment
• Work with external partners while shaping longer-term internal capability

What we’re looking for

This role suits someone who’s comfortable stepping into an environment that isn’t fully defined and bringing structure to it quickly.

You’ll likely bring:

• Strong experience building and scaling data platforms in SaaS or data-led environments
• Deep experience with data pipelines, modelling, and cloud-based data platforms
• Hands-on experience with tools such as Snowflake, dbt, Azure Data Factory (or similar)
• Strong SQL skills and experience working with complex datasets
• Experience working in environments where data is central to the product
• Confidence operating across both delivery and architectural decisions

Equally important is how you work:

• You’re comfortable with ambiguity and can make progress without perfect information
• You focus on outcomes and usability, not just technical correctness
• You can quickly assess what matters and prioritise accordingly
• You work well with engineering and product teams and keep things joined up
• You’re hands-on and pragmatic - not overly theoretical

This is a chance to step into a business where data is becoming a core capability, not just a support function. You’ll be shaping the foundations of a platform that will underpin future products and services - with real influence over how it’s designed and delivered.

There’s strong backing for improving technology, and you’ll be working closely with senior stakeholders who are invested in getting this right.

Contract details

• 6-month contract
• Outside IR35
• £600–£700 per day
• Hybrid working (Bristol)

If this sounds aligned with your experience, apply or get in touch for more detail.