Director, Data Analytics

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Job Details

Cencora Alliance Healthcare UK is seeking an experienced Data Leader to set the direction for, and lead the delivery of, its data and analytics capability during a period of significant transformation. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on accountability for delivery: shaping a forward-looking data roadmap, leading the team that delivers it, and raising the maturity of data governance across the organization. The future technology stack will focus on Azure, Databricks and Power BI, and a large-scale transformation of legacy systems is underway.

The Data Leader will play a pivotal role in translating the enterprise-wide Data & Analytics strategy into tangible outcomes, and in looking beyond current priorities to position the business for the future. A central part of this is identifying and embedding AI across data activities, so that the function can streamline how it works, enhance the quality and speed of its output, and enable the business to optimize operations, improve customer outcomes and strengthen competitive advantage.

Strong Data Governance capability will be central to the role. The postholder will be accountable for strengthening and embedding the policies, ownership, tooling and culture required to ensure data is trusted, secure and compliant, while taking a pragmatic approach to the pace of change the business can absorb.

The role requires a strong, credible leader with proven delivery experience, sound financial management, exceptional interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, and the resilience and adaptability to thrive in a fast-moving, challenging and ambiguous environment. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in maturing and transforming Data and Analytics. While ensuring smooth transitions while maintaining stakeholder trust. Reporting to the Senior Director, Analytics & Data Management, this role will be pivotal in driving the organization's data transformation journey. Healthcare or Pharmaceutical wholesale would be advantageous.

Principal Accountabilities:

1. Strategic Leadership & Data Roadmap

Define and own a multi-year Data & Analytics roadmap for Cencora Alliance Healthcare UK that is aligned to the enterprise-wide strategy, anticipates future business and market needs, and is refreshed regularly as priorities evolve.

Translate strategy into a prioritized, sequenced and costed portfolio of initiatives, with clear milestones, dependencies, trade-offs and measurable outcomes.

Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on emerging data and AI trends, platform direction and the opportunities and risks they present to the business.

Ensure the roadmap balances near-term delivery commitments (including legacy migration) with longer-term capability building and innovation.

Contribute to the wider Cencora and International Business Group data community, aligning UK plans with global standards, platforms and shared services where appropriate.

2. Data Delivery Leadership

Own the end-to-end delivery of data products aligned to the Data & Analytics strategy.

Oversee the planning, prioritization and execution of projects across multiple business areas.

Establish delivery frameworks and standards to ensure consistency, quality and speed of delivery.

Create clear delivery timelines, monitor progress, and address risks or delays proactively.

Document and present the value of each data product delivered to the business.

Lead the transition from legacy systems (e.g., Cognos, Oracle, Qlik) to modern cloud-based platforms (Azure, Databricks and Power BI), including decommissioning plans and managing business continuity throughout.

Mature Data Quality capabilities by embedding proactive monitoring, clear ownership and measurable standards, while streamlining root-cause analysis and corrective action to resolve issues efficiently, prevent recurrence and improve trust in data.

3. Business Value Realization

Ensure data and analytics initiatives are explicitly linked to strategic priorities and measurable business outcomes, including improved customer service, operational efficiency, revenue, margin, risk reduction and colleague productivity.

Partner with business owners to define clear success measures, baselines, benefit targets and ownership before delivery begins.

Embed data products and insights into business processes and decision-making, driving adoption and the changes in behavior required to realize value.

Track and report benefits transparently throughout the delivery lifecycle, intervening where adoption or value is below expectation and ensuring corrective actions are agreed.

Use evidence from delivered outcomes to refine priorities, scale successful solutions and continuously improve the return on Data & Analytics investment.

4. AI & Innovation

Execute a pragmatic AI strategy that identifies where AI, machine learning and automation can streamline processes and enhance the quality, speed and impact of data and analytics output.

Embed AI-enabled ways of working across the data function (for example automated data quality monitoring, AI-assisted development and testing, metadata and documentation generation, and natural-language access to insight).

Partner with business areas to identify, prioritize and deliver high-value AI use cases across the pharmaceutical supply chain, commercial and operational activities, with a clear business case for each.

Ensure AI is adopted responsibly, with appropriate controls for ethics, transparency, security, regulatory compliance and human oversight, working with Legal, Compliance, Information Security and global colleagues.

Build AI literacy and confidence within the team and the wider business, and evaluate emerging tools and vendors to keep the function at the leading edge.

5. Data Governance & Compliance

Assess the current maturity of data governance and lead the design and delivery of a pragmatic, phased improvement plan, with defined maturity targets and progress reporting.

Establish and embed the core governance framework: policies and standards, data ownership and stewardship, data catalogue and lineage, data quality rules and monitoring, master and reference data management, and access controls.

Ensure all data initiatives comply with organizational governance frameworks and regulatory standards and the requirements of a regulated healthcare and pharmaceutical distribution environment.

Collaborate with Compliance, Legal, Information Security and Privacy teams to maintain data security, privacy and quality.

Establish robust processes for data governance, including documentation, auditing and reporting, and chair or facilitate the data governance forums needed to sustain them.

Build a culture of data accountability by making governance practical, proportionate and embedded in delivery rather than a separate control activity.

6. Financial & Commercial Management

Manage the Data & Analytics delivery budget (operating and capital), including forecasting, variance analysis and robust financial reporting to senior leadership.

Build and defend business cases, and ensure investment is prioritized towards the initiatives with the greatest return and strategic value.

Plan resources and headcount to match the roadmap, making clear, evidence-based recommendations when demand exceeds capacity.

Monitor and manage cloud-based data infrastructure, including usage, capacity, performance and cost, to optimize investment, maintain effective financial control and maximize the benefits