Strategy & Operations Director (Data Science)

Strategy & Operations Director (Data Science)

• Are you passionate about turning strategy into measurable business outcomes?
• Do you thrive on partnering with senior leaders to drive performance, operational excellence, and organisational impact?

About the team:

A global leader in information and analytics, we help researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. Building on our publishing heritage, we combine quality information and vast data sets with analytics to support visionary science and research, health education, and interactive learning, as well as exceptional healthcare and clinical practice. At Elsevier, your work contributes to the world’s grand challenges and a more sustainable future. We harness innovative technologies to support science and healthcare to partner for a better world .

About the role:

The Strategy & Operations Director will be a key member of the Data Science Ops team, working directly for the COO & Chief of Staff and with the Data Science leadership team to drive effective and efficient execution of Elsevier’s strategy.

The role will operate across the breadth of the COO & Chief of Staff agenda, with particular responsibility for creating a clear, data-driven view of how the Data Science organisation is performing and identifying opportunities to improve.

The successful candidate will combine analytical rigour, commercial judgement and strong execution skills, moving comfortably from analysing performance and identifying an issue to working with senior leaders to determine the response and ensuring actions are delivered. A strong understanding of data science will be highly advantageous as will efficiently leveraging AI tools. A strategy/consulting background can also be advantageous.

They will become a trusted partner to the COO & Chief of Staff and an important bridge across Data Science, Finance, Product, Technology, HR and other Elsevier functions.

Key responsibilities -

Performance management & optimisation

Develop and maintain an integrated view of performance across the Data Science division, bringing together financial, operational, product, delivery and organisational measures

Work with leadership to define the OKRs, KPIs and performance indicators

Establish effective performance rhythms, including leadership scorecards/dashboards, operating reviews and follow-up mechanisms

Analyse performance to identify trends, emerging risks, bottlenecks and areas of underperformance

Identify opportunities to improve productivity, effectiveness, resource utilisation and return on investment

Translate data into clear insights and recommendations for the COO & Chief of Staff and Data Science leadership

Work with leaders to diagnose the underlying causes of performance issues and develop practical interventions

Track interventions through to measurable outcomes and ensure benefits are realised

Strategic execution

Support the COO & Chief of Staff in translating Data Science strategy into clear priorities, initiatives and measurable outcomes

Maintain visibility across the division’s most important strategic initiatives and dependencies

Identify where execution is drifting from strategic intent and remedial actions

Lead or support high-priority cross-functional initiatives on behalf of the COO & Chief of Staff

Provide structured problem-solving on complex or ambiguous issues where ownership cuts across organisational boundaries

Help ensure resources and investment are aligned with the organisation’s highest-value priorities

COO & Chief of Staff support

Act as a trusted extension of the COO & Chief of Staff across the full breadth of the role

Support preparation for leadership meetings, operating reviews, strategy discussions and executive decision-making

Develop high-quality analysis, briefing materials and recommendations for senior stakeholders

Take ownership of priority issues or initiatives requiring additional leadership attention

Ensure decisions translate into clear actions, owners and outcomes

Anticipate issues requiring COO intervention and surface them early, with proposed solutions wherever possible

Operating model & organisational effectiveness

Identify opportunities to simplify processes, improve decision-making and remove organisational friction

Analyse how work, resources and investment flow across Data Science and recommend improvements

Support evolution of the Data Science operating model as the organisation grows and its priorities change

Work with Finance and HR to develop greater transparency around workforce, capability, capacity and cost

Help leadership understand whether resources are deployed against the areas of greatest strategic and commercial value

Leadership cadence & governance

Help design and run an effective operating cadence for the Data Science leadership team.

Ensure leadership forums are focused on decisions, performance, and action rather than information sharing

Maintain visibility of key commitments, decisions, risks and dependencies

Continuously improve governance and reporting so that leadership has the information required to make faster, better decisions

Skills & Experience:

We are looking for someone who combines strategic thinking with strong analytical and execution capability.

The successful candidate is likely to have :

First-class stakeholder management and communication skills - including the ability to distil complex issues into concise executive-level recommendations and influence senior stakeholders without relying on formal authority

Significant experience in strategy, business operations, transformation, performance management, consulting or a comparable role

Experience working with senior executives in a complex, matrixed organisation

Strong analytical capability and the ability to make sense of complex financial, operational and organisational data

Demonstrable experience identifying performance improvement opportunities and driving them through to measurable outcomes

Excellent structured problem-solving skills

Strong financial and commercial acumen

Experience designing or operating executive-level performance management and governance

The judgement to know when to analyse further, when to escalate and when simply to get something done

Experience in data science, technology, digital products, information services or a similarly knowledge-intensive environment would be highly advantageous, but deep technical data science expertise is not essential.

Personal Characteristics

The role will suit someone who:

Is intellectually curious and naturally asks why performance looks the way it does

Is comfortable operating with ambiguity and creating structure where none exists

Can move between strategic questions and detailed operational issues

Challenges constructively and is comfortable working with senior leaders

Is highly numerate but understands that data is a tool for making decisions, not an end in itself

Has strong organisational judgement and emotional intelligence

Takes ownership and follows issues through to resolution

Is pragmatic, collaborative and low-ego

Can operate at pace while maintaining a high standard of work

Believes in Elsevier's mission to advance human progress

Why join us?

At Elsevier, you will be part of a diverse global product team that sits at the frontline of delivering value to customers. You will play a key role in enabling secure access to our products, shaping how customers experience and adopt our identity platform. We are committed to your success and wellbeing, offering flexible working, family leave, long-service recognition, and a supportive, collaborative environment where everyone has a part to play.

Work in a way that works for you

We promote a healthy work/life balance across the organization. We offer an appealing w