VP Data / senior Data manager
Our client is a major European infrastructure operator, active in a highly regulated and strategically critical environment.
As part of its ongoing transformation, the company is accelerating its shift towards a data-driven organisation, supporting operational excellence, regulatory transparency, international expansion and energy transition ambitions.
To support this evolution, the company is creating a Group-wide Data Leadership role, with full ownership of data governance, strategy and value creation.
Your mission
As VP Data / Senior Data Manager, you will act as the executive owner of data across the Group, defining and driving a robust, trusted and scalable data ecosystem.
Your objective is to transform fragmented data landscapes into a governed, business-aligned and AI-ready environment, ensuring compliance, performance and long-term value creation.
Key responsibilities
- Data strategy & governance:
- Define and implement a Group-wide data strategy, aligned with corporate objectives
- Establish a clear governance framework (data domains, ownership, stewardship, decision rights)
- Define and enforce policies for:
- Data quality
- Metadata & lineage
- Access & security
- Data lifecycle management
- Promote a strong data-driven and “trusted data” culture across the organisation
- Data architecture & platforms:
- Design the target enterprise data architecture, integrating both IT and industrial (OT) environments
- Ensure consistency of:
- Master data & reference data
- Data models & exchange standards
- APIs and data products
- Oversee core data platforms (data catalogue, data quality tools, reporting & analytics foundations)
- Regulatory & Security ownership:
- Act as the single accountable owner for regulatory and transparency data
- Ensure data compliance, traceability and auditability in a critical infrastructure context
- Collaborate with Cybersecurity, Legal and Regulatory teams to ensure secure and resilient data environments
- Value creation & Data use cases:
- Identify and prioritise high-impact data initiatives, such as:
- Operational performance & asset optimisation
- Capacity and resource management
- Emissions and sustainability reporting
- Financial and business performance insights
- Build AI-ready data foundations to enable advanced analytics and future use cases
- Leadership & transformation:
- Lead and structure a central Data function (governance, architecture, platforms)
- Manage and unify a team of 10-15 experienced data professionals
- Coordinate a federated data model across business units
- Drive change management in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment
- Act as a strategic advisor to senior leadership and executive committee
Your profile
- Experience:
- 10-15+ years of experience in Data / IT / Digital leadership roles
- Proven track record in building and deploying enterprise data strategies
- Experience in complex and regulated environments (infrastructure, energy, industry...) is a strong asset
- Comfortable operating at executive / C-level
- Core competencies:
- Strong expertise in:
- Data governance
- Data architecture
- Data Management Frameworks
- Good understanding of IT / OT environments and industrial data contexts
- Ability to translate business and regulatory requirements into scalable data solutions
- Strategic mindset with a strong execution and delivery orientation
- Leadership & soft skills:
- Proven experience managing senior teams and transformation programs
- Strong influencing and communication skills
- Ability to navigate complex organisations and align multiple stakeholders
- Change-oriented mindset, resilience and impact-driven approach
- Education & languages:
- Master's degree or equivalent in Data, IT, Engineering, Economics or related field
- Fluent in English + French and Dutch
=> Permanent contrat (full time) only
