Head of data analytics job description.
Planning to hire a head of data analytics or take on leadership in a data-driven organisation? This job description explains responsibilities around insight strategy, stakeholder reporting, team development, and tech stack ownership — along with common next steps and UK salary ranges at this level.
What does a head of data analytics do?
The head of data analytics leads the function responsible for turning business data into strategic insights. They oversee teams of analysts and scientists, define reporting standards, and ensure data-driven decision-making is embedded in the organisation’s culture.
Responsibilities include setting KPIs, improving data literacy across teams, aligning analytics with business objectives, and championing tools and platforms that support scalable insight generation. They also partner with finance, marketing, product, and leadership teams.
In growing companies, they often build the analytics function from scratch. In established organisations, they lead multi-team departments, manage vendor relationships, and report directly into commercial or operations leadership.
Key responsibilities of a head of data analytics.
The head of data analytics oversees data strategy and insight delivery across the business. Typical responsibilities include:
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Leading analytics teams and hiring data professionals
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Defining data strategy, reporting frameworks, and data culture initiatives
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Overseeing dashboards, reports, and advanced analysis for senior stakeholders
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Aligning data work with commercial KPIs and strategic goals
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Ensuring high-quality data sources, models, and interpretations
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Partnering with engineering to support scalable data infrastructure
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Managing data tools, platforms, and vendor relationships
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Reporting on data performance and business value to leadership
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Supporting governance and data ethics across analytics projects
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Driving data literacy and usage across non-technical teams
This role blends data strategy, leadership, and business enablement.
Skills and requirements for a head of data analytics.
Heads of data analytics lead data strategy and insight generation. Employers typically look for:
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8–12 years of experience in analytics or data science roles
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Experience managing data, BI, or analytics teams
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Strong ability to align insights with business goals
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Skilled in data storytelling, dashboarding, and reporting
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Proficiency in SQL, visualisation tools, and statistical methods
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Confidence working with senior stakeholders
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Understanding of data governance and compliance
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Experience setting up analytics platforms
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Strong leadership, mentoring, and stakeholder engagement skills
Most heads of analytics report to senior tech or operations leadership.
Average salary for a head of data analytics.
In the UK, the average salary for a head of data analytics typically ranges from £96,000 to £150,000, reflecting leadership of data teams, strategic insight generation, and business alignment.
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Mid-level heads tend to earn between £96,000 and £125,000
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Senior heads shaping cross-departmental data use and managing large analytics functions may earn between £126,000 and £150,000
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Compensation can include bonuses tied to decision-making impact or forecasting accuracy
Top salaries are seen in telecoms, banking, and global digital enterprises.
Career progression for a head of data analytics.
A head of data analytics owns the organisation’s insight function — connecting data, business strategy, and decision-making. It’s a leadership role with opportunities to expand into enterprise or commercial strategy. Career progression typically includes:
Data analyst
Builds reports, conducts trend analysis, and supports business units.
Senior analyst / Insights lead
Delivers strategic reporting and drives experimentation to support commercial goals.
Analytics manager
Manages analysts, builds data culture, and integrates analytics into business strategy.
Head of data analytics
Leads cross-functional data initiatives, sets best practices, and aligns analytics with leadership objectives.
Director of data
Owns the entire data function — including science, analytics, and engineering teams.
salary guide
Our UK data salary guide.
Heads of data analytics lead strategy, insight generation, and team development. Offers should reflect leadership across reporting, modelling, and business alignment.
Our UK data salary guide provides executive benchmarks, 2024 comparisons, and projections to help you hire and retain senior talent through to 2026.
FAQS
Head of data analytics FAQs.
The head of data analytics owns the “why” — helping the business understand performance, forecast scenarios, and make strategic bets. They’re less about infrastructure and more about insight, data culture, and decision-making frameworks.
Ideally, within the commercial function or reporting into the chief product or chief marketing officer. heads of analytics should be close to the strategic levers — not buried in IT or purely technical leadership.
The ability to translate business goals into measurable hypotheses, shape a team of generalists and specialists, and embed reporting into daily decision cycles — not just dashboards on a shelf.
Breaking reporting silos, reshaping teams stuck in “data as a service” mode, and convincing senior leaders to change KPIs or experiment more rigorously. Influencing without being the decision-maker is key.
Many move into chief data officer or VP analytics roles, especially in enterprise settings. Others step into operational or product leadership, given their influence across teams.