Data Acquisition Lead | Circa £62,000 negotiable + excellent benefits | Permanent | Full-time | Hybrid

We’re hiring!

Are you passionate about data and its potential to drive business insights? We are seeking a dynamic individual to develop, drive, and own our data acquisition strategy.

In this pivotal role, you will hunt, acquire, and leverage data to enhance and align vehicle insurability insights. You will be responsible for owning a market data enrichment strategy through collaboration with key business stakeholders, aligning requirements, identifying and selecting market data based on business needs, and managing contract negotiations and supplier relationships.

Join us and make a significant impact on our data-driven journey!

As our new Data Acquisition Lead, you’ll be responsible for:

• Data Acquisition Strategy: Develop, implement and own a comprehensive, business enabling data acquisition strategy to support automotive research and insurability analysis ensuring that our business has access to the right data.
• Collaborate: collaborate with internal stakeholders to understand data needed to deliver appropriate solutions, steer where required to achieve the market data enrichment strategy
• Data Sourcing: Identify, evaluate, and acquire relevant data sets from trusted external sources. Drive cost savings and efficiency improvements.
• Partnerships and negotiation: Establish and maintain partnerships with data providers, automotive manufacturers, insurance companies, and other key stakeholders. Negotiate mutual agreement based on monetary or other value.
• Data Ecosystem: In collaboration with Data Value Management oversee the integration of acquired data into our data ecosystem, ensuring data quality, consistency, and accessibility.
• Compliance: Ensure all data acquisition and usage comply with relevant regulations and industry standards, including data privacy and security as well as internal policies and standards.
• Value: Ensure data/service usage and pricing is accurately recorded and intended business value understood. Maintain an audit trail for all contracts and commercial agreements and conduct regular reviews which feed into renewal decisions
• Budget: Ensure transparency and visibility of company expenditures on external data, align business demand, and utilise these inputs for budget planning purposes.
• Plan and align: Manage demand pipeline, have a forward-facing view of data sets required and monetary/resource plan supporting these.
• Innovation: Stay abreast of emerging trends and technologies in data

Skills & experience that will set you up for success in this role: 
Essential skills:

• Degree level qualifications or equivalent technical/vocational experience.
• Practical experience with Data Procurement, sharing or within a Data and Analytics team.
• Proven business acumen with experience of defining strategy through to successful execution.
• Previous experience in data acquisition role data management or similar, with a strong background in data acquisition with an appreciation for data and analytics domain.
• Strong vendor (supplier) management and budget management skills.
• Experience of identifying and sourcing data to meet business needs.
• Experience working with legal and commercial aspects of vendor data licenses and contracts.
• Strong contract and agreement negotiation skills
• Strong communication, interpersonal and presentation skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross functional teams and external partners to meet their needs
• Ability to translate business requirements into language of Data and vice versa.

Desirable skills:
These are desirable skills or experience and are not essential, so we would welcome applications from candidates that do not match these additional criteria. 

• Creative thinking to identify new data sources and methods for data acquisition.
• Good understanding of data acquisition tools, data integration platforms, and data analytics software.
• Knowledge of automotive and insurance sectors.

Did you know...

Research tells us that men are more likely to apply to jobs if they meet only 60% of the criteria, whereas women often hesitate or don't apply unless they meet all of the criteria. This difference in application behaviour can contribute to the gender gap in career advancement and opportunities.

We know the perfect candidate doesn't exist! If you think you have what it takes but don't tick every box, we'd still encourage you to apply - it could be a perfect fit!

Perks & Benefits

Salary - Circa £62,000 negotiable dependent on skills & experience.

• 10% non-contributory pension
• 29 days holiday (inclusive of Christmas shutdown) + public holidays
• Group Life Assurance (equal to 3 x basic salary)
• Group Income Protection (after 2 years’ service)
• Salary Sacrifice schemes (cycle to work & tech scheme)
• Moneyhealth’s Financial Coaching & Wellbeing Platform
• Health Cash Plan (cash back on eligible medical treatments)
• Reward & Recognition Programme
• Discounted gym membership
• Sports & Social club
• Payroll charitable giving
• Subsidised on-site restaurant
• Free on-site parking

When we work

Our standard working hours are 8:30 - 16:30 Monday - Thursday, early finish on Friday - 8:30 - 15:45 (Talk to us about flexible working if this doesn’t quite suit you – we take work-life balance seriously!)

How we work

We understand the benefits of remote and in-person collaboration, and therefore have a hybrid working model – you’ll be expected to work from our office in Thatcham at least two days per week.

What we do

At the cutting edge of automotive research in the UK, Thatcham Research has a unique role in shaping the design of new vehicles and influencing ever higher standards of safety, security and repair. With an on-site Crash Laboratory, Repair Technology Centre and Training Academy, our research expertise is driving some of the very latest automotive developments in technology, materials and standards in this fast moving and highly technical industry.

Our active safety track site is one of the leading accredited Euro NCAP testing facilities, trialling and assessing the very latest developments in vehicle safety and assistance technologies.

Our Values

As an organisation that believes a strong set of Values are key to our organisational success and a sense of belonging for all colleagues, we ask that you understand, represent and apply our Values of Fearless, Inquisitive, Resourceful, Supportive and Trusted and demonstrate these Values throughout the recruitment process.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace which values diversity and embraces each individual's authentic self. We are proud to champion a culture where colleagues freely share their diverse perspectives, recognising that these contribute to our innovative spirit. Our journey of growth and understanding is continuous as we actively invest in diversity training, workshops, and partnerships to ensure positive change.

Beyond our membership in the Automotive 30% Club, we collaborate with various organisations to advance equity not only in gender but also across ethnicity, age, disability, social mobility, LGBTQ+ identities, experiences, and thinking. Our aspiration is to create an environment where everyone thrives, achieves, and experiences a genuine sense of belonging.

Recruitment process

We’re proud to manage our recruitment in-house and believe this direct approach enables us to give you the best possible Employee Experience we can – which starts right here, your application! We’re continuously striving to improve the candidate journey, and transparency (or communication) is a key area of focus – yes, even with salary & benefits.

What can you expect from our recruitment process?

• Regular updates on the progress / outcome of your application
• An initial telephone screening call with our Recruitment Business Partner
• First interview with the hiring manager, usually via Teams
• Second/Final interview, in-person at our office (we may give you a role specific task to present on!)
• Personalised feedback following your interview – because everyone deserves that!
• An opportunity to give us your honest feedback in a short survey on all of the above

We’re committed to removing invisible barriers. If there are any adjustments we can make to better support you, please let us know when you apply.

All applicants must have Right to Work in the UK.