Senior Data Consultant (6-12 months FTC)

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a risk- and value-led assessment of the firm’s data landscape across structured and unstructured sources, from core business systems to document and knowledge repositories, combining structured stakeholder engagement with hands-on analysis of systems and data.
• Develop and maintain a clear, well-documented view of the firm’s data assets, including ownership, sensitivity, access, data flows and key dependencies.
• Identify data-related risks, including in relation to client-confidential, privileged and personal data, and work with key stakeholders to ensure that confidentiality, ethical walls, data protection and client-specific requirements are reflected in how data is managed and used.
• Identify authoritative sources for master and reference data, and develop common data definitions and data quality standards.
• Help to establish data ownership and stewardship arrangements for managing data across its lifecycle.
• Develop and document the firm’s data strategy, including guiding principles, target state, governance model, target architecture, roadmap and measurable outcomes, aligned with the firm’s business and AI priorities.
• Define data architecture and integration principles covering structured and unstructured data, metadata and taxonomy, cataloguing and discovery, integration and APIs, identity and access, and retrieval for AI.
• Develop a repeatable framework for assessing whether data is ready for use with AI, covering provenance, ownership, classification, permissions, metadata, quality and approved purpose.
• Define how the value and effectiveness of the firm’s data capability will be measured.
• Prepare clear reports, papers and presentations for senior stakeholders and governance forums.
• Ensure that outputs are captured in a durable, maintainable form that will endure and scale.
• Maintain awareness of developments in data management, AI, data protection and applicable regulation, including the GDPR and the EU AI Act.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant professional experience (preferably in Information Systems, Computer Science, Data Science, Information Management or a related discipline).
• Substantial applicable experience in data governance, data management, data architecture or data consulting roles.
• Demonstrable experience of conducting data discovery, inventory or assessment exercises across complex organisations, combining stakeholder interviews with system-level analysis.
• Experience of developing and documenting data strategies, governance frameworks, data standards or policies.
• Sound working knowledge of data management concepts, including ownership and stewardship, master and reference data, common data definitions, classification, metadata, data quality, lineage and lifecycle management.
• Working knowledge of data architecture and integration principles, including how consistent, reliable data is shared between systems.
• Hands-on ability to analyse systems and data, such as querying data, data profiling and interpreting access and permissions reports.
• An understanding of how Generative AI systems use enterprise data and the requirements this places on data, including permissions, metadata, provenance and quality.
• Experience of working in a regulated or high-confidentiality environment, such as professional services, financial services, healthcare or the public sector. Previous law firm experience is not required.
• Working knowledge of data protection requirements, including the GDPR.

• Experience with data discovery and cataloguing tools (e.g. Microsoft Purview, Collibra, Alation).
• Experience of master data management or data quality initiatives.
• Experience of Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and Azure data environments, and of document management systems or other large unstructured content repositories.
• Familiarity with retrieval-augmented generation, permissions-aware retrieval and other approaches to grounding AI in enterprise data.
• Experience gained in a consulting environment, delivering data governance or data management engagements for clients.
• Relevant professional certifications in data management, data governance, privacy or related disciplines (e.g. DAMA CDMP or CIPP/E).
• Familiarity with the challenges affecting law firms and the changing legal services market.

• A rigorous and methodical investigator, with strong attention to detail and a structured approach to gathering, validating and organising information.
• An enterprise mindset, seeing data as an asset to be managed across its lifecycle rather than only as an input to individual systems, tools or AI use cases.
• Equally comfortable conducting structured interviews with senior stakeholders and getting hands-on with systems, permissions and data.
• Ability to establish credibility with a diverse group of demanding senior stakeholders, including at partner level, and to secure the time and engagement of busy people.
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to turn complex findings into clear, well-structured documents, reports and presentations.
• Able to take strategic direction and develop it into a coherent, well-evidenced written strategy.
• A pragmatic sense of the level of detail needed to support good decisions, and the discipline to deliver against a defined scope and timeline.
• Excellent judgement and a strong instinct for confidentiality when handling sensitive information about clients, systems and risks.
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills, often needing to influence to get things done rather than direct.
• Collaborative and respectful of the responsibilities of other functions, favouring shared ownership over centralisation.
• Self-starter, able to work independently and at pace, taking ownership of individual work.
• Curious, with a genuine interest in data management, AI and the changing legal services market.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 25 days annual leave
• Leading hybrid working policy
• Immediate pension scheme
• Wide-ranging opportunities for involvement in internal committees
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits including full gym and wellness programmes