Head of Data & Reporting
- Belfast, United Kingdom
Posted 10 hours ago
About the role
What can you expect?
Fieldfisher is seeking an experienced and commercially minded Head of Data & Reporting to provide leadership for the firm's global data strategy, reporting capability, governance, architecture and knowledge enablement agenda.
This is a newly created leadership role intended to bring coherence, direction and accountability to a distributed set of data-related activities across the firm. The successful candidate will define, mobilise and mature the firm's data capability, enabling innovation, AI adoption, operational excellence, informed decision-making and enhanced client service.
Working closely with the CIO, Executive Committee, Business Services Leadership and legal teams across all regions, the Head of Data & Reporting will shape the firm's vision for data management and reporting. The role will establish the governance, standards, technology principles and operating model required to create a trusted, secure and reusable data ecosystem across the firm, working through existing business, technology, risk, knowledge and reporting teams where appropriate.
The role will chair and lead Fieldfisher's Data Council, bringing together senior data owners from across Business Services and legal functions to drive accountability, prioritisation, strategic direction and clear ownership boundaries.
The successful candidate will combine strong technical expertise with an understanding of how legal and business data can be transformed into meaningful knowledge, insights and competitive advantage. The role is expected to define the future operating model for data and reporting rather than assume immediate ownership of every data-related activity across the firm.
The appointment should therefore be viewed as the recruitment of a senior leader who will clarify ownership, establish standards, coordinate delivery and recommend the future shape of the data function, including which capabilities should sit centrally, which should remain within existing teams and which may be delivered through a future centrally managed Admin team.
Key Responsibilities
Data Strategy, Leadership & Operating Model
- Define, develop and maintain the firm's global data and reporting strategy.
- Establish data as a strategic capability supporting business growth, innovation, AI enablement, operational effectiveness and client service.
- Clarify which responsibilities are directly owned by the Head of Data & Reporting, which are delivered through the wider team or matrix model, and which may evolve as the function matures.
- Identify where future maintenance, administration and stewardship responsibilities could be consolidated into a centrally managed Admin team under this role, subject to operating model approval.
- Create and maintain a multi-year roadmap covering governance, quality, architecture, analytics, knowledge management, reporting and AI readiness.
Data Governance, Ownership & Standards
- Establish and maintain a global data governance framework, working in partnership with Risk, Compliance, Information Security, Information Governance and Legal teams (Office of the DPO).
- Chair and lead the Fieldfisher Data Council.
- Define data ownership, stewardship, accountability and lifecycle management processes across the firm.
- Develop global standards for data quality, privacy, retention, classification, accessibility and reuse.
- Coordinate governance activity across existing functions without replacing established functional ownership unless separately agreed through the operating model.
- Ensure data-related activities support compliance with GDPR, UK GDPR and wider European regulatory obligations.
Knowledge, Legal Data & AI Enablement
- Develop a firm-wide approach to transforming data into reusable knowledge in partnership with Knowledge Lawyers, Practice Groups and business teams.
- Shape the evolution of the firm's knowledge graph and semantic data capabilities, working with Technology and Enterprise Architecture teams.
- Improve the capture, organisation and reuse of knowledge assets across client, matter, finance, risk, people and knowledge systems.
- Ensure firm data is structured, governed and accessible for trusted AI and advanced analytics initiatives.
- Partner with AI and technology teams to identify and deliver high-value use cases while ensuring clear ownership and governance.
Data Architecture, Platforms & Reporting Foundations
- Define the target-state data architecture principles for the firm in partnership with Enterprise Architecture and Technology teams.
- Shape and oversee the data requirements for modern data platforms, data products and data services.
- Ensure data architectures support reporting, analytics, AI and future digital services.
- Improve integration and data consistency across core business systems including practice management, finance, CRM, HR, risk and document management platforms.
- Work with Reporting and BI teams to strengthen the foundations for trusted management information, self-service reporting and actionable insight.
Operational Delivery, Value Realisation & Future Capability
- Deliver practical, measurable solutions that demonstrate value quickly while building the foundations for longer-term maturity.
- Balance strategic transformation with rapid execution and visible business benefit.
- Define and monitor metrics relating to data quality, usage, governance, reporting effectiveness and business outcomes.
- Oversee third-party vendors and strategic partners supporting data initiatives.
- Recommend future team structure, capability requirements and potential consolidation of administrative or maintenance responsibilities into a centrally managed Admin team under the role, where appropriate.
Initial Priorities
- Assess the current data, reporting and knowledge landscape across the firm.
- Clarify current ownership, duplication, risks and gaps across existing teams and functions.
- Define the proposed future data operating model and associated governance structure.
- Establish the Data Council and agree its mandate, decision rights and escalation routes.
- Identify priority use cases, quick wins and foundational capability requirements.
- Recommend which responsibilities should sit centrally, remain with existing teams, operate through a matrix model or potentially transfer to a future centrally managed Admin team.
Role Boundaries
- The role will not automatically replace existing functional ownership in Knowledge, AI, Reporting, Enterprise Architecture, Information Governance, Risk or business teams.
- The role will provide strategic direction, coordination, standards and governance where data is the common dependency.
- Any movement of responsibilities, reporting lines or administration activities into this function would be subject to CIO and organisational approval following definition of the operating model.
Skills, Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- Significant experience leading data, reporting or information functions within a law firm, professional services environment or similarly complex organisation.
- Proven experience defining and implementing data strategy, governance and operating models.
- Strong understanding of GDPR, UK GDPR and wider European data compliance requirements.
- Experience establishing and leading governance forums, councils or steering groups.
- Strong knowledge of modern data architectures, data platforms, reporting and analytics technologies.
- Experience with data modelling, metadata, knowledge graphs or semantic technologies would be valuable.
- Demonstrable experience improving data quality, ownership and governance in complex organisations.
- Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience engaging senior executives and business leaders.
- Ability to communicate complex technical concepts in clear business language.
- Experience delivering practical and measurable business outcomes from data, reporting or insight initiatives.
- Strong commercial awareness and understanding of how data supports growth, client service and operational performance.
Desirable
- Legal qualification, part-qualified legal background or significant exposure to legal operations and legal data.
- Previous experience as a Knowledge Lawyer, Legal Technologist, Data Architect, Head of Knowledge, Head of Reporting or equivalent role.
- Experience supporting AI-enabled transformation programmes.
- Familiarity with graph databases, master data management, metadata platforms and modern cloud data ecosystems.
- Experience working within a global professional services organisation.
- Experience designing or leading centralised administration, stewardship or data maintenance capabilities.
Personal Attributes
- Strategic thinker with a pragmatic delivery mindset.
- Highly credible and confident operating at executive level.
- Naturally collaborative and capable of influencing across diverse stakeholder groups.
- Passionate about data, knowledge management and innovation.
- Curious, forward-thinking and commercially focused.
- Comfortable balancing governance, risk and control with agility and business value.
- Strong leadership presence with the ability to build consensus and drive change.
Who are we looking for?
- We don't have a type. We believe our differences are our strength; varied cultures, approaches and experience can only benefit us.
What do we offer?
- You can be yourself: It takes everyone to make us who we are. We’re a culture of diverse perspectives, with each of us making unique contributions that make us better together.
- In the office or WFH?: We think the best balance is more time in the office than at home, so we operate a 60:40 rule.
- Beyond salary: We offer plenty of benefits; private medical insurance, health cash plan, dental insurance, life assurance, critical illness insurance, matched pension contributions up to 7%, holiday trading, plus many more. Visit: Reward & Benefits ¦ Fieldfisher.
- Modern Office Space: Located on Adelaide Street in Belfast City Centre, with excellent commuter links and parking nearby.
- Nurturing your talent: Take a 'build a career' approach to your training. You'll be on a pathway but free to wander if you see something you'd like to study more closely.
- Funnel your interests: You have a life outside work, and we can help it to flourish. Join clubs, affinity networks, inclusive events, and pro bono/charity initiatives.
Inclusion at Fieldfisher
At Fieldfisher, inclusion is central to how we work. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, supported and able to succeed.
If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process or once you join us, we will work with you to put the right support in place. Examples include extra time for assessments, accessible document formats, alternative interview formats, quiet rooms, or physical and technological accessibility support.
For information about the accessibility features of our Belfast office, please visit Fieldfisher Belfast Office Accessibility Information
What to do next:
- Click 'Apply Now', complete an online application and upload a CV.
- Successful applications will be invited to a 20–30-minute introductory call with a recruiter.
- Every role recruits differently. But we'll always let you know what to expect from the process, so you get no surprises.
- For hybrid opportunities, you'll be invited to visit our offices for a face-to-face meeting.
- We try to make sure the process takes around 2-3 weeks only, but we can't always promise that. We will work around everyone's availability. You can contact us at anita.magorrian@fieldfisher.com.
We recruit on a rolling basis. Your application may be reviewed before the application deadline. We accept applications until we have filled the role.
Fieldfisher is a European law firm with market-leading practices in many of the world's most dynamic sectors. We are an exciting, forward-thinking organisation with a particular focus on technology, financial services, energy & natural resources, and life sciences.
We are a law firm built around people with all their diversity and we strike a healthy balance between legal excellence and a down-to-earth practical approach to our clients' needs. We believe The Future is Human, so we choose a collaborative approach with an intense focus on the end-user and consider carefully how to shape our services to add the most value to our clients.