Job Description

About the Role

EXL is seeking a Data Strategy Engagement Lead to support high-visibility client initiatives in data strategy and governance.

This leader is equally fluent in business strategy, governance and data architecture concepts, capable of translating organizational goals into actionable plans while maintaining rigorous oversight timelines, risks, and deliverable quality standards throughout the engagements.

The person operates at the intersection of consulting delivery, client relationship management, and business development — using each engagement as a platform to deepen client trust and grow EXL’s footprint. Success here is measured by pull-through work and long-term strategic partnerships, not by whether a single project closed on time.

These engagements typically run 6–12 weeks. Velocity matters. You need to move fast, think on your feet, and keep a team aligned and accountable without slowing down to over-engineer the process.

What You’ll Do

• Manage end-to-end delivery across complex, multi-stakeholder data strategy engagements
• Partner with client points of contact and internal operations to ensure alignment and reduce senior operational friction (meetings, SME coordination, onboarding, expectation management, scope control, meeting preparation, travel planning and communication, communication management, etc.). This is an operations role that allows the experts to focus on strategy.
• Identify risk — technical or strategic — early, and escalate with a recommended path forward
• Drive Data Governance, Architecture and Data Strategy workstreams with enough credibility to lead client conversations at the director and VP level
• Develop and maintain engagement methodology, delivery frameworks, and project documentation
• Run project management meetings focused on outcomes, not velocity
• Serve as a key relationship steward — the client should experience EXL as a collaborative, easy-to-work-with partner. This requires coordination between EXL stakeholders and client stakeholders.
• Partner with EXL Data Strategy Leads and clients to assess gaps and co-develop capabilities - this is a solutioning role with direct influence on follow-on business. The team must remain focused on opportunities that drive win-win strategic partnership relationships between EXL and our clients.
• Present ideas confidently to C-suite audiences — you’re comfortable walking into an executive briefing with a partially-formed idea and landing it well
• Produce clean, compelling PowerPoint deliverables that communicate strategy clearly without hand-holding from the team
• Ensure ownership and quality of our output deliverables.

What We’re Looking For:

• Track record of starting and finishing large, complex initiatives — we care more about demonstrated ownership than titles or pedigree
• Consulting delivery background — you know how to manage clients, not just tasks
• Sufficient data literacy to recognize when data work is in trouble and understand why — deep technical expertise is not required
• Working familiarity with Data Governance, Data Architecture and Data Strategy concepts in enterprise environments — enough to lead
• Mature, practical AI perspective — you use AI tools fluently in your day-to-day work and have a clear point of view on where it creates real value
• PMI, Scrum Master or agile delivery experience - and the judgment to know when to flex the framework
• Strong PowerPoint and executive communication skills — you can turn a messy whiteboard session into a board-ready slide
• Exceptional organizational skills - you manage multiple stakeholder layers simultaneously and nothing falls through the cracks
• Self-organized, self-starting - you don’t wait to be told what the next step is
• High EQ - you’re generally likeable, read rooms well, and build trust quickly across levels
• Meticulous attention to detail - you catch things before they become problems
• Someone that understands and can articulate the connection between IT/Data/AI solutions and value driven to the business
• Financial services or banking experience a plus. Insurance and Healthcare are also very valuable.

What This Is Not

• A task-tracking role — general PM skills alone won’t cut it
• A deep technical role — we have practitioners for that
• A role where success is measured by ticket closure — it’s measured by client trust, capability growth, and downstream revenue

Education

• 4-year degree required; field of study is less important than what you’ve built and delivered
• Advanced degree, certifications, or continuous learning signals a plus — but a strong track record outweighs credentials every time

EXL (NASDAQ: EXLS) is a leading data analytics and digital operations and solutions company. We partner with clients using a data and AI-led approach to reinvent business models, drive better business outcomes and unlock growth with speed. EXL harnesses the power of data, analytics, AI, and deep industry knowledge to transform operations for the world’s leading corporations in industries including insurance, healthcare, banking and financial services, media and retail, among others. EXL was founded in 1999 with the core values of innovation, collaboration, excellence, integrity and respect. We are headquartered in New York and have more than 54,000 employees spanning six continents. For more information, visit www.exlservice.com EXL never requires or asks for fees/payments or credit card or bank details during any phase of the recruitment or hiring process and has not authorized any agencies or partners to collect any fee or payment from prospective candidates. EXL will only extend a job offer after a candidate has gone through a formal interview process with members of EXL’s Human Resources team, as well as our hiring managers.