Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.
People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.
What is the role?
The Head of Data Governance is the senior lead responsible for the design, implementation and continuous improvement of the Group’s data governance. You will own the end-to-end governance operating model (policies, roles, processes, tooling and metrics), lead the Data Owners and Data Champions community across divisions and functions, and ensure governance extends to data used for AI/ML and advanced analytics. You will own data risk management for Howden and ensure that the control environment is well defined. You will work closely with the Data Platform, Data Management, Data Protection Office, Information Security, Architecture, Technology and business leaders to make data trusted, discoverable, governed and safe to use across the Group.
What will you be doing?
You will be accountable for a mix of strategy, delivery, people and operating responsibilities, including:
Strategy & operating model
Own and evolve the Group Data Governance strategy, framework and roadmap aligned to the Group Data & Analytics strategy and regulatory obligations.
Define and run the governance operating model (Data Boards, Data Owners and Data Champions escalation paths, KPIs and funding model)
Policies, standards & assurance
Own group data policies (data classification, access, retention, usage, ethics, PII handling), and ensure consistent adoption across Howden businesses.
Establish audit and assurance processes to show compliance with internal policy, GDPR and other relevant regulations and standards (ISO 27001, UKGC, PCI where applicable).
AI, model & vendor governance
Work with Head of AI Governance to implement Responsible AI and Model Governance frameworks that cover model registries, training data governance, synthetic data policies, explainability, model monitoring (drift, bias), and escalation for material models.
Define controls for use of LLMs and third-party AI services (data leakage, prompt governance, vendor assessment, red-team testing).
Access, security & privacy
Work with InfoSec and Data Protection to design and monitor access controls (RBAC/ABAC), DLP, anonymisation/de-identification practices, and secure data environments for analytics and AI training.
Change, adoption & capability
Build and run the Data Owners and Data Champions community: training, playbooks, runbooks and a community of practice to drive cultural change and adoption.
Lead stakeholder engagement across C-suite, business lines and technology teams to embed governance into delivery and product lifecycles.
Delivery & leadership
Lead a small team of governance professionals and programme managers; manage budgets and external supplier relationships for governance.
Report governance KPIs and risk to the CDO, Audit, Risk and relevant executive forums.
What are we looking for?
The ideal candidate will have:
Proven leadership in enterprise data governance - 10+ years’ experience with at least several years in a senior, cross-functional data governance role (or equivalent) building and running governance programmes at scale.
Insurance / financial services experience (preferably) - demonstrable experience of data governance in insurance or a heavily regulated industry (understanding of regulatory requirements and sector data flows).
AI & model governance experience (desirable) - practical experience establishing Responsible AI, model risk management or ML governance frameworks; familiarity with model registries, explainability, drift detection and synthetic data controls.
Strong technical understanding - hands-on knowledge of metadata/catalog tooling and MDM plus exposure to modern data platforms (Snowflake/Databricks/S3, lakehouse, data mesh concepts).
Privacy & security competence - thorough understanding of GDPR, data protection principles, DLP, and IT security standards such as ISO 27001; comfortable working with DPOs and CISOs.
Stakeholder & people leadership (essential) - excellent communication and influencing skills with C-level stakeholders; experience building and developing Data Owners/Stewards communities and leading small specialist teams.
Regulatory & audit readiness - experience preparing for and responding to audits / regulatory enquiries and evidence-based assurance reporting.
Education - degree in Computer Science, Information Management, Data Science, Business Information Systems or equivalent experience. Advanced degree desirable.
Desirable qualifications
CISM / CISSP (or equivalent information security certification)
Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) or equivalent privacy qualification
Certifications or formal training in Responsible AI / ML governance, model risk management or AI ethics
Advanced user / certification in Data Governance platforms (e.g., Collibra DQ, Informatica)
Experience with cloud security and platform governance (AWS/Azure/GCP)
Optional: BCS Diploma in Business Analysis, CII Certification or similar insurance/data professional qualifications
A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:
Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond
We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.
If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.
*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.
Permanent
We’re Howden, the people first insurance group with employee ownership at its heart.
From launching with just three employees in 1994, we’ve grown to over 23,000 people around the globe. Together, our expertise span the full spectrum of insurance: broking, reinsurance, underwriting, risk consultancy and employee benefits.
We rise to any challenge and are determined to use insurance as a force for good.
