Data Foundations Lead

Salary: £70,000 - 110,000 per year

Requirements:

• Were looking for a candidate with a Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Management, Bioinformatics, or a related discipline.
• We require 8+ years of experience in Data Architecture, Data Foundations, Data Governance, Research Informatics, or a closely related field.
• Were looking for experience establishing enterprise data foundations, including metadata management, ontology management, and data governance.
• We require experience designing conceptual and logical data models in complex enterprise environments.
• Experience working with research, scientific, or life sciences data is highly desirable.
• Experience implementing AI-enabled approaches for metadata management, knowledge management, or information discovery is desirable.
• Were looking for experience defining data products, data standards, and information models.
• We require experience collaborating with multidisciplinary stakeholders, including scientists, business teams, and technology teams.
• Were looking for a strong understanding of metadata management, data lineage, and data quality principles.
• We value knowledge of ontology management, semantic technologies, or knowledge graphs.
• Were looking for an understanding of structured and unstructured data management.
• We require excellent stakeholder engagement, facilitation, and communication skills, and the ability to influence without direct authority in complex matrix organisations.
• DAMA, CDMP, TOGAF, or similar certifications are considered an advantage.

Responsibilities:

• Well rely on you to establish and govern enterprise ontologies, business vocabularies, and global identifiers to ensure consistent representation and traceability of data across Patient Solutions.
• Youll design and implement scalable metadata management capabilities to improve data quality, lineage, interoperability, and discoverability across structured and unstructured data.
• Youll drive adoption of AI-enabled approaches to metadata generation, curation, and knowledge management.
• Youll partner with data owners and scientific teams to embed data standards and governance at the point of data creation.
• Youll define scalable conceptual and logical data models that support research, scientific, and business use cases.
• Youll design and deliver reusable domain data products supporting strategic programmes and AI initiatives.
• Youll promote FAIR data principles and modern data foundation practices across Patient Solutions.
• Youll collaborate with Enterprise Architecture to align business capabilities, data standards, and technology platforms.
• Youll influence stakeholders across scientific and digital communities to drive adoption of data governance and foundation capabilities.

Technologies:

• AI
• Support
• Matrix
• TOGAF

More:

Were seeking an agile and innovative Data Foundations Lead for our Patient Solutions Digital Strategy & Innovation team. The role is based in Slough, UK (moving to Windlesham, Surrey, from 2027), Braine lAlleud, Belgium, or Boston, USA, and reports to the Head of Digital Strategy & Innovation. Youll work with scientific leaders, domain experts, data owners, and teams across Digital Technology, Enterprise Architecture, Data Governance, and AI to establish trusted, reusable, AI-ready data foundations for Research and Early Development. We are UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on neurology and immunology, with more than 9,000 people worldwide, inspired by patients and driven by science. We offer a caring, supportive, inclusive culture, opportunities to grow and shape your career, and a hybrid-first approach; unless otherwise stated or the nature of the role precludes it, roles are hybrid with 40% of your time spent in the office. We are an equal opportunity employer and make employment decisions without regard to characteristics protected by applicable laws. This is a permanent Research & Development position (job number 93225), posted August 27, 2026.

last updated 39 week of 2026