Head of Data Technologies & Platforms

Base Location: You'll be expected to spend 50% of your working week in one of the following locations: Reading, Havant, London, Perth or Glasgow

Salary: £80,700 - £121,100 + car/car allowance + performance-related bonus + a range of benefits to support your finances, wellbeing and family.

Working Pattern: Permanent | Full Time | Flexible First options available

The role

SSE is strengthening the enterprise data foundations that support resilient operations, better decisions and future growth. As Head of Data Technologies & Platforms, you will lead the group-wide technology capability behind data, analytics, data science, digital twin, data management and information management. You will shape, provide and operate secure, resilient and cost-effective enterprise platforms and services, setting the strategy for instances and tenancies, validating technologies for enterprise adoption and making common capability easier for Business Units to use. Business Unit teams will administer and use their instances within agreed guardrails, while retaining accountability for their priorities, data products and business outcomes.

You will

• Set and execute SSE’s enterprise data technology and platform roadmap, modernising the landscape, reducing duplication and balancing common foundations with justified Business Unit requirements.
• Lead the design, provisioning and enterprise configuration of data platform capabilities across data lakes and lakehouse, storage and processing, ingestion and integration, insight and visualisation, data science, digital twin, data management and information management tooling.
• Own the enterprise lifecycle of platforms from evaluation and validation through adoption, release, capacity management and retirement, including the instance and tenancy strategy for each platform.
• Deliver reliable, secure and resilient production services through strong Platform Engineering, DataOps and DevSecOps practices, with clear service levels, observability, release management, recovery and operating boundaries with Business Units and suppliers.
• Establish reusable platform services, embedded security and automated governance controls that accelerate delivery, improve interoperability and enable Business Unit teams to administer and use their instances within clear enterprise guardrails.
• Lead group-wide commercial and financial management of the data technology estate, providing transparent platform costs and optimising licensing, enterprise capacity, cloud consumption, supplier performance and total cost of ownership.
• Build a strong Platform and DataOps community across SSE, using adoption, reliability, user experience, cost and operational performance to continually improve the enterprise service portfolio.

You have

• Significant senior leadership experience building or materially reshaping enterprise data, cloud, engineering platform or equivalent technology services in a large, complex organisation.
• Deep practical experience designing, provisioning and operating modern cloud and hybrid data platforms and services in production, including Platform Engineering, DataOps, DevSecOps, observability, resilience and service management.
• Broad and credible experience across data platforms, integration, analytics and visualisation, data science and digital twin technologies, data management and information management tooling, and platform automation.
• A strong record of establishing common enterprise services, setting instance and tenancy strategies, rationalising technology estates and managing migrations while enabling justified Business Unit needs.
• Experience embedding security, privacy, compliance and automated data and information governance controls into platform design, provisioning and operation.
• Strong commercial and financial judgement across investment cases, sourcing, contracts, licensing, cloud consumption, FinOps, supplier performance and total cost of ownership.
• The authority and collaborative judgement to set enterprise direction, lead multidisciplinary teams and work across Architecture, Engineering, Operations, Cyber, Data, AI and distributed Business Unit teams.

About SSE

SSE’s purpose is to provide energy needed today while building a better world of energy for tomorrow. We do this by developing, building, operating and investing in electricity infrastructure and businesses needed in the energy transition. Our Transforming for Growth investment plan sees us investing £33bn in critical electricity infrastructure across the five years to 2030.

Our IT division powers growth across all SSE business areas by making sure we have the systems, software and security needed to take the lead in a low carbon world. They provide expertise, advice and day-to-day support in emerging technologies, data and analytics, cyber security and more.

Flexible benefits to fit your life

Enjoy discounts on private healthcare and gym memberships. Wellbeing benefits like a free online GP and 24/7 counselling service. Interest-free loans on tech and transport season tickets, or a new bike with our Cycle to Work scheme. As well as generous family entitlements such as maternity and adoption pay, and paternity leave.

Work with an equal opportunity employer

SSE will make any reasonable adjustments you need to ensure that your application and experience with us is positive. Please contact [email protected] to discuss how we can support you.

We're dedicated to fostering an open and inclusive workplace where people from all backgrounds can thrive. We create equal opportunities for everyone to succeed and especially welcome applications from those who may not be well represented in our workforce or industry.

Ready to apply?

Start your online application using the Apply Now box on this page. We only accept applications made online. We'll be in touch after the closing date to let you know if we'll be taking your application further. If you're offered a role with SSE, you'll need to complete a criminality check and a credit check before you start work.