Head of Data & AI
Trade Nation is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Head of Data & AI to lead our data and artificial intelligence strategy across the organisation. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role combines two interconnected mandates: enabling self-service access to data across the business and embedding AI into everyday operations.
As a multi-jurisdictional CFD and spread betting broker with regulated entities across the UK, Australia, the EU, the Bahamas and Seychelles, we are looking for a leader who can build on our existing data foundations, scale successful initiatives, simplify organically grown processes and drive measurable business impact through AI.
The role is weighted approximately 60% towards AI and 40% towards Data, leading a team of Data Analysts while partnering closely with Data Engineering, Compliance and senior business stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
- Own and drive Trade Nation's AI strategy from opportunity identification through to deployment, adoption and value realisation
- Redesign business workflows around AI, focusing on practical outcomes rather than tool adoption
- Build AI capability through training, prompt libraries, templates and a network of AI champions
- Measure and report AI adoption, success metrics and lessons learned
- Own the business-facing gold layer of the data warehouse, including metrics, definitions and quality standards
- Develop and extend the semantic data model to ensure consistent, trusted access to business data
- Champion data self-service, empowering teams to answer their own questions efficiently
- Establish and maintain best practices for analytics engineering, including testing, version control, documentation and code reviews
- Simplify and improve the quality of the data estate
- Deliver proactive insights and recommendations to senior leadership
Requirements
Essential Experience
- Proven leadership experience within Data, Analytics or AI functions
- Demonstrable success implementing AI solutions that have transformed business workflows and delivered measurable impact
- Strong track record of delivering projects from concept through to production and adoption
- Hands-on expertise in SQL, data modelling and analytics engineering
- Experience with dbt or similar version-controlled transformation frameworks
- Strong understanding of data warehouse architecture and semantic modelling
- Experience working with Redshift, Snowflake, BigQuery or similar cloud data platforms
- Background in financial services, trading, brokerage or capital markets
- Experience leading, coaching and developing analytics teams
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences
Desirable Experience
- Experience with CFD, spread betting or brokerage platforms
- Knowledge of trading systems and back-office financial services data structures
- Experience in multi-entity, multi-regulator environments
- Exposure to regulatory reporting frameworks such as MiFID II, MiFIR or ASIC requirements
- Experience implementing AI solutions within regulated financial services environments
Personal Attributes
- Curious about how businesses operate and eager to understand commercial processes before recommending solutions
- Strategic thinker with a practical, delivery-focused mindset
- Self-starter who proactively identifies opportunities and drives change
- Comfortable challenging the status quo and being challenged in return
- Passionate about enabling others through data and technology
Benefits
- Competitive salary, and discretionary annual bonus
- Private healthcare
- Active Lifestyle allowance
- Annual leave above minimum entitlement
- Up to 3 weeks allowance to work in any location
