Lifeways is the UK’s largest provider of supported living services for adults with diverse and often complex needs. With over 11,000 colleagues and more than 5,000 people supported, our mission is to enable fulfilled, independent lives in the community.

Our ambition is to become both the provider and employer of choice in the sector. A key enabler of this ambition is our digitally led transformation agenda, which places data, insight and responsible AI at the heart of how we operate, innovate, and continuously improve the quality of support delivered across the UK.

Job Description
Role Summary

The Head of Data and AI will lead Lifeways’ enterprise data strategy, establishing a modern data and analytics function that enables high‑quality insight, predictive capability, and safe, ethical adoption of AI across the organisation.

This role will shape and execute the data vision — governing data assets, maturing our analytics platforms, building scalable data models, and ensuring AI is deployed in ways that enhance decision‑making, operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and outcomes for the people we support.

You will be a visible leader and strategic partner, working closely with the CIO, IT Director, Head of Cyber Security, Executive Team and Operations leaders to drive value from data and transform Lifeways into a truly insight‑driven organisation.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and deliver Lifeways’ enterprise Data & AI strategy, aligned to organisational priorities and regulatory requirements.
• Establish a clear Data Operating Model, governing how data is captured, managed, shared and consumed.
• Lead and grow a high‑performing team of data engineers, analysts, and AI specialists.
• Act as Lifeways’ principal authority on data and applied AI, providing trusted advice to the Executive and wider leadership.
• Champion a culture of data‑driven decision‑making across frontline, operational, and corporate teams.

Data Governance & Protection

• Build enterprise data governance frameworks covering data quality, metadata, lineage, retention, and access control.
• Work with the CIO and Head of Cyber Security to mitigate risks related to data privacy, information security, AI safety, and GDPR compliance.
• Define standards for responsible, ethical use of AI in care and corporate settings.

Data Platform, Architecture & Insight

• Own and enhance the enterprise data platform, ensuring scalability, performance, and trusted data models.
• Lead the development of centralised data pipelines, semantic models, dashboards, and self‑service analytics.
• Oversee integration of data across care, HR, finance, operations, and quality systems to create a unified organisational view.
• Drive adoption of predictive analytics, automation, and AI‑enabled insights to support operational planning and quality improvement.

AI Delivery & Innovation

• Identify, evaluate, and deploy AI solutions that deliver measurable value across Lifeways (e.g., quality prediction, risk insights, rostering optimisation, cognitive services, workflow automation).
• Provide governance for AI projects, ensuring transparent, explainable, and safe deployment.
• Monitor emerging trends in AI, analytics, and data engineering to continuously identify opportunities for operational and competitive advantage.

Stakeholder Engagement & Value Delivery

• Partner with Quality, Operations, HR, and Finance to ensure data and AI capabilities address real business needs.
• Translate complex technical insight into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Work with senior leaders to embed outcome‑driven measurement across services and transformation programmes.

Financial & Supplier Management

• Manage data and analytics budgets (Opex & Capex) and ensure cost‑effective delivery of data solutions.
• Oversee supplier relationships across data platforms, AI tooling, and analytics services.

Essential Experience, Skills & Qualifications
The successful candidate will demonstrate:

Experience

• Proven experience in a senior data leadership role (e.g., Head of Data, Head of Analytics, Head of AI/ML).
• Experience building and implementing enterprise data and analytics strategies.
• Demonstrable track record delivering AI or advanced analytics solutions at scale.
• Strong technical knowledge of cloud data platforms (Microsoft Fabric preferred) with hands on experience of build and configuration.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong strategic and analytical mind‑set, with ability to translate business needs into data capability.
• Excellent leadership and people‑development skills.
• Strong understanding of data protection, GDPR, security controls, and AI ethics.
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder influencing skills.
• Excellent problem‑solving and decision‑making capability. Ability to simplify complex technical concepts for non‑technical colleagues.
• Technically literate in cloud data platforms (Microsoft Fabric preferred)

Qualifications (desirable but not essential)

• Degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Analytics or related field.
• Relevant certifications in cloud data engineering (Azure), AI/ML, or data governance.

Reporting Line
The Head of Data and AI reports into the Chief Information Officer.

Direct Reports

• Data Engineering Manager
• Business Intelligence and Insights Manager

Why Lifeways?
We value our colleagues and invest in their development through training, support, and genuine opportunities for progression. As Lifeways continues to grow, our commitment to innovation, digital transformation, and quality improvement creates a unique opportunity for an ambitious data leader to shape the future of supported living in the UK.

If you feel ready to take the next step and make a meaningful impact on thousands of lives, we want to hear from you. Lifeways is an equal opportunities employer and is regulated by the CQC in England.