The appointment owns
The continuing Chief Data Officer agrees definitions and owners, sets a quality plan and makes the shared measures usable for decisions.
permanent executive recruitment
Hire Chief Data Officer
Hire Chief Data Officer: appoint a continuing executive to own data strategy, quality, governance and the conditions under which teams can use data well.
Brief us on this role →Chief Data Officer briefChoose a part of the brief
Part 01 / 04
Data outcome
Name the business or service decision that better data must support.
Part 02 / 04
Asset ownership
Assign owners for important data sets, definitions, quality and access.
Part 03 / 04
Governance
State the privacy, security and ethical constraints the executive must work within.
Part 04 / 04
Delivery boundary
Decide which analytics, engineering and platform teams report to the seat, and which partner with it.
Hire Chief Data Officer: what must the role own?
Name the business or service decision that better data must support.
Data outcomeName the business or service decision that better data must support.
Asset ownershipAssign owners for important data sets, definitions, quality and access.
GovernanceState the privacy, security and ethical constraints the executive must work within.
Delivery boundaryDecide which analytics, engineering and platform teams report to the seat, and which partner with it.
Role reference: Government Digital and Data: Chief Data Officer capability framework. The framework separates data strategy, quality, access, governance and responsible use from the broader digital-service portfolio. Use it to name the data decisions in this brief; a private organisation should adapt the remit to its own context.
What changes when the Chief Data Officer is permanent?
A Chief Data Officer owns the data as an organisational asset: its quality, access, governance and use. A Chief Digital Officer may own the wider service and channel portfolio. Say where the data executive can make decisions and where the digital or technology leader retains authority.
permanentChoose a part of the brief
Part 01 / 04
Seat
Describe the continuing role, reporting line and decisions the appointment will own.
Part 02 / 04
Search
Set the evidence and assessment criteria before comparing candidates.
Part 03 / 04
Offer
Confirm employment terms, authority and any conditions before the offer is accepted.
Part 04 / 04
Induction
Arrange access, introductions and a clear first assignment.
How would this work in a real brief?
The hiring decision becomes clearer when the work and its boundary are written down together.
Illustrative brief · an organisation with conflicting customer measures
Product, finance and service teams report different customer totals. The board cannot rely on a single view of retention or service demand.
The continuing Chief Data Officer agrees definitions and owners, sets a quality plan and makes the shared measures usable for decisions.
Another owner retains
The Chief Digital Officer retains ownership of digital journeys and platform delivery; the data executive defines the evidence and governance those services use.
How should you assess Chief Data Officer candidates?
Put the same work and evidence in front of each candidate before comparing answers.
The evidenceChoose a part of the brief
Part 01 / 04
Quality diagnosis
Give each candidate conflicting measures and ask how they would trace the source and settle ownership.
Part 02 / 04
Access and protection
Test how they balance useful access with privacy, security and legal constraints.
Part 03 / 04
Change in practice
Ask which data process they changed, who adopted it and what evidence showed it worked.
Part 04 / 04
Executive boundary
Ask how they would resolve a disagreement with digital or technology leadership about a platform decision.
Acas recommends a consistent, fair selection process: choosing who to interview.
Does this hiring pattern fit the work?
Test the amount of the week, the expected end and the continuity needed before writing the contract.
The working pattern · permanent
A permanent Chief Data OfficerAn employee holds a continuing full-time seat. Assess the long-term remit, reporting line and induction plan.
What must happen before the Chief Data Officer starts?
Agree the first decisions the data programme must improve.
A clear startChoose a part of the brief
Part 01 / 04
Mandate
Agree the first decisions the data programme must improve.
Part 02 / 04
Inventory
Provide the main data assets, owners, quality issues and known legal constraints.
Part 03 / 04
Authority
Write the decision boundary with digital, technology, security and privacy leads.
Part 04 / 04
First review
Review a short list of data definitions and quality actions before scaling the programme.
- 1
Mandate
Agree the first decisions the data programme must improve.
- 2
Inventory
Provide the main data assets, owners, quality issues and known legal constraints.
- 3
Authority
Write the decision boundary with digital, technology, security and privacy leads.
- 4
First review
Review a short list of data definitions and quality actions before scaling the programme.
A useful Chief Data Officer brief names the decision, the working pattern and the evidence before it names a candidate.
What should the brief say?
Hire Chief Data Officer begins with data outcome, a stated working pattern and the evidence you will ask every candidate to show.
15 minutes · video or phone
Brief us on a Chief Data Officer
Tell us what the role must own, how it will work and when it must start.
- 01A brief built around the decisions and working pattern.
- 02A shortlist of 3–5 with pay or day rate, availability and IR35 position set out.
- 03Five-stage vetting before a candidate reaches you.
Pick a day that suits · live availability
