Project Manager - Data & Analytics (18mth FTC)

Location: Reading – hybrid

Travel: Occasional travel to Dublin

Salary & Package : Competitive

Caraffi is recruiting on behalf of our client, a global retail organisation, for an experienced Technology Project Manage r to lead the end‑to‑end delivery of a major Data & Analytics transformation initiative. This flagship programme will modernise data platforms, enhance analytics capabilities, and enable smarter, faster decision‑making across the business.

This role requires a delivery leader with strong strategic oversight and hands‑on execution capability - someone who can navigate complex stakeholder landscapes, enforce robust governance, and align cross‑functional teams to deliver outcomes that directly support long‑term commercial and operational objectives.

What You’ll Do

• Lead end‑to‑end delivery of a high‑profile Data & Analytics transformation project, covering data products, platform enhancements, integrations, and analytics capabilities
• Define and own delivery scope , timelines, milestones, resource plans, and critical dependencies
• Manage a multi‑million‑pound budget , ensuring accurate forecasting, cost control, and variance management
• Establish strong governance frameworks aligned to enterprise standards across architecture, engineering, cyber, service, and GRC
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive project plan with clear scope, deliverables, and resource requirements
• Identify and manage risks, issues, and dependencies to minimise delivery impact
• Lead multi‑disciplinary teams , ensuring clarity of roles, accountability, and performance
• Review and assure project deliverables to meet quality standards and stakeholder expectations
• Track progress using approved tooling and provide concise updates to senior stakeholders
• Build strong relationships across business, technology, and supplier teams
• Coach and develop team members to support capability growth
• Define KPIs and success metrics to measure delivery impact and benefits realisation
• Manage external vendors , ensuring contractual alignment and quality delivery
• Influence senior stakeholders with insight‑driven updates, risks, and recommendations

What You’ll Bring

• 5+ years’ experience delivering complex technology projects to defined scope, timelines, budgets, and quality standards
• Deep Data & Analytics expertise , including data platforms, data migration, modelling, governance, master data, or analytics products
• Experience with cloud technologies such as Databricks, Snowflake, Power BI
• Strong understanding of data architecture fundamentals and how delivery interacts with data engineering, BI, and governance
• Experience maturing D&A operating models , including product teams and federated data ownership
• Retail data domain experience (product, customer, inventory, pricing, forecasting, merchandising hierarchies)
• Hybrid delivery experience , blending Agile data product delivery within Waterfall‑oriented programmes
• Strong governance and delivery discipline , including sprint planning, backlog management, and acceptance criteria
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams concurrently
• Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills
• Familiarity with Agile, Waterfall, and Hybrid methodologies
• Ability to translate complex technical detail for non‑technical audiences

Desirable Experience

• Large‑scale business transformation or change programmes
• Project Management certifications (PMP, PRINCE2, APM, Scrum Master, SAFe)
• Vendor/partner management in complex, matrixed environments