Director Data Partnerships

Moody's Investors Service; Salford; On-site; GBP 70,000 - GBP 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial information firm located in Salford is looking for an experienced professional to enhance its data acquisition strategies. You will manage complex supplier portfolios, lead contract negotiations, and ensure data quality for AI-driven use cases. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in data sourcing and vendor management, along with strong communication skills. This full-time role supports the firm's growth priorities in data-driven solutions and collaborative team environments.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in data sourcing, data partnerships, or vendor management.
• Proven success in leading commercial negotiations and high value supplier management.
• Strong analytical mindset with a focus on data sourcing strategies.

Responsibilities

• Support execution of multi-year data acquisition strategies.
• Monitor global market trends and emerging data categories.
• Lead complex contract negotiations with information providers.
• Provide strategic guidance to product and engineering teams.

Skills

10+ years of experience in data sourcing

Proven experience leading complex commercial negotiations

Strong understanding of diverse data types

Exceptional stakeholder and relationship management skills

Excellent communication and presentation skills

High degree of initiative and problem solving

Experience in EMEA, APAC or Americas company data markets

Familiarity with GenAI driven data requirements

Willingness to undertake occasional business travel

Basic understanding of AI concepts

Education

Master’s degree or relevant professional certifications

Job description

At Moody's, we unite the brightest minds to turn today’s risks into tomorrow’s opportunities. We do this by striving to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome to be who they are—with the freedom to exchange ideas, think innovatively, and listen to each other and customers in meaningful ways. Moody’s is transforming how the world sees risk. As a global leader in ratings and integrated risk assessment, we’re advancing AI to move from insight to action—enabling intelligence that not only understands complexity but responds to it. We decode risk to unlock opportunity, helping our clients navigate uncertainty with clarity, speed, and confidence.

If you are excited about this opportunity but do not meet every single requirement, please apply! You still may be a great fit for this role or other open roles. We are seeking candidates who model our values: invest in every relationship, lead with curiosity, champion diverse perspectives, turn inputs into actions, and uphold trust through integrity.

Skills and Competencies

• 10+ years of experience in data sourcing, data partnerships, vendor management, or a closely related field within the data, analytics, or technology sector.
• Proven experience leading complex commercial negotiations and managing high value supplier portfolios.
• Strong understanding of diverse data types (company, financial, alternative, news, structured/unstructured) and their application across analytical, AI, and commercial use cases
• Demonstrated ability to synthesise market intelligence and translate it into actionable sourcing and product strategies
• Exceptional stakeholder and relationship management skills across global, cross functional environments
  Strong analytical mindset with the ability to conduct commercially grounded build vs buy vs license analyses
• Excellent communication, presentation, and executive level influencing skills.
• High degree of initiative, independence, and problem solving capability.
• Experience in EMEA, APAC or Americas company data markets
• Familiarity with GenAI driven data requirements and metadata rich data pipelines.
• Additional languages beyond English is preferred
• Willingness to undertake occasional business travel.
• Basic understanding of artificial intelligence concepts, with curiosity and enthusiasm for learning how AI tools can be used to improve processes and drive efficiency.
• Interest in exploring AI systems and a willingness to develop awareness of responsible AI practices, including risk management and ethical use

Education

• Master’s degree or relevant professional certifications.

Responsibilities

• Support and execute on multi year data acquisition strategies aligned to Moody’s growth priorities and GenAI roadmap
• Capture and synthesise the “voice of the customer” from internal clients, commercial teams, and external market feedback.
• Monitor global and regional market trends, emerging data categories, competitive landscapes, regulatory developments, and evolving IP ecosystems
• Conduct build vs. buy vs. license analyses
• Identify and evaluate new data sources that strengthen Moody’s product differentiation and market leadership
• Lead and expand a portfolio of global information providers, ensuring resilience, quality, and scalability of Moody’s data supply
• Conduct advanced IP performance assessments, manage remediation actions, and oversee resolution of contractual, service, or operational issues.
• Drive strategic expansions of key partnerships, including multi region coverage and multi product applicability
• Lead complex contract negotiations with new and existing IPs, optimising commercial terms, data rights, and risk controls
• Partner with Legal, Procurement, and Finance to maintain compliant, consistent, and scalable contracting practices.
• Provide strategic guidance and subject matter expertise to product, engineering, sales, and other key stakeholders as it relates to the data to be considered for product development
• Prepare and deliver internal communications, executive updates, and client ready collateral on data sourcing initiatives
• Drive continuous improvement in data acquisition workflows, contract management processes, and vendor performance frameworks.
• Ensure Moody’s data supply is ready for GenAI driven use cases, including enhanced data quality and metadata transparency.
• Manage multiple parallel initiatives, ensuring timely execution under tight deadlines

About the team

At Data Estate, we focus on enhancing Moody's digital presence and improving customer engagement through innovative data solutions. Our team is dedicated to enforcing and evolving our data quality framework, improving transparency into our data assets, and strategically growing new and existing information providers. We are committed to ensuring our data is ready for an expanding set of GenAI use cases and maintaining tight alignment with the teams we support.
We are building a resilient data platform that supports our strategic priorities and drives long-term, sustainable growth for the business.

Moody’s is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law.

Candidates for Moody's Corporation may be asked to disclose securities holdings pursuant to Moody’s Policy for Securities Trading and the requirements of the position. Employment is contingent upon compliance with the Policy, including remediation of positions in those holdings as necessary.