Market Data Specialist

Market Data Specialist – Role Profile

Summary:
The Market Data Manager will lead the management and optimisation of Rathbones’ external market data services and £10m+ annual budget. This new permanent role, reporting into the Data Analytics – Enablement team. The role combines strategic vendor management with delivery of a group-wide transformation programme to reduce costs, improve governance, and embed sustainable market data practices across the business.

This is a senior individual contributor role with significant cross-functional influence. The successful candidate will be expected to lead vendor negotiations, manage licensing compliance, and deliver a multi-year improvement project, while transitioning new capabilities into business-as-usual operations.

Role Outcomes
•    Lead the delivery of the Market Data Consolidation project, including vendor renegotiations, centralisation of feeds via the Enterprise Data Platform (EDP), and implementation of a Market Data Management (MDM) tool and data catalogue.
•    Manage strategic vendor relationships and lead contract negotiations with the “Big 6” providers and over 100 smaller suppliers.
•    Oversee the full market data budget, identifying and delivering cost savings through usage optimisation, contract consolidation, and improved governance.
•    Establish a centralised market data distribution model, ensuring consistent, timely access to data across the business.
•    Implement governance frameworks for licensing, usage, and entitlements, ensuring compliance with vendor agreements and exchange policies.
•    Act as the key liaison between business, technology, and compliance teams to align data services with operational and regulatory needs.
•    Provide project leadership for the transformation programme, coordinating cross-functional delivery and ensuring successful transition to BAU.
•    Monitor and report on market data usage, entitlements, and spend, using analytics to drive continuous improvement and cost control.

Technical Skills
•    Deep knowledge of market data vendors, products, and licensing models (e.g. Bloomberg, Refinitiv, FactSet, FTSE, ICE, Morningstar).
•    Experience managing large-scale vendor contracts and enterprise-level negotiations.
•    Familiarity with market data compliance, licensing audits, and exchange rules.
•    Understanding of data integration platforms and enterprise data architecture (e.g. Snowflake, EDP).
•    Experience implementing MDM tools, data catalogues, and entitlement management systems (e.g. MDSL, FITS, DACS).
•    Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret usage data and identify optimisation opportunities.
•    Knowledge of financial markets and instruments, including pricing, indices, analytics, and reference data.

Professional Skills
•    Strong stakeholder management and communication skills across business, technology, procurement, and compliance.
•    Proven leadership in delivering complex, cross-functional programmes, including project planning, risk management, and stakeholder engagement.
•    Commercial mindset with a focus on cost control, value delivery, and ROI.
•    Organised and process-oriented, with a focus on governance and operational excellence.
•    Experience in financial services, ideally within investment or wealth management.
•    Ability to operate independently while collaborating across teams to deliver strategic outcomes.