Data Strategy Delivery Lead

What You’ll Do

• Manage end-to-end delivery across complex, multi-stakeholder data strategy engagements
• Partner with client points of contact and internal operations to ensure alignment and reduce senior operational friction (meetings, SME coordination, onboarding, expectation management, scope control, meeting preparation, travel planning and communication, communication management, etc.). This is an operations role that allows the experts to focus on strategy.
• Identify risk — technical or strategic — early, and escalate with a recommended path forward
• Drive Data Governance, Architecture and Data Strategy workstreams with enough credibility to lead client conversations at the director and VP level
• Develop and maintain engagement methodology, delivery frameworks, and project documentation
• Run project management meetings focused on outcomes, not velocity
• Serve as a key relationship steward — the client should experience EXL as a collaborative, easy-to-work-with partner. This requires coordination between EXL stakeholders and client stakeholders.
• Partner with EXL Data Strategy Leads and clients to assess gaps and co-develop capabilities - this is a solutioning role with direct influence on follow-on business. The team must remain focused on opportunities that drive win-win strategic partnership relationships between EXL and our clients.
• Present ideas confidently to C-suite audiences — you’re comfortable walking into an executive briefing with a partially-formed idea and landing it well
• Produce clean, compelling PowerPoint deliverables that communicate strategy clearly without hand-holding from the team
• Ensure ownership and quality of our output deliverables.

What We’re Looking For:

• Track record of starting and finishing large, complex initiatives — we care more about demonstrated ownership than titles or pedigree
• Consulting delivery background — you know how to manage clients, not just tasks
• Sufficient data literacy to recognize when data work is in trouble and understand why — deep technical expertise is not required
• Working familiarity with Data Governance, Data Architecture and Data Strategy concepts in enterprise environments — enough to lead
• Mature, practical AI perspective — you use AI tools fluently in your day-to-day work and have a clear point of view on where it creates real value
• PMI, Scrum Master or agile delivery experience - and the judgment to know when to flex the framework
• Strong PowerPoint and executive communication skills — you can turn a messy whiteboard session into a board-ready slide
• Exceptional organizational skills - you manage multiple stakeholder layers simultaneously and nothing falls through the cracks
• Self-organized, self-starting - you don’t wait to be told what the next step is
• High EQ - you’re generally likeable, read rooms well, and build trust quickly across levels
• Meticulous attention to detail - you catch things before they become problems
• Someone that understands and can articulate the connection between IT/Data/AI solutions and value driven to the business
• Financial services or banking experience a plus. Insurance and Healthcare are also very valuable.

What This Is Not

• A task-tracking role — general PM skills alone won’t cut it
• A deep technical role — we have practitioners for that
• A role where success is measured by ticket closure — it’s measured by client trust, capability growth, and downstream revenue

Education

• 4-year degree required; field of study is less important than what you’ve built and delivered
• Advanced degree, certifications, or continuous learning signals a plus — but a strong track record outweighs credentials every time