Head / Manager of Data & AI

OUR MISSION To become the car-changing destination of choice. By combining technology, media and deep automotive expertise, we've turned how people buy, sell, advertise and lease cars on its head. What started as a simple reviews site is now one of the largest online car-changing destinations in Europe. Last year alone we grew over 50% with nearly £3bn worth of cars bought on site, while £1.8bn of cars were listed for sale through our Sell My Car service. In 2024 we went big and acquired Autovia - creators of AutoExpress and Evo magazines - doubling our audience overnight. Together we now have one of the biggest YouTube channels in the world with almost 10m subscribers and over 1.1 billion annual views, while we sell 1.2 million print copies of our magazines and have an annual web content reach over 350million. And we’re a long way from done! MARKETPLACE & OPERATIONS @ CARWOW The Marketplace & Operations team in Spain is the engine that ensures the market hits its growth targets year after year. We ensure the strategy is aligned with Carwow’s global mission, translate it into actionable plans, and support the rest of the teams so that every effort counts. We work at the intersection of data, business, and operations: one day we're modelling the impact of a growth lever, and the next we're building the tool that saves another team hours of work. We're a team with a lot of autonomy and direct visibility with country leadership, where good ideas get implemented fast and you can see their impact on the business. If you like understanding the why behind the numbers and turning it into decisions, this is the place for you. YOUR MISSION You'll be the person who turns data into decisions and decisions into results. Your mission is to make sure the commercial team spends its time on what truly moves the needle: you'll analyse performance, design the logic behind the strategy, and build the tools and processes that make the whole department run faster and better. Success in this role looks like this: the commercial team makes decisions based on your analysis, operational processes run without friction, and the department's efficiency improves measurably thanks to the solutions (and the AI) you help implement. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES * Design the strategic logic behind the commercial department, ensuring the team's time is invested as efficiently as possible to hit annual growth targets. * Analyse the key data and performance KPIs of the commercial team, identifying trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement. * Build and maintain databases, dashboards, and reports that give visibility on performance to the different teams and to leadership. * Support other departments with data solutions and tools that boost their productivity. * Own the day-to-day operational processes (BAU) of the commercial department, such as invoicing and the tracking of recurring operational tasks. * Drive the adoption of AI within the Operations team, both by delivering concrete solutions and by championing its use day to day. * Identify and automate manual processes, designing solutions that improve efficiency and free up the team's time for higher-value work. KEY REQUIREMENTS * Degree or equivalent in related field * 1-2 years of professional experience in similar roles (commercial operations, consulting, business operations, business analysis, or similar). * Demonstrable experience in data analysis. * Demonstrable experience solving problems through data visualisation for clients or other teams. * Experience with SQL and database management. * Proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets and building presentations. * Excellent communication skills, especially when working with other departments and in client-facing situations. BONUS POINTS * Master’s degree or MBA is preferred but not required * Experience using Salesforce for commercial departments. * Experience automating processes and designing solutions that improve a team's productivity. * A genuine interest in AI and experience applying it to business use cases. WHY THIS MIGHT NOT BE FOR YOU * You're looking for a highly specialised, niche role: here you'll wear many hats (data, operations, finance, tooling) and will sometimes switch focus several times a day. * You prefer well-defined, stable processes: this team is still being built, so we value people who enjoy creating from scratch and working with some ambiguity. * You're not motivated by the day-to-day operational side: beyond the analysis, a big part of the role is making sure BAU runs without friction. INTERVIEW PROCESS * Introductory call with our Talent team. * Step 1 — You'll receive a task by email. * Step 2 — First interview with the Marketplace & Ops lead. * Step 3 — Final interview with the Country Manager & Head of Commercial. WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU * Hybrid working that works around you * Competitive salary to fund that dream holiday to Bali * Share options - when we thrive, so do you! * Private Healthcare, for peace of mind * Monthly coaching sessions with Spill - our mental wellbeing partner * Enhanced holiday package, plus bank holidays * 28 days annual leave * 1 day for your wedding * 1 day off when you move house - because moving’s hard enough without work! * On your third year anniversary, you get 30 days of annual leave per year * On your tenth year anniversary, you get 35 days of annual leave per year * Option to buy 3 extra days of holiday per year * Work from abroad for a month (due to popular demand, this offer excludes the moon). * Inclusive parental, partner and shared parental leave, fertility treatment and pregnancy loss policies * The latest tech to power your gif-sending talents * Up to £500/€550 home office allowance for that massage chair you’ve been talking about * A generous learning and development budget to help you master your craft * Regular social events:, tech lunches, coffee with the exec sessions, book clubs, social events/anything else you pester us for * Refer a friend, get paid. Repeat for infinite money Diversity and inclusion is an integral part of our culture. We know that diverse teams are strong teams, so we welcome those with alternative identities, backgrounds, and experiences to apply for this position. We make recruiting decisions based on experience, skills and potential, so all our applicants are treated fairly and equally. #LI-RV1

At Upvest, we are on a mission to make investing as easy as spending money. Upvest empowers businesses to offer a wide range of investment products and the best experience in the field of capital market investment and retirement planning. Upvest’s Investment API is easy to integrate so that fintechs and financial institutions can save resources and fully focus on their core business. We are proud to partner with Europe’s leading Fintechs and financial institutions such as DKB, Revolut, N26 and Raisin. Founded in 2017 by Martin Kassing, Upvest now brings together over 270 talented professionals from more than 70 nationalities. Upvest is backed by €280M in total funding from world-class investors, including BlackRock, Tencent, Sapphire Ventures, and Bessemer Venture Partners, Earlybird, Notion Capital, and Motive. Our latest €105M funding round in March 2026 - led by Sapphire and Tencent - serves as a massive catalyst for our growth, allowing us to offer premier investment experience. ABOUT THE ROLE: As Upvest enters the next stage of growth, we are looking for an exceptional Director/Head of of Data & AI. You will work closely with Mislav Ilich (Product Director), Roberto Fajardo (SVP Engineering) and Martin Kassing(CEO), owning topics critical to Upvest's product and business success: TURN UPVEST'S DATA INTO A STRATEGIC PRODUCT FOUNDATION: Upvest is live across 20+ markets and serves over 2 million users, generating vast volumes of transactional, market, and client data. Today, this data's full potential remains untapped. Your first mission is to define and drive a data product strategy that transforms this asset into a competitive differentiator for our clients, our internal teams, and our regulators. You will establish a clear vision for how Upvest's data creates value: through client-facing insights, internal intelligence, and productised data capabilities embedded within the Investment API. You will set strategy, direction and partner closely with engineering and analytics to build the right foundations. SHIP AI PRODUCTS THAT SOLVE REAL PROBLEMS: AI is a core lever for scaling Upvest's platform, serving clients better, and building meaningful differentiation in the European investment infrastructure market. As Director of Data & AI, you will own the AI product roadmap end-to-end: identifying the highest-impact use cases, prioritising ruthlessly and driving them through to production. Whether deploying LLM-powered tooling for internal operations, building intelligent features into the Investment API, or enabling real-time risk and compliance signals — you will translate AI capability into productised value with clear ROI. You will help ship world class AI systems that are operationally robust and commercially meaningful in a regulated environment. BUILD AND LEAD A WORLD-CLASS DATA & AI PRODUCT FUNCTION: Upvest has highly capable data and analytics teams ready to be unlocked. Your mission is to give them the product leadership, direction, and strategic clarity they need to do their best work. You will define the operating model for the Data & AI product function — setting standards for discovery, delivery, and stakeholder alignment across Engineering, Compliance, Risk, Finance, and Product. You will be a builder and a multiplier: attracting great talent, coaching your team, and creating a culture of ownership and high standards. You will be the voice of data and AI in product and engineering leadership translating a technical vision into a clear, executable strategy that earns trust across the organisation and with our executive team. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THIS ROLE: * Significant impact & strategic influence: End-to-end ownership of the Data & AI product function, directly shaping our product roadmap and business strategy. A seat at the table with engineering and product leadership. * Autonomy coupled with inspirational leadership: When we say empowered teams we mean it. In this role you will fully own product success with your teams — with your manager and senior leadership ready to support you at all times. * Product Engineering culture: Teams are working together guided by joint OKRs and a clear roadmap. Collaborate closely with your engineering counterparts to deliver client value in a decoupled and dynamic manner. * An exceptional team: Upvest is one of a kind when it comes to combining impactful work with a relaxed and fun atmosphere. We have established strong practices around feedback, team health and social events resulting in consistently high eNPS. * Continuous learning: The complex yet fascinating field of investments, building an API product on a state-of-the-art tech stack, and working with the most relevant fintechs and financial institutions provide for an incredibly rewarding learning experience. ROLE REQUIREMENTS * 7+ years in product and data management, with significant experience owning data, analytics, data science or AI products in B2B environments. * Proven track record in a regulated fintech, finance, or banking environment, with a deep understanding of API-first SaaS products. * Be a sponge! We don't need you to be a trading industry expert. But you will need to quickly absorb complex domains (e.g. data contracts, lakehouse architecture, MLOps) and combine that with your product management expertise. * Experience translating AI/ML capabilities including LLMs and ML systems into productised value with measurable ROI. * Fluency in modern data stacks: you don't need to build them, but you need to understand what they enable and how to prioritise investment (e.g. Kafka, Spark, Flink, Airflow, Dagster, Lakehouse/Warehouse patterns, MLOps). * Demonstrated ability to define and own a data and AI product roadmap with clear business outcomes. * Strong command of modern product toolkits: continuous discovery, outcome-focused roadmaps, OKRs, and fast validation cycles. * Proven experience creating cross-functional alignment across Engineering, Compliance, Risk, Finance, and senior leadership. * Experience building and scaling inclusive, high-performing product or data teams. HOW WE UPVEST IN YOU * Best-in-class AI tools: Every Upvenger has €20,000 per year to spend on the best AI tools available — so you're always working with the most powerful models and tooling on the market. * Work with experts: Join a mission-driven engineering team solving hard, real-world problems at the intersection of AI and regulated financial infrastructure. * Professional development: Access an annual budget of €1,500 for personal and professional training to master your craft. * Wellbeing: Recharge with 30 days of annual leave and maintain a healthy lifestyle with sports benefits. Access confidential professional coaching and enjoy the flexibility to work remotely abroad for up to 183 days a year. * Compensation and equity: We believe that all Upvengers contribute to our success and deserve a competitive, above-market salary and a participation in our employee equity program. * Flexible work environment: We are committed to flexibility — we understand you don't always have to be in the office to do your best work. * Team celebrations: Participate in company-wide events such as UpFest, dinners, offsites and our holiday party to connect with colleagues and celebrate our achievements. OUR VALUES: * Make it easy for others. We simplify the complex and act with the best intentions. * Own the outcome. We are proactive, fast and confident to get the job done, valuing progress over perfection. * Rise to the challenge. We aim high and push the boundaries. We stay curious, learn and celebrate our wins together. * Tell the story. We start with the Why to align on purpose. We are transparent and share knowledge to empower and inspire others. Upvest is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.