VP, Data

Location: Waltham, MA (hybrid)

 

NEXT’s mission is to help entrepreneurs thrive. We’re doing that by building the only technology-led, full-stack provider of small business insurance in the industry, taking on the entire value chain and transforming the customer experience. 

 

Simply put, wherever you find small businesses, you’ll find NEXT.

 

Since 2016, we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of small business customers across the United States get fast, customized and affordable coverage. We’re backed by industry leaders in insurance and tech, and we still have room to grow — that’s where you come in.

 

What You’ll Do: 

Strategic Leadership

• Define, champion, and execute a comprehensive data strategy that supports critical decision-making across all business units, including Product, Engineering, Underwriting, Finance, Marketing, and Operations.
• Develop and implement a company-wide strategy that advances business goals, improves data literacy, and drives measurable impact.
• Establish a long-term roadmap for data architecture, tooling, and analytics maturity, ensuring scalability and alignment with NEXT’s strategic objectives.
• Serve as a trusted thought partner to executive leadership, shaping how data is leveraged to drive growth, efficiency, innovation, and competitive advantage.
• Foster a data-driven culture that values transparency, experimentation, and measurable outcomes.
  

Team & Organizational Leadership

• Lead four global, multidisciplinary teams: Data Science & Analytics, Data Visualization, Data Modeling, and Data Infrastructure.
• Build and mentor strong leaders, driving operational excellence, clarity, and accountability.

Infrastructure & Platform

• Lead the transformation of NEXT to have a world-class, modern data infrastructure, team, and processes that are scalable, reliable, and secure.
• Oversee the design and evolution of data pipelines, architecture, and platforms to ensure accessibility, quality, and timeliness of insights.
• Partner with Security, Engineering, and Governance to uphold data integrity and privacy standards.

Self-Service Culture

• Advance NEXT toward a self-service data model, empowering analysts and business users across NEXT to access and utilize data effectively for insights independently.
• Strengthen data literacy and democratize access to insights across the organization, enabling smarter, faster, and more informed decision-making at every level.

Business Impact

• Drive measurable outcomes through predictive modeling, advanced analytics, and experimentation that enhance product performance and operational efficiency.
• Translate complex analytical findings into actionable strategies that inform executive decisions and accelerate company growth.

Cross-Functional Influence

• • Serve as a key executive leader, engaging with C-level and senior leadership to shape technology, product, and business strategy through data-driven insights.
  • Champion data innovation and ensure alignment between data priorities and company objectives.

 

What We Need: 

• Experience: 15+ years of experience in progressive data leadership roles, with at least 5 years of experience successfully leading multidisciplinary data teams (Data Science, Engineering, Analytics, and Visualization) across global locations.
• Technical Acumen:
  • Proven experience developing and scaling complex data infrastructure and platforms in high-growth or technology-driven organizations.
  • Deep understanding of modern data architecture principles and technologies (e.g., cloud data warehouses, ETL/ELT pipelines, ML platforms, and BI tools).
• Impact & Delivery: Strong track record of translating data insights and predictive modeling into tangible business outcomes and value.
• Communication & Leadership: Excellent communication skills, executive presence, and the proven ability to influence and effectively present complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical executive audiences.
• Education: Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Engineering, or a related quantitative field (Ph.D. preferred but not required).

 

Tech Stack: 

• Programming language: Python, R, SQL
• BI and data visualization tools: Tableau, Sigma
• Data Platform and Data warehouse: Databricks, AWS Redshift
• Statistical analysis: Hypothesis testing, Causal inference

 

 

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that some underrepresented people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At NEXT, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

 

One of our core values is 'Play as a Team'; this means making sure everyone has an equal chance to participate and make a difference. We win by playing together. Next Insurance is an equal opportunity employer and prioritizes building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants of any type and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, genetic information or characteristic, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or other non-job-related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal, state, and local laws. Next's policy is to comply with all applicable laws related to nondiscrimination and equal opportunity and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.