Head of Solutions - Master Data

Metro Global Solution Center (MGSC) is internal solution partner for METRO, a €29.8 Billion international wholesaler with operations in 33 countries through 661 stores & a team of 93,000 people globally. Metro operates in a further 10 countries with its Food Service Distribution (FSD) business and it is thus active in a total of 34 countries.

MGSC, location wise is present in Pune (India), Düsseldorf (Germany) and Szczecin (Poland). We provide IT & Business operations support to 31 countries, speak 24+ languages and process over 18,000 transactions a day. We are setting tomorrow’s standards for customer focus, digital solutions, and sustainable business models. For over 10 years, we have been providing services and solutions from our two locations in Pune and Szczecin. This has allowed us to gain extensive experience in how we can best serve our internal customers with high quality and passion. We believe that we can add value, drive efficiency, and satisfy our customers.

Website: https://www.metro-gsc.in

Company Size: 600-650

Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra, India

Type: Privately Held

Inception:  2011

Role Overview

Head of Solutions – Master Data Management will lead the MDM Solutions team at METRO Global Solution Center, India and act as a strategic partner to Business Process Owners and Business Units/Entities at METRO.

In this role, you will be accountable for overseeing Operations and ensuring the delivery of best-in-class solutions and services across all Master Data domains, including Product, Supplier and Customer. You will also collaborate closely with our global Business Partners across various Business Units to identify opportunities for centralizing Master Data processes into Global Solution Center, India, with the long-term objective of establishing a Center of Excellence.

This role focuses on ensuring deployment and sustenance of scalable data governance frameworks, embedding standardized processes to ensure operational efficiency, consistent data quality, and compliance across global systems in collaboration with Business Process Owners.

Head of Solution shall ensure high service delivery, operational excellence, and continuous value creation for global stakeholders through robust data management practices.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Build, lead, and scale the METRO GSC, India Master Data Management team to deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Partner with Business Process Owners at the corporate HQ and METRO Business Units in Europe to align METRO GSC, India delivery with METRO’s data governance.
• Drive innovation and analytics-led transformation in master data processes in collaboration with BPOs.
• Act as a trusted advisor for global leadership on MDM operations, governance, and strategy.
• Participates the global solution roll outs supporting the corporate team from GSC India.

Functional Areas of Ownership

• Master Data Operations – Oversee creation, maintenance, and lifecycle management of Article, Vendor, Customer.
• Data Quality Management – Ensure GSC Pune adhere to the controls, validations, and accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of data based on MDM.
• MDM Systems & Tools – Drive adoption of MDM platforms (e.g., MDGS, Phase-In 2.0) for seamless deployment of these tools in GSC India in collaboration with BPOs.
• Reporting & Analytics – Develop dashboards and KPIs for data quality, process efficiency, and compliance tracking.

Transition & Operational Excellence

• Establish KPIs, SLAs, and governance routines to track value delivered from METRO GSC, India.
• Facilitate transition and operationalization of MDM processes from METRO Business Units/Entities across Europe into METRO GSC, progressively moving towards standardization.
• Ensure that SOPs, training materials, and process guidelines are established for all processes, and that employees are fully trained on these SOPs, equipped with the required skills, and fully aware of the relevant guidelines.
• Monitor process adherence and lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on operational efficiency.
• Benchmark performance against industry standards and lead action plans for improvement.

 

People & Capability Development

• Build strong domain expertise in master data management within METRO GSC, India.
• Develop learning pathways for technical, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Foster a culture focused on collaboration, innovation, continuous learning, and customer success.
• Mentor and develop high-potential talent to create a sustainable leadership pipeline.

Digital Enablement & Automation

• Conduct regular evaluations of system usage, process compliance, and team proficiency.
• Ensure active team participation and engagement in MDGS and Phase-In 2.0 UAT to drive capability building within GSC Pune.
• Collaborate with Platform teams to enhance system functionalities and identify automation opportunities.

Qualifications & Experience

• Master’s degree in data management, Information Systems, Business, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in Master Data Management or Data Governance, preferably within wholesale, retail, or FMCG, and exposure to Global Capability Center setup, with at least 5 years in leadership roles.
• Strong knowledge of global MDM practices, data governance frameworks for different master data domains.
• Proven track record in managing large-scale data operations and ensuring compliance across multiple geographies.
• Experience in leading the centralization/transition of Master Data processes from global regions to India, including partnering with cross-regional stakeholders to ensure a smooth and efficient migration
• Hands on experience with industry standard MDM solutions e.g. MDG, Informatica, IBM InfoSphere, Syndigo, etc.
• Experience in embedding standardized processes using various master data systems.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence change across a complex data ecosystem.

Why Join Us?

• Opportunity to shape and lead a growing GCC
• Work with global teams on high-impact solutions
• Be at the forefront of innovation and digital transformation