Fractional Data & AI Lead for Public Sector
EdgeRed stepped in as fractional Data & AI Leader for an Australian public sector organisation — taking full accountability for a large data function and executing a major data platform transformation that unlocked collaboration across the business.
The Challenge
A major Australian public sector institution had multiple data teams operating in silos — each with different structures, mandates and ways of working, and limited collaboration across them. The organisation needed more than a data platform upgrade. It needed senior data leadership to build a cohesive function from the ground up, navigate significant organisational change, and establish the credibility needed to drive data-informed decision-making at an institutional level. Without a structured approach to unifying the function, the risk was continued fragmentation — teams working in parallel, duplicating effort and missing the opportunity to create genuine cross-institutional data capability.
What We Delivered
EdgeRed embedded as fractional Data & AI Lead — taking full leadership accountability for a substantial data function through an end-to-end transformation.
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Data function design & unification
Merged multiple disparate data teams into a single, unified data function — designing the organisational structure, team offerings, roles and ways of working from the ground up -
Organisational change leadership
Maintained operational continuity and team confidence while establishing the data function - managing executive stakeholder relationships and keeping delivery on track throughout. -
Capability uplift & delivery
Executed multiple data projects across the function while uplifting the team's capability in parallel - hands-on delivery alongside structured training, so the team could own the work before the engagement ended. -
Capability uplift & handover
Structured knowledge transfer and capability building across the unified team — ensuring the data function could operate independently and with credibility after the engagement concluded
Fractional Data Leadership
EdgeRed supplied a dedicated senior leader into the business for 3 days a week – setting the strategy, owning the roadmap, and getting the work done without the cost of a full-time hire.
What that means in practice:
- Senior capability on demand - right skills, right time, no long-term headcount commitment
- Strategy and execution in one - no gap between the advice and the delivery
- Tap into the deep knowledge and experience of senior data and AI leaders across 250+ projects
- Structured handover when you're ready to bring leadership in-house
The Outcome
A previously fragmented data function now operates as a unified team – with clearer structure, defined offerings and a modern data stack laying the groundwork for cross-divisional collaboration. Agile ways of working are in place, use cases are prioritised, and the team is focused on high-value delivery rather than reactive BAU. The engagement concluded with a structured handover to a permanent data leader.
