Senior Data Governance Lead - MHCLG - G7

Location

Bristol, Manchester, Wolverhampton

About the job

Job summary

Here at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), we work on things that make a real difference to people’s lives.   

Whether it's through the homes we live in, the work of our local councils, or the communities we’re all part of, our work is at the top of the political agenda. We have ambitious and far-reaching outcomes to achieve this year and, if you’re thinking of joining us, there’s never been a more exciting time.   

This is a great opportunity in the Elections Directorate in MHCLG, which is responsible for a challenging and dynamic portfolio covering electoral policy and legislation, research and analysis, security, administration, and digital, with a suite of public and sector facing services, including Register to Vote.

We are looking for an experienced data governance professional to join our welcoming and inclusive Directorate. The post holder will have great communication skills and strong technical expertise, and be motivated, flexible and passionate about working with data and people. They will spearhead the development and implementation of sustainable, robust data governance across Elections Digital and the product lifecycle. This includes setting priorities and embedding these practices so they become self-sustaining and working closely with different teams to integrate governance policy and principles. The Senior Data Governance Lead will build relationships across specialisms and grades in the Directorate, Ministry and wider government to unlock data-driven improvements for electors and stakeholders. 

This is a new role in the Elections Directorate, focusing on ensuring strong data governance supports new opportunities to use data to deliver innovative approaches and improve existing products and services. We are at the beginning of a new programme to deliver Government commitments, including lowering the voting age to 16 years across the UK and improving voter registration. We want data governance to enable trusted, sustainable services that meet the needs and expectations of users 

This role is a great opportunity to shape the data foundations for a high-profile and ambitious programme of work in the Directorate. Learn more about our direction and priorities in our recently published strategy.

We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities our work supports.  

Job description

The successful applicant will drive the confident, safe and responsible use of data in the design and delivery of digital electoral registration services, enabling both day-to-day operations and the development of high-profile new services where innovation with data will be needed. The role will ensure data is well-governed, lawfully shared and ethically used across the product lifecycle, meeting legal requirements and aligning with the Ministry’s wider data governance and protection frameworks, in the context of a complex stakeholder environment.  

As the Senior Data Governance Lead your responsibilities will include:  

designing and embedding proportionate, enabling data governance across Elections Digital product, delivery and operations 
designing and implementing continuous improvements to optimise data governance and management over the data/product life cycle 
developing and maintaining processes and procedures that enable appropriate, compliant use of data within digital services, in line with our role in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment 
facilitating lawful, responsible and ethical data access/sharing with internal and external partners 
leading on the implementation of, and alignment with, the government and wider Ministry’s data governance frameworks for Elections Digital, including building strong working relationships with the central data governance, transparency and protection teams 

Person specification

As the Senior Data Governance Lead, you’ll have: 

experience of designing, implementing and monitoring adherence to data governance policies and good practice across the data and/or product life cycle  
good knowledge of UK data protection law (including UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018) and ethical requirements, with proven experience applying it in public sector operational and/or service delivery environments 
experience identifying, assessing, and managing data protection risks, including supporting mitigation actions in collaboration with relevant teams 
experience and knowledge of identifying opportunities for innovating with data to improve existing digital services and deliver new priorities, in a public sector context or complex multi-organisation environment  
proven ability to identify and resolve data governance issues, influence stakeholders, and manage relationships effectively across organisational boundaries 
excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex data governance concepts clearly and appropriately to both technical and non-technical audiences, including senior decision-makers. Able to present information effectively in written, verbal, and visual formats to support understanding, engagement, and informed decision-making 

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Changing and Improving
Making Effective Decisions
Working Together
Leadership