Data Governance Officer at Government Digital Service in Bristol, London, Manchester

Job summary

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre of government — we are responsible for setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital government.

Our priorities are to drive a modern digital government, by:

• joining up public sector services
• harnessing the power of AI for the public good
• strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure
• elevating leadership and investing in talent
• funding for outcomes and procuring for growth and innovation
• committing to transparency and driving accountability

We lead the Government Digital and Data function and champion the work of digital teams across government.

The Government Digital Service is where talent translates into impact. From your first day, you’ll be working with some of the world’s most highly-skilled digital professionals, all contributing their knowledge to make change on a national scale.

Join us for rewarding work that makes a difference across the UK. You'll solve some of the nation’s highest-priority digital challenges, helping millions of people access services they need.

The right person will join a well-motivated and dynamic multi disciplined team working to deliver on our commitments and roadmap.

If this sounds like the next role for you on your career journey then we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more at the GDS Blog .

Former DSIT recruitment campaigns are continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the Government’s announcement on the changes to some civil service departments, roles will be subject to the machinery of government moves and will ultimately be in one of the new departments. We will provide more information if you are selected for a role. This work remains of high importance to the civil service, and we thank you for your continued interest.

Job description

The Data Governance Team, as part of the Digital Products Directorate, provides specialist expertise and leadership across the Government Digital Service. GDS has specialist data protection and information management requirements and requires extensive data governance controls to be designed and incorporated into product development.

Digital Products Directorate is seeking to recruit a Data Governance Operations Officer to help the team deliver data governance and privacy excellence across GDS products and services including GOV.UK and One Login, which is one of the most innovative and exciting programmes in government. The role is aligned to the Data Governance Manager role on the Government Digital and Data (GDaD) Capability Framework, which is performed at working level. You do not need to arrive as a fully formed data governance specialist: we will support you to build capability against the full set of working-level skills in post.

You will play a critical role in ensuring that data protection and information management compliance is embedded into the programme to enable GDS to protect public data and manage its information assets, whilst enabling innovative digital solutions.

You will build outstanding relationships with the programme team to help embed privacy by design and uphold the highest standards. This role provides an exciting opportunity to become a key part of one of the most impactful programmes in government.

This is a development role. You should have a genuine interest in data protection and information management and a foundational understanding of why they matter, but you are not expected to be an expert at the point of appointment. You will work with close support from the Data Governance and Privacy Leads and the Knowledge and Information Management Lead, and will be given structured development, training and hands-on casework to upskill at pace in both areas.

As a Data Governance Operations Officer, you will support:

• data Protection and Information Management Compliance: Support the Data Governance and Privacy Leads, and the Knowledge and Information Management Lead, to ensure GDS products and services comply with data protection and information management law. With guidance from the Leads, you will apply the GDS data governance framework and internal governance standards, support Data Protection Impact Assessments and lawful, proportionate processing, and monitor adherence through casework, registers and accurate record-keeping – delivering flexible and pragmatic data governance practices that enable delivery at pace
• data Subject Rights management: Support the end-to-end management of Data Subject Rights (DSR) requests, as defined under UK GDPR and DPA 2018, ensuring timely, legally compliant, and high-quality responses, upholding privacy rights of data subjects
• data breach management: Support in the end-to-end management of actual or suspected personal data breaches in line with GDS policy and UK GDPR/DPA 2018 requirements, ensuring timely investigation, containment, risk assessment, and reporting to the Data Governance and Privacy Lead, senior management, and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) where legally required. You will apply risk assessment throughout casework, helping assess whether risks are acceptable or require escalation, escalating to the Leads where appropriate, so that decisions are proportionate and risk-based
• triage and Case Management: Manage and monitor the Data Governance Team inboxes for incoming data protection and information management queries and requests. Facilitate an effective triage and allocation system to ensure all work is promptly and appropriately assigned, tracked, and actioned by the relevant team member or escalated to the Data Governance and Privacy Lead or Knowledge and Information Management Lead, maintaining detailed records of case progression and outcomes
• information assets and the data life cycle: Support the safe handling, retention and secure disposal of personal data across the data life cycle, helping GDS manage its information assets in line with legal and records management obligations, and improve life cycle practice through casework and lessons learned
• excellent Communication and Relationship Management: Work positively with colleagues across the Data Governance team and with delivery, legal and policy teams, supporting them in the execution of their tasks and in their development of high-quality advice and guidance. With support, you will learn to translate complex legal and technical compliance requirements into plain English for non-technical audiences, present case and risk information clearly to inform decisions, and manage differing stakeholder perspectives so that compliance keeps pace with delivery. You will be a trusted partner in keeping the work of the team in progress and ensure that decision making is recorded
• support the Data Governance and Privacy Leads and/or the Knowledge and Information Management Lead: Provide proactive support to the Data Governance and Privacy Leads to manage compliance, identify risks and deliver strategic objectives. You will contribute to advocacy for the introduction of privacy enhancing technologies and techniques, such as pseudonymisation and other privacy-preserving approaches, recognising where new tools and approaches improve the efficiency and quality of data governance. You will identify opportunities to improve data, privacy and information management literacy across the organisation, and help ensure governance practices keep pace with evolving legislative and user needs

Person specification

We’re interested in people who have:

• workload management and delivery focus Proven ability to manage competing priorities, maintain control of a varied workload and meet statutory or operational deadlines. Experience of working effectively in fast ‑ paced environments where priorities can change
• communication and stakeholder engagement Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex legal and technical data protection requirements clearly and pragmatically to non ‑ specialists. Experience of working with a range of stakeholders with competing priorities, and of building positive, effective working relationships
• teamworking and professional behaviours Experience of working collaboratively as part of a team, sharing knowledge and supporting colleagues. Enthusiasm to learn, take feedback and develop data protection and governance skills at pace
• interest in data protection and information management An awareness of why data protection and information management matter in a public sector or digital delivery context, and a clear commitment to building specialist knowledge in post. No prior specialist experience or qualification is required
• awareness of risk management and data governance An awareness of foundational principals of risk management and data governance including how to articulate and manage data related risks, and how to communicate these risks to senior leadership to enable effective risk management
• data literacy improvement An ability to communicate and influence stakeholders and colleagues across the organisation to improve local data handling practices with a commitment to developing expertise in this area in post
• privacy enhancing approaches and data literacy Awareness of privacy enhancing technologies and techniques, such as pseudonymisation and other privacy ‑ preserving approaches, and a commitment to developing skills and knowledge to improve data, privacy or information management literacy across the organisation
• applying data standards and improving data maturity: Able to apply data and information standards, policies and procedures consistently, and to help colleagues understand and follow them. Interested in helping to assess how well teams manage data and information, and in finding practical ways to improve their data maturity over time
• strategic awareness and professional development: Able to see how data governance supports wider organisational and government objectives, and to keep up to date with changes in legislation, guidance and user needs. Clearly committed to building specialist knowledge in post, including working towards a relevant qualification with support

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,655, Government Digital Service contributes

£10,908 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:

• flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
• a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
• an extra day off for the King’s birthday
• an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
• career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
• a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
• advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
• death in service benefits
• cycle to work scheme and facilities
• access to an employee discounts scheme
• 10 learning days per year
• volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
• access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning

Any move to Government Digital Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Office attendance

The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours fr