Head of Data Quality

Job summary

As Head of Data Quality, you will play a leading role providing strategic leadership and assurance over data quality and data asset management across Companies House, ensuring that organisational data is accurate, trusted, well-governed, and fit for operational delivery, decision-making, and transparency.

The role’s current objectives are to define and embed consistent data quality standards, business rules, and metadata; lead organisation-wide data quality assessment and improvement activity; establish clear data ownership and governance arrangements; and provide authoritative assurance to senior leaders on data quality risk and maturity. Collectively, these objectives enable Companies House to strengthen its data capability, support reliable service delivery and regulatory compliance, and build long-term confidence in the data it provides to internal and external stakeholders.

About the role

This is an exciting time to join Companies House. The organisation is delivering significant organisational and legislative change, alongside major investment in its data capabilities through the Data Scheme and wider transformation programmes.

As Head of Data Quality, you will play a leading role in improving the quality, transparency and management of Companies House data assets. Working with senior stakeholders across the organisation, you will help embed good data management practices, improve data maturity, manage risks and support informed decision-making.

You will be part of a collaborative and supportive leadership team that is passionate about improving data maturity and delivering meaningful outcomes for customers, colleagues and the wider UK economy.

About Companies House

Companies House holds one of the largest sources of data in the UK, supporting transparency, economic research and public trust. As we continue to evolve through legislative reform, the need for well-governed, trusted and clearly defined data has never been more important.

Job description

Security Clearance

Successful candidates must meet the requirements for Security Check (SC) clearance before they can be appointed. To be eligible for SC clearance, you must normally have lived in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Applications from candidates who do not meet these residency requirements are unlikely to be successful as clearance may be refused.

As a Head of Data Quality main duties consist of but are not limited to:

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for data quality and data asset management across Companies House.
• Develop and implement the organisation's data quality strategy, including defining data quality standards, business rules, metadata.
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team responsible for assessing, monitoring and improving the quality of priority datasets.
• Work collaboratively with data owners, service teams and digital colleagues to ensure data quality is effectively measured, governed and embedded within business processes, identifying root causes of data quality issues and delivering sustainable improvements.
• Provide expert advice and assurance to senior leaders on data quality risks and maturity, supporting data governance activities and influencing organisational priorities and decision-making.
• Promote the effective management of data as a strategic asset, enabling reliable operational delivery, regulatory compliance, transparency and trust.
• Enable Companies House to rely on high-quality, well-described and trusted data to support operational delivery, regulatory compliance and transparency.

About the team:

You will join the Data Management team, a growing multidisciplinary function at the centre of Companies House's data transformation agenda. The team is responsible for strengthening how data is governed, managed, understood and used across the organisation, helping to ensure that data is trusted, accessible and fit for purpose. Working closely with operational, digital, policy and analytical colleagues, the team provides leadership across areas including data quality, data governance, data asset management, metadata, information rights and data ownership.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a developing function and help shape how data is governed, managed and trusted across Companies House for years to come.

Where You'll Be Working

You will be aligned to either the Cardiff, Edinburgh or Belfast office, where you will be expected to attend at least once a week. We are currently using a hybrid approach to the way we work which provides opportunities for you to be adaptable in the way you work so that you can achieve a healthy balance between your work and home life.

Your manager will agree regular patterns of attendance with you; however, you may be required to make yourself available to attend the office more frequently when required to meet business needs.

Important Information for Belfast-Based Applicants

For Belfast, this vacancy is only open to existing Companies House employees based in the Belfast office. Applications from external candidates and wider Civil Service colleagues will not be considered.

Working Hours:

Due to the nature of the role and team structure, this is a full-time position of 37 hours per week.

We can accept applications for those looking to work full time, part time or compressed hours, a minimum of 30 hours over 4 days per week.

Sponsorship

Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. Companies House holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship, your application may be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment withdrawn.

Person specification

We are looking for a candidate who has:

• Experienced data management leader skills with a strong track record of delivering improvement in complex organisations.
• Significant experience in data quality, data governance, data management, analytics, or a related discipline, and a proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, influence senior stakeholders, and drive organisational change through better use of data.
• Confident communicator with both technical and non-technical audiences and able to operate credibly at senior leadership and governance forums.
• Understand how high-quality data supports operational delivery, decision-making and organisational outcomes.
• Strategical thinker, able to lead through ambiguity, balance immediate delivery pressures with long-term improvement goals, and build strong relationships across a wide range of stakeholders.
• Passionate about developing capability within teams and creating a culture of continuous improvement.

Qualifications

A degree-level qualification in a relevant discipline, or equivalent professional experience is essential alongside evidence of continuing professional development.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and Others
• Managing a Quality Service
• Leadership

Technical skills

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

• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex information, identify root causes, and use evidence to support decision-making and prioritisation.
• Experience of developing and embedding data quality, metadata and data ownership frameworks.
• Practical knowledge of analytical and business intelligence tools such as SQL, Python and Power BI.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,531, Companies House contributes

£16,956 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).

We believe that our success is driven by the well-being and satisfaction of our team members at all levels of the organisation. At Companies House we’re committed to providing a comprehensive benefits package that goes beyond the ordinary, ensuring your career journey with us is not only fulfilling, but also rewarding. We pride ourselves on offering a quality work-life balance with our employee wellbeing being central to our working practices.

We offer a comprehensive range of benefits designed to support your wellbeing, professional development and financial security, including:

• Flexible working arrangements, with no core hours and working patterns available between 6am and 8pm.
• Hybrid working opportunities, helping you balance office collaboration with home working.
• 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, increasing with service.
• Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an average employer contribution of 28%.
• A strong commitment to learning, development and career progression.
• Access to wellbeing support, resources and initiatives that promote positive physical and mental health.
• A collaborative and inclusive working environment where colleagues are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work.

Head to Our benefits - Working for us - Recruitment (companieshouse.gov.uk) to find out more about the fantastic benefits package we have at Companies House.

We celebrate diversity

As an equal opportunity employer, we celebrate diversity, being committed to ensuring we’re representative of the citizens we serve and creating an inclusive environment. Everyone in Companies House brings something different, and so will you. To fulfil our commitment to recruiting and attracting diverse talent we welcome applications from underrepresented groups. We also welcome applications from Welsh speakers.

We are proud to be a disability confident leader. Our recruitment process is fully inclusive and we can make adjustments as needed through our process. These could include having an interview buddy, extra time at interviews/assessments and receiving interview questions in advance, to name a few. Read our 'Applying under the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS) ' guide to find out how to successfully complete an application under the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS).

If you require any reasonable adjustments at application stage, or if you'd like to discuss any person-centred adjustments, please contact us by emailing recruitmentCH@companieshouse.gov.uk.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Key information

Additional details on security and vetting

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements for Security Check (SC) before they can be appointed. Further information on the vetting process can be found at National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK .

To be eligible for SC clearance, candidates must meet the vetting criteria and have been a resident in the UK for at least 3 out of the last 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

Please review our vetting charter to understand what you can expect from the process - The vetting charter - GOV.UK

If you have questions regarding this or are unsure if you meet the eligibility criteria, please contact recruitm