About the job

Job summary

Technology and new ways to use data, from data sharing to AI, are transforming public services. The Home Office and the sector it supports need to embrace these technologies to cut crime, manage our borders, protect national security, and provide an outstanding service to the most vulnerable. 

To achieve this, the Home Office values data as its second most important asset, after its people, and the Department envisions that “we will use data and information as strategic assets for the public good”. 

In response to this ambition and the government’s Roadmap for digital and data 2022-to-2025 (Mission Three) Transforming for a digital future: 2022 to 2025 roadmap for digital and data - updated September 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), the Home Office Data and Identity Directorate is leading development of the Department’s data governance capabilities, which includes implementing a new data governance operating model; rolling out modernised data catalogue software; and delivering an enhanced suite of policies, guidance and training.  

The Data Governance Manager is a new role within this Directorate, and due to the scale of our data operations, we’re recruiting four individuals who will have each have a particular focus within data governance: data assets; data risk; data sharing; or data governance secretariat. 

Each role will be responsible for their relevant implementation aspects of the data governance operating model. Ultimately, enabling Data Owners and Stewards to effectively manage their data assets, and ensure they serve their intended business purpose and broader potential value to government. This includes exploiting the Data Catalogue software. You will also be focussed on the operational effectiveness of the departmental data governance service that underpins the broader business.  

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing team that’s at the heart of the Home Office’s ability to manage its data well and effectively share that data across Government. You’ll also be a member of the DDaT profession, which offers an attractive professional development pathway and is leading the way in transforming how the Government does business. You can find out more about what it’s like to work at the Home Office via our careers website:  Digital, Data and Technology - Home Office Careers

Job description

Are you excited by the power of data to inspire change?

Do you want to enable one of the UK’s largest data processors to enhance how it governs its data?

Are you energised by delivering strategic solutions to help frontline services?

Do you relish working in multi-disciplinary teams, where you’re empowered to make a tangible difference?

If so, please apply!

The Home Office Executive Committee is committed to “Harnessing data and technology to deliver modern services”, which “…focuses on adopting digital solutions and ensuring our policy making functions can effectively understand and respond to technological developments. Quicker and better insights will enable us to improve outcomes…”. Your role is critical to enabling this by supporting implementation of a revised data ownership model. This aims to improve our decision-making ability by making it easier and quicker to utilise data, ethically and legally, for the delivery of our strategic objectives.

The Data Governance Managers will be responsible for delivering specific elements of this new data ownership model, which will enhance how Data Owners and their teams manage their data, for example:

• data assets: support Data Owners with managing their data assets and using the Data Catalogue. Essential Shared Data Assets and Data Ownership in Government - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• data risk: advise Data Owners on how to identify and manage risks to their data assets.
• data sharing: enable Data Owners to share, and acquire, data from across government in an effective and efficient manner, including by utilising the upcoming x-government Data Marketplace. Discovering data across government - Central Digital and Data Office (blog.gov.uk) 
• data governance secretariat: convene Data Owners to discuss shared problems and lessons learned; and provide communications across the community to keep stakeholders informed.

These roles all require engagement and collaboration across a vast array of stakeholders e.g., data / technology professionals, operational colleagues, and senior civil servants. Ideally, you’d be able to “speak data”, which means you could have experience from any data field that enables you to confidently discuss data-related matters with both experts and non-experts. Although, obviously, specific experience in one of the aforementioned data fields would be advantageous.

There are four posts available, which are part of an existing multi-disciplinary team, and some, but not all, do have line management responsibilities. We operate in an open and supportive environment promoting individual strengths for the collective good, and as such learning and development is at the heart of what we do. However, we also recognise that success is achieved through collaboration, and you will work closely with colleagues across a very friendly data community to deliver an exemplar service.

Key Responsibilities

• Service design and delivery. Manage elements of an organisation-wide data governance framework, for example: structures; policies and standards; performance monitoring and compliance assessment. Specifically focussed on either data assets; data risk; data sharing; or data governance secretariat. Present regular updates to senior leadership and other stakeholders on service performance, provide recommendations to maintain standards, and innovate to ensure the service meets user needs.
•  Reporting. Provide data analysis and insights to key stakeholders, enabling effective management of the department’s information assets. Be responsible for understanding the organisational data risks and issues, and co-ordinating with data owners to accept or resolve them.
•  Advising. Develop relationships with key stakeholders, both internal and external. Be confident in providing advice to decision makers. Facilitate communication and collaboration across various departments.
•  Collaboration. Enjoy being part of a team that delivers tangible outcomes to scope, cost and time. Work with expert teams e.g., data quality, data sharing, data privacy, data analytics and technical capabilities, to support the implementation of data services.
•  Product development. Work with technology teams to translate business needs into data solutions. Keep abreast of future trends in data governance, identifying areas for improvement and suggest initiatives to enhance data accuracy, timeliness, completeness, and consistency.

Important Information

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity, by Spring 2024. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). 

Person specification

We are looking for someone who is passionate about creating value from good data management. You must be committed to the delivery of a quality service; able to collaborate across multiple stakeholder groups; and be comfortable working with ambiguity. This will be a new role in a developing team so you will also be responsible for building the role, supporting development of the broader team, and embedding the service within existing operations.

Essential Criteria

• Work comfortably with data, including demonstrating an understanding of data lifecycles to define policies, processes, and standards.
• Speak data and are comfortable acting as a translator between technical and non-technical stakeholders to present complex analysis and messages in a compelling way to enable effective decision making.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of using data catalogues or information asset registers to support frontline service delivery, including identification of user needs that can be translated into new products or services.
• Develop and maintain great relationships and networks with a range of stakeholders, particularly at a senior level, to achieve collaboration on common goals and deliver significant business outcomes.
• Experience of working in a complex delivery environment, particularly leading the development and implementation of data services e.g., governance, data assets, data risks, or data sharing.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. 
 
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:  

• a CV detailing job history/qualifications/skills 
• a statement of suitability (personal statement - maximum 750 words) 
• provide evidence of the behaviour Managing a Quality Service (250 words maximum)
• provide evidence of the behaviour technical skill: Data Governance (250 words maximum). 

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

The statement of suitability should be aligned to demonstrate your skills and experience for the role and how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the job description. 

The sift will be held on the behaviour Managing a Quality Service & the technical skill Data Governance, and statement of suitability (personal statement). The CV will not be scored. 

Please see relevant technical skills framework https://ddat-capability-framework.service.gov.uk/data-governance-manager.html#data-governance-manager 

However, if a large number of applications are received, the sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability (personal statement) only. 

The statement of suitability will be scored first for all candidates. Those who achieve the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability, will progress to a full sift where all elements will be scored. These candidates will therefore receive a sift score for both elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability will not have their behaviour and technical skill scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for the statement of suitability.

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will be based on all listed behaviours and technical skills.

Sift and Interview dates
 
Sift is expected to take place week commencing 4th March 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 25th March 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert, however on occasions these dates may change. 
 
Interviews will be carried out via video. Candidates will be required to have access to:

• A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
• Good internet connection
• Microsoft Teams

PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.

Further information

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Locations

A location-based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role or similar role become available within that period you may be offered this position.  
 
When completing your application, you will have the opportunity to select your preferred location(s). Please ensure you select all locations you are interested in. Candidates who are successful at Interview will be placed in order of merit per location and provisional job offers will be made in strict merit order per location preference. Provisional offers are made, as they are on condition that you successfully pass all pre-employment checks.
 
We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role or a lower grade than they have applied for, we may offer the candidate that role without the need to go through a further selection process providing the role has the same behaviours and essential skills.

Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying and generating of examples/answers from internet sources including Artificial Intelligence. If any is detected the application may be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving civil servants. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to  bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home Office 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

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
• Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.