Data Governance Lead

Job description

The Data Governance Team, as part of the GDS Product, Strategy, Planning and Performance directorate, provides specialist expertise and leadership across the Government Digital Service. The Data Governance team has an excellent track record for their enabling and pragmatic attitudes to support delivery teams in achieving GDS’s strategic objectives at a fast pace whilst balancing robust data protection compliance. 

The core focus of this role will be working in close partnership with the GOV.UK Performance Analytics team. Analytics plays a critical role in understanding how users interact with GOV.UK, identifying where services can be improved, and ensuring that government information is accessible, effective and safe for all users. This role will provide specialist data protection leadership for analytics design and implementation, shaping how user‑centred insight can be generated in a way that is lawful, ethical and transparent. 

The postholder will support the responsible use of data across GOV.UK by embedding privacy‑by‑design approaches, advising on the use of cookies, tracking technologies and experimentation, and helping teams navigate the interaction between PECR, data protection law and emerging policy frameworks. This work is central to maintaining public trust in GOV.UK and wider GDS products, ensuring that insight‑driven decision‑making strengthens, rather than compromises, users’ confidence in government digital services. 

 As a Data Governance Lead, you will cover: 

• PECR, cookies & tracking technologies: provide expert advice on compliance with PECR and data protection law in relation to analytics, cookies and other tracking technologies, including assessing lawful routes, advising on consent models, and embedding privacy‑by‑design into analytics implementation
• leadership: play an active role in the Data Governance leadership team
• data protection compliance: design and implement privacy and data protection controls for the products and processes GDS creates, including the delivery of Data Protection Impact Assessments to ensure the GDS Product Group complies with data protection law by delivering flexible and pragmatic governance practices that enable delivery at pace
• privacy by design and risk management: lead the delivery of high quality Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), Privacy Notices and Records of Processing Activities for new projects at pace
• training and awareness: oversee training to ensure GDS staff understand data protection obligations and best practices, fostering a culture of data privacy at all levels
• excellent communication and relationship management: Work closely with GDS colleagues to build trust. Deliver high quality written and verbal briefings to all levels, including delivery managers and senior management. Explain technical detail to non technical staff
• external stakeholder engagement: Work closely with external stakeholders such as the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and privacy groups to ensure compliance and address queries
• support the Deputy Head and Head of Data Governance: Provide proactive support to the heads to manage and lead on compliance, identify risks, the development of data governance strategies and deliver strategic objectives
• workload management and prioritisation: prioritise your time and the time of your team effectively to manage a high volume, fast paced and frequently evolving workload. Manage workloads to ensure that priorities align with strategic and team objectives and that deadlines are met

Person specification

We’re interested in people who have: 

• Data Protection & Privacy qualifications - holding a relevant privacy qualification such as IAPP (CIPP/E, CIPM) or BCS (ISEB), or have relevant experience
• expert knowledge of PECR and tracking technologies, including cookies, analytics, experimentation and other storage and access technologies, with demonstrable experience of applying privacy‑by‑design and proportionate compliance in complex digital services
• demonstrable experience of leading data protection teams to enable the organisation to achieve its strategic objectives, underpinned by a positive, proactive leadership approach with a commitment to collaboration and governance
• experience at delivering at pace, meeting challenging and changing operational and legal deadlines
• strong communication, presentation and interpersonal skills to build effective working relationships in a flexible and fast-changing environment
• a good understanding of new and emerging technologies and the opportunities they provide to improve the delivery of public services in the UK, including AI
• experience of risk management and the ability to balance risks against operational, technical and commercial requirements 

Benefits

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 28.5%
• 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
• paid volunteering leave 
• 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 from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

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

The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:

• a simple application screening process - we only ask for a CV, responses to 2 knockout questions and a security check question Important tip - please ensure that your responses include how you meet the skills and experience listed in the “person specification” section above 
• a 20 minute phone screen 
• a 60 minute video interview

Depending on how many applications we get, there might also be an extra stage before the video interview, for example a phone interview or a technical exercise.

In the event we receive a high volume of applications, we will conduct the initial sift against the lead criteria which is: 

• have Data Protection & Privacy qualifications - holding a relevant privacy qualification such as IAPP (CIPP/E, CIPM) or BCS (ISEB), or have relevant experience

In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. We’ll be assessing your technical abilities, skills, experience and behaviours that are relevant to this role.

For this role we’ll be assessing you against the following Civil Service Behaviours: 

• leadership
• making effective decisions
• communicating and influencing
• working together 

We’ll also be assessing your experience and specialist technical skills against the following skills defined in the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework for the Data Governance Manager role:  

• data ethics and privacy
• enabling and informing risk-based decisions 

Want to know more about who Government Digital and Data are? Click Here 

Recruitment Timeline

Sift completion: 6th August 2026 

Phone screens: w/c 13th August 2026

Panel interviews: w/c 24th August 2026

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Sponsorship

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

Security: 

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check. 

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible. 

For meaningful checks to be carried out, you will 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. Whilst a lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance, and expectation of UK residency may range from 3 to 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements needed for the role may result in the withdrawal of provisional jobs offers.