Lead data governance manager

Band 8b · Data governance manager · 589 job evaluation points

UK GDaD PCF level: Lead data governance manager

Most often performed at Civil Service grade G7 or G6.

A lead data governance manager undertakes complex work related to the principles and practices of data governance, and co-ordinates with data owners to lead wider data management competencies.
At this role level, you will:
lead the formation, implementation and management of data governance frameworks, policies and standards
implement and establish wider data management competencies within the organisation (such as data quality assurance, metadata management, master data management, data modelling, and development of data standards and data strategy)
be responsible for understanding and managing the organisational data risks and issues, and co-ordinating with data owners to accept or resolve them

Contains public sector information from the UK Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (https://understand-digital-data-roles-skills.service.gov.uk/), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.

Responsibilities

Lead the design and running of data governance frameworks, policies, and standards across the organisation.
Coordinate data owners and stewards to manage data risks, accept or resolve them, and report them to senior committees.
Lead wider data management work, such as master data for patients, staff, and sites, and reference data.
Agree data governance arrangements for data shared with health and care partners and researchers.
Advise programmes on how new systems and data uses meet data standards and governance rules.
Line manage data governance staff.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Communicating analysis and insightUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: turn complex data into compelling, clear and actionable stories share data communication skills with the team and across government present analysis and visualisations in clear ways to communicate complex messages communicate negative and positive information to stakeholders give tactical and strategic recommendations
Communicating between the technical and non-technicalUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: listen to and interpret the needs of technical and non-technical stakeholders, and manage their expectations manage active and reactive communication support or host difficult discussions within the team or with diverse senior stakeholders
Data ethics and privacyUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: work with stakeholders to identify and address ethical and privacy concerns demonstrate and communicate how data ethical issues fit into the wider organisational context research developments in data ethics and privacy to improve compliance and processes assess and constructively challenge proposed data ethics policies
Data governanceUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: implement and monitor data governance using standard methodology throughout the data life cycle, within a large organisation meet the requirement for relevant data governance accreditation take responsibility for specific parts of a data governance framework within the organisation
Data innovationUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: test and evaluate the feasibility of unfamiliar and emerging technologies, or familiar technologies in new data contexts share what you learn with the organisation, explaining potential benefits, risks, and practical considerations recommend, design and implement innovative data solutions based on organisation objectives, user needs, and operational constraints
Data life cycleUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: understand and apply data governance structures and principles over a data life cycle, ensuring best practice at each phase demonstrate knowledge of data governance industry standards design and implement continuous improvements to optimise data governance over a data life cycle work with internal and external stakeholders to build organisational capacity and capability in data governance
Data literacy improvementUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: recommend data literacy as a valuable skill across all levels of the organisation identify employee training courses and other opportunities to improve the organisation’s data literacy skills and data-driven culture
Data managementUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: advocate for effective data governance and data management policies and guidelines within your team and across your organisation monitor and improve data management practices in your team help define, develop and support the use of data management tools, procedures and methods in compliance with data governance policies
Data maturityUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: lead the implementation of data best practices communicate opportunities to improve data maturity lead on monitoring and improving areas of data maturity
Data standardsUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: create data standards for different subjects and ensure senior leaders understand them work with subject matter experts across the organisation to introduce data standards best practice monitor compliance with policies and standards in the organisation make recommendations about how the organisation should resolve breaches of standards
Enabling and informing risk-based decisionsUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: work with higher impact or more complex risks, advising on the impact and whether it's within risk tolerance apply different risk methodologies in proportion to the risk
Stakeholder relationship managementUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: work with the team to develop and maintain an understanding of stakeholders work with the team to develop and implement stakeholder communications strategies identify and resolve issues, influence stakeholders and manage relationships effectively build long-term strategic relationships and communicate clearly and regularly with stakeholders
Strategic thinkingUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: define strategies and policies, providing guidance to others on working in the strategic context evaluate current strategies to ensure business requirements are being met and exceeded where possible
Understanding health and care servicesThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: analyse how a service fits into care pathways across organisations work with clinicians, care staff, and patients to shape digital services explain the effect of digital decisions on care, safety, and staff workload
Information governance and data protectionThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: lead data protection impact assessments and information sharing agreements advise teams on lawful basis, consent, confidentiality, and retention investigate incidents and recommend improvements
Data quality managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: define data quality rules and measures work with data providers to fix the root causes of poor quality
Clinical terminology and classificationThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: design data models and reference sets using clinical terminologies map between terminologies and classifications, and explain the limits of a mapping advise teams on terminology use in products and analytics
Health data interoperabilityThis reference	Working (2)	You can: read and use FHIR resources, profiles, and APIs build or test simple integrations under guidance check messages against a specification
Pseudonymisation and disclosure controlThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: design pseudonymisation and linkage methods that keep identifiers separate from analysis data assess the re-identification risk of a data set or publication and choose suitable controls advise teams on safe settings, such as trusted research environments
Organisational risk managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: run the risk process for a directorate or programme assess risks against the risk appetite and escalate them report on risks to committees
People managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: line manage a team, setting objectives and running appraisals support wellbeing and manage attendance, performance, and conduct plan the team's development and succession
Budget managementThis reference	Working (2)	You can: track spending against a small budget and raise variances authorise spending within your limit

Typical qualifications and experience

Extensive experience of leading data governance or data management.

Band 8b outline

Knowledge: Expert knowledge across several disciplines or a large service.
Autonomy: Shapes policy and strategy for a large area.
Scope: Several services or teams, or a principal-level discipline.
Leadership: Manages managers, or is the principal authority in a discipline.
Accountability: Several services, their staff, and their budgets.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	5	Gives highly complex or contentious information needing developed persuasion and negotiation, presents to large groups, or communicates where there are significant barriers to acceptance.	45
Knowledge, training, and experience	7	Highly developed specialist knowledge across the range of the specialism (master's level or equivalent).	196
Analytical and judgemental skills	5	Judgements on highly complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.	60
Planning and organisational skills	4	Plans a broad range of complex activities or strategies, adjusting them as needed.	42
Physical skills	2	Skills gained through practice, such as standard keyboard use or driving.	15
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	5	Implements and develops a range of policies or services for a directorate.	45
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	3	Authorises payments, buys some assets or supplies, monitors or holds a delegated budget, or maintains assets.	21
Responsibility for people	4	Line manages a function or department, designs training programmes as a main duty, or delivers a full range of HR services.	32
Responsibility for information resources	6	Manages and develops information systems across the organisation as the main duty.	46
Responsibility for research and development	1	Carries out surveys or audits for own work; occasionally takes part in research or testing.	5
Freedom to act	5	Works within general policies, and in most cases decides how to interpret them.	45
Physical effort	1	Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.	3
Mental effort	4	Frequent prolonged concentration, or occasional intense concentration.	18
Emotional effort	1	Rare exposure, or occasional indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	5
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 8b: 585 to 629)			589