Deputy Director – Data Governance, Data Protection and Data Strategy

Job summary

The Deputy Director for Data Governance, Data Protection and Data Strategy provides senior leadership to ensure DfE’s data is governed, protected and used strategically to improve outcomes for children, young people and learners. Working to the Chief Data Officer (CDO), the postholder sets direction, assures delivery and builds organisational capability across information governance, privacy, data policy, data management, enterprise data sharing, knowledge and information management, and the ethical and effective use of data.

The role is a senior strategic leadership post within the Data Directorate. The postholder will be considered the Department’s expert and senior responsible lead for information management, data governance and data protection, providing leadership across DfE groups, arms-length bodies and cross-government partners. They will ensure the Department has effective controls, clear accountabilities and proportionate governance arrangements for the safe, lawful and valuable use of data.

DfE is the custodian of one of government's most significant and complex data estates, processing millions of data elements each day and increasingly relying on data to support policy development, operational delivery and decision-making. The postholder will lead in a rapidly evolving environment, helping the Department respond to major opportunities and challenges arising from initiatives such as the Data Spine, increased data sharing across the education sector, and growing use of AI, research and real-time data. They will ensure that innovation is supported by robust governance, privacy and assurance frameworks that maintain public trust while enabling the effective use of data.

The role will also play a key part in improving the Department's information management maturity, strengthening information asset ownership, embedding clear accountability and governance, and building a new multidisciplinary function that brings together data protection, knowledge and information management, enterprise standards, enterprise data sharing and data strategy into a coherent and high-performing service.

Job description

As the Deputy Director for Data Governance, Data Protection and Data Strategy, you will:

• Set and deliver the enterprise data strategy, aligned to departmental outcomes and digital transformation, translating strategy into clear priorities, roadmaps, investment cases and delivery plans. This includes shaping information management and cross-government data sharing strategies on behalf of DfE.
• Lead and embed DfE’s data governance framework, including principles, standards, decision rights, data ownership. stewardship and governance forums. The postholder will drive consistent adoption across the Department and relevant arms-length bodies, ensuring governance is integrated into delivery, portfolio, programme, product and operational ways of working.
• Provide senior leadership on data protection and privacy (ensuring DfE complies with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and wider regulatory requirements. The postholder will embed privacy-by-design, DPIA processes and proportionate risk-based decision-making into programmes, products, services and operational processes.
• Own and assure key information governance processes that enable safe, trusted data use, including data sharing, records/information management and retention, transparency and data ethics—working closely with Legal, Security, Digital and operational teams to embed clear, proportionate standards across the Department.
• Enable safe, ethical and effective use of data, defining what good information governance looks like in the context of safety, ethics, research, AI-enabled activity and effective decision-making. The postholder will apply best practice and government standards, and help shape emerging practice in areas such as AI, dynamic research and cross-government data sharing.
• Own and assure key information governance processes that enable safe and trusted data use, including data sharing, information asset ownership, knowledge and information management, records management, retention, transparency and data ethics. This will involve working closely with Legal, Security, Digital and operational teams to embed clear and proportionate standards across DfE.
• Raise data management maturity and assurance across the Department, including improvements in data quality, data classification and handling, metadata, data cataloguing, lineage, risk management and controls for sensitive and special category data.
• Provide expert advice, challenge and governance-by-design to SROs, Directors, senior risk owners and delivery teams on high-risk, novel or complex data uses. This includes major data sharing arrangements, research datasets such as LEO, AI and automation use cases, and real-time data exchange through major programmes such as the Data Spine.
• Strengthen assurance, reporting and senior decision-making, including dashboards and management information on compliance, risks, audit actions, adoption and maturity of data governance and data management practices across the Department.
• Establish and run an effective operating model for data governance and protection, clarifying accountabilities across business areas, strengthening the network of Information Asset Owners and data stewards, and embedding governance checkpoints into departmental delivery and assurance processes.
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary division, directly managing five Grade 6 leaders and holding overall accountability for around 30 staff across information governance, data protection, data strategy, data management, enterprise sharing, stewardship and knowledge and information management. The postholder will create a high-performing and inclusive team culture, set clear priorities, manage performance and build capability across a dispersed and hybrid workforce.
• Build external and cross-government partnerships with DSIT, ICO, other departments, local authorities, the education sector, EdTech providers and the research community to enable safe, lawful and valuable data sharing and use.

Person specification

Essential criteria:

A proven track record of leading complex operational delivery functions

• Senior leadership experience setting direction and delivering complex change across data governance, information governance, data protection and data management in a large and complex organisation.
• Demonstrable experience embedding governance into delivery and operational lifecycles, including establishing and sustaining data ownership and stewardship, running effective governance forums, and integrating governance checkpoints into portfolio, programme and product delivery.

Experience of leading large-scale data, digital and technology driven transformation

• Proven ability to design, implement and continuously improve an enterprise data governance framework, including principles, policies, standards, decision rights, assurance processes and operating models.
• Proven ability to exercise senior judgement in complex, high-risk, novel or contested data scenarios, including decisions on data sharing, information asset ownership, research use, AI-enabled activity and enterprise data programmes.

Extensive responsibility for oversight of budgets and providing financial assurance

• Experience of managing significant organisational investment, risk and assurance activity, ensuring resources are prioritised effectively and governan