Data Governance Policy Manager

Job summary

Do you want to play a pivotal role at the heart of one of the UK’s most dynamic and influential analytical organisations? Are you motivated by delivering high‑quality work at pace, collaborating with senior leaders, and shaping the analytical landscape across government? If so, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.

The UK Statistics Authority is an independent body, operating at arm’s length from Government, with a clear statutory mission: to champion, protect, and enhance official statistics in the public interest. Our work ensures that the UK produces the right statistics, to the highest professional standards, and that they are communicated clearly to support informed decision‑making.

Joining us means contributing directly to this mission. The Authority leads on:

• Oversight of the UK official statistics system, ensuring coherence, quality, and public value
• Assessment of official statistics against the Code of Practice, promoting trustworthiness, quality, and value
• Governance of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics

If you’re looking for a role where your analytical insight and leadership can genuinely influence decisions that matter, this is your chance to make a difference.

Job description

This role provides a unique opportunity to work at the centre of an exciting area of the UK Statistics Authority. You will work within the Legal and Data Services (LDS) branch whose primary focus is to support the National Statistician, senior executives, and the organisation to manage the governance of the access, use and sharing of data for research and statistical purposes across the Office for National Statistics. LDS plays a key role in helping the UK Statistics Authority to fulfil its strategic objectives to produce better statistics to inform better decisions in ways which are legal, ethical, transparent and for the public good.

Under the Research framework in the Digital Economy Act (DEA) 2017, de-identified data can be made available to an accredited researcher in a secure environment (Trusted Research Environment – TRE). As the statutory accrediting body, the UK Statistics Authority has provided accreditation of TREs since 2019. NHS-led data platforms were excluded from UKSA accreditation requirements, but in 2022, a policy shift mandated data access via Secure Data Environments (SDEs) and an accreditation model, based on the current TRE framework has been developed to provide independent assessment of SDEs.

You will be primarily responsible for the Authority’s work accrediting the service capability of Trusted Research Environments (TREs) and Secure Data Environments (SDEs) across the UK who make data available for research purposes, ensuring they provide a high-quality service to users and customers that is consistent with relevant legislation and data standards. This role presents a unique opportunity to improve safe access to data for research. In this role you will lead the Authority’s work on the DEA and NHS Health Data processor accreditation to ensure that processing environments across the UK meet appropriate capability standards, working closely with these environments to assess their capability standards to inform their reaccreditation.

You will report to the UK Statistics Authority’s Head of Processor Accreditation and will lead and manage a small team, working closely with a wide variety of teams across the organisation, including the ONS Security team. You will also have opportunities to work flexibly across the LDS team, adapting to address priority issues and responding to dynamic business needs, often at pace.

Responsibilities

• Lead the independent assessment service of trusted research environments against the DEA capability framework, continuously reviewing and implementing processes to ensure high-quality delivery.

• Working with colleagues in ONS security who assess the trusted research environments against security frameworks to ensure the capability assessors and security assessors provide a joined-up accreditation service.

• Support the Head of Processor Accreditation in the annual planning process and communicating with senior stakeholders across the research environment landscape.

• Engage with trusted research environments to ensure that they are aware of the capability assessment criteria and answering any queries they have in a timely manner.

• Day to day management of the team’s work programme, including scheduling of team resources to ensure timely and effective delivery.

• Deliver support on matters relating to the data capability part of accreditation and support on building service insights, performance indicators and service delivery.

• Keeping abreast of wider developments in the world of trusted research environments and safe access to data to ensure the UKSA can contribute to this work and that our work benefits from this wider work.

• Assisting the Head of Processor Accreditation in drafting papers, and providing advice, support and briefing within the Processor Accreditation function’s remit and to the Research Accreditation Panel.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Experience of leading and managing a service, including designing, implementing and reviewing processes to ensure delivery of high quality, consistent outcomes that meet customer needs and organisational objectives.
• Experience of monitoring service performance, using data, feedback and assurance activity to identify risks, resolve issues, and drive continuous improvement.
• Proven experience of working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders, including delivery partners and internal colleagues, building strong relationships to co design and continuously improve services.
• Ability to maintain an active understanding of wider developments, including emerging standards, policy, technology and best practice, and to apply this insight so that the organisation both contributes to, and benefits from, the evolving research environment landscape.
• Can operate flexibly and at pace, with experience of planning and prioritising to meet tight deadlines.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,985, UK Statistics Authority contributes £12,163 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The UK Statistics Authority is part of the Civil Service, and as such we share a number of key benefits with other departments, whilst also having our own unique offerings to support our valued colleagues across the organisation.

Whether you are hearing about us for the first time or already know a bit about our organisation, we hope that our careers site will give you a great insight into the benefits and facilities available to our colleagues, and our fantastic working culture.

Inclusion & Accessibility

At UK Statistics Authority we are always looking to attract the very best people from the widest possible talent pool, and we are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. As a Disability Confident Leader we’re committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process.

As part of our application process, you will be prompted to provide details of any reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process that you need. If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying, please contact the recruitment team in the first instance.

If you would like an accessible version of any of the attachments or recruitment documents below or linked to in this advert, please contact the recruitment team who will be happy to assist.

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 and Experience.

Security Clearance

For UK Statistics Authority the requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for 3 consecutive years immediately prior to applying and the department will consider eligibility by exception on a case-by-case basis. You will be asked to provide information regarding your UK residency during your application, and failure to provide this will result in your application being rejected.

If you are unsure that you meet the eligibility above, please read the information available on Gov.uk on this link, or contact the recruitment email on the advert before applying to discuss, as failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected and any offer of employment being withdrawn.

At the point of SC application, you will need to provide or give access to the following evidence:

• Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)

• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records

• Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency

• Security Services records

Application Process

Number of Stages: 2 stage process

Stage 1: Application

Stage 2: Interview

Stage 1 – Application

The assessment process at the application stage will be based on your work history, CV, skills, experience, and personal statement. It is important that your application is tailored to highlight the skills, knowledge, and experience relevant to the role.

A personal statement is required at application stage, the maximum wordcount allowed is 1250, which should not be exceeded. You should provide evidence for each essential skill criterion listed in the person specification. As these criteria are scored, it is advisable to give clear examples for each one, including the impact of your actions, ideally utilising the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Please note that Success Profiles Behaviour examples are not required at this stage of the application process.

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.

When a high volume of applications are received, the sift pass mark may be adjusted. Candidates will be invited to interview based on their merit order, with those achieving the highest scores being prioritised. Applicants who score below the adjusted pass mark but still pass will be placed on hold and may be invited to interview at a later date.

Stage 2 – Interview

If invited to interview, you will be assessed using techniques aligned with the Civil Service Success Profiles framework, covering all behaviours listed in the job advert.

Interviews will be via Microsoft Teams.

Our main locations are Newport (South Wales) and Titchfield.

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made.

Important Dates:

The Sift will be conducted from 31/03/2026

Interviews will be conducted from 13/04/2026

Dates are subject to change.

For the full terms and conditions of the post, please see attachment.

Please note that all campaigns may be subject to withdrawal at any stage if the internal resource position changes.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Rhys Nadin
• Email : Rhys.Nadin@statistics.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : RecruitmentOperations@ons.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact recruitment.complaints@ons.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission

Attachments

2721 Advert 1B Permanent - ONS National v1-00 (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 83kB)