Chief Data Officer

Department for Education; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental educational body is seeking a Chief Data Officer to lead data strategy and transformation across the organization. You will be responsible for ensuring effective data governance, ethical use of AI, and fostering a data-driven culture. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in strategic leadership, governance, and delivering impactful data solutions. This position offers opportunities to influence the wider education sector.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in delivering a department-wide data strategy using AI ethically.
• Strong track record of ensuring compliance with data protection and privacy regulations.
• Experience in overseeing enterprise data platforms and secure data sharing.
• Ability to champion a data-driven culture and influence stakeholders.
• Demonstrated impact through scalable data solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead data transformation across the education sector, aligning with government data standards.
• Provide oversight of the Department's data architecture to support innovation.
• Drive data governance and ensure compliance with GDPR.
• Create a culture for effective data use while managing risks.
• Work with stakeholders to implement innovations that enhance outcomes for learners.

Skills

Strategic Leadership in Data and AI

Governance and Compliance

Data Risk Management

Data Capability Building

Stakeholder Leadership

Job description

We are seeking a visionary Chief Data Officer to lead a bold transformation in how we collect, store and harness data‑turning it into a powerful, accessible asset that drives smarter decision‑making across the organisation. You will revolutionise the way information flows, ensuring that the right data is at the fingertips of everyone who needs it, exactly when they need it.

You will play a pivotal role in shaping how the Department adopts and applies artificial intelligence, using emerging technologies responsibly and creatively to unlock new insights, improve services and strengthen outcomes. Your leadership will not only enhance our internal capability but also influence the wider education sector, helping partners, providers and institutions make better use of data and AI to drive innovation and improve opportunities for learners.

You will foster a culture where data protection and privacy are balanced with access, sharing and experimentation. As the champion of our data strategy, you will lead transformative initiatives that ensure the Department uses data effectively, ethically and securely‑accelerating our core mission of creating opportunity for all.

Responsibilities

• Strategic data planning: Leading strategic data transformation across the education and care sectors, ensuring that our data strategy supports effective public service delivery including the departmental mission of Opportunity for all, and ensuring alignment with government‑wide data standards.
• Enterprise Data Leadership and AI: Provide strategic oversight of the Department's data architecture to ensure it is robust, secure, interoperable, and scalable ensuring the Department's data architecture supports its strategy, innovation, data‑sharing and AI objectives.
• Data Governance Leadership: Drive excellent data governance, ensuring an appropriate level of risk tolerance. Ensure compliance with relevant data protection, privacy, security, and transparency regulations such as GDPR.
• Data Risk Management: Create an environment where risk standards, policies and processes are valued, enabling data to be used and shared while protected.
• Data Innovation: Work with Ministers and policy and delivery officials to identify and implement innovations in how data can support policymaking and drive delivery of outcomes for children and adult learners, and represent the Department in cross‑government data initiatives and collaborate with other departments to share best practices and drive consistency.
• Data Capability Building: Ensure the Department has the specialist data skills it needs and champion a culture of data literacy and evidence‑based decision‑making across the Department.

Key Qualifications

• Strategic Leadership in Data and AI: Proven experience in defining and delivering a department‑wide data strategy that drives evidence‑based policy, operational efficiency, and public service outcomes, while harnessing emerging technologies, including AI and machine learning, ethically and effectively. Proven people leadership for data professionals, supporting professional development and ensuring effective delivery across teams and increasing capability for all DFE colleagues and the education sector.
• Governance, Risk, and Compliance Expertise: Strong track record of leading data governance, ensuring compliance with data protection, privacy, cybersecurity, and transparency regulations, while balancing innovation with robust risk management and ethical data use.
• Enterprise Data Capability and Infrastructure Oversight: Experience providing strategic oversight of enterprise data platforms, architecture principles, and systems to enable interoperability, scalability, and secure data sharing, while ensuring the organisation has the necessary digital, data, and technology capabilities.
• Culture and Stakeholder Leadership: Demonstrated ability to champion a data‑driven culture, improve data literacy, foster trust in data use across the organisation, and influence senior leaders, external partners, and cross‑government initiatives.
• Delivery of Impactful, Scalable Data Solutions: Track record of delivering cost‑effective, reusable, and innovative data solutions that measurably improve organisational performance and decision‑making, embedding best practices at scale in complex, multi‑stakeholder environments.

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years (2 pages maximum).
• A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 1,000 words), detailing how you meet the essential criteria outlined in this pack. Should we receive a high volume of applications, then we will sift on the essential criteria relating to experience of strategic leadership in data and AI.

It is important that throughout your CV and Statement of Suitability, you provide evidence and examples of proven experience for the essential criteria listed. Applicants will be assessed against the essential criteria. If there is a high volume of applicants, preliminary sifting will be done using only the criteria relating to experience of strategic leadership in data and AI.

Shortlisting Process

1. Take part in a virtual Staff Engagement Panel (which typically takes up to 1 hour to complete), to be held week commencing 5th or 12th January 2026.
2. Complete an Alternative Leadership Assessment with an Occupational Psychologist, to be held week commencing 5th or 12th January 2026.
3. Attend a formal interview which will include:
   1. A presentation (details will be provided to shortlisted candidates)
   2. Interview questions based on the essential criteria to further assess your experience.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.