Data Acquisition Manager (Internal), Uk Data Archive

University Of Essex; Colchester; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Essex is seeking a Data Acquisitions Manager to lead the day-to-day operations of the UK Data Archive’s data acquisition pipelines and line-manage two officers. You will coordinate workflows, provide operational leadership, and ensure deposits meet our policies and accreditation standards.

You will engage depositors, handle complex queries, and help grow collections through horizon scanning and KPI-driven improvements.

Qualifications

• Experience managing people and workflows in a data-centric environment.
• Ability to provide audit-ready decision support and evidence for accreditation.
• Strong problem-solving mindset with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations of the Archive’s data acquisition pipelines.
• Line-manage two officers and coordinate workflows across the team.
• Provide hands-on operational leadership and support handovers with other teams.
• Provide first-line advice to depositors and handle complex deposit queries.
• Support collection growth through horizon scanning and KPI analysis.
• Represent the team at national and international workshops and conferences.

Skills

People management

Workflow management

Operational leadership

Data management

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

**This vacancy is only available to existing University of Essex staff**

We are seeking an organised, proactive, and collaborative social sciences domain expert to join us as the Data Acquisitions Manager, playing a key role in delivering the UK Data Archive’s data collections development strategy. Experienced in managing people and workflows, you will bring a problem-solving mindset, a sharp eye for detail, and a commitment to maintaining defensible, audit-ready decisions.

The is the lead organisation of the , a national data infrastructure funded by the ESRC through the UKRI to acquire, preserve, and disseminate social sciences data, and to provide support, guidance and training for data management, curation, and use.

You will lead the day-to-day operations of the Archive’s data acquisition pipelines. Within this, you will line-manage two officers and coordinate workflows across the broader team to ensure collections are acquired efficiently and in compliance with our policies and accreditation standards. You will provide hands-on operational leadership, support smooth handovers with other teams, and supply operational evidence for external accreditations.

Beyond operations, you will act as a friendly, practical point of contact for depositors, providing first-line advice, handling complex deposit queries, and co-designing producer-facing training and guidance. You will also support collection growth by conducting horizon scanning and proactive outreach, analysing KPIs and feedback to drive continuous improvement. In this role, you will have opportunities to represent the team and present insights at national and international workshops and conferences and have dedicated personal development time (around 10%) to keep pace with emerging data types and tools.

A full list of duties and applicant requirements can be found within the job pack.

At the University of Essex, internationalism and diversity is central to who we are and what we do. We are committed to being a cosmopolitan, internationally oriented university that is welcoming to staff and students from all countries, faiths and backgrounds, where you can find the world in one place.

To support this commitment we have our , a staff-led network that promotes and celebrates the rich cultural diversity among Essex staff, and our Colchester campus based Faith Centre, which hosts regular services, meetings and events organised by our chaplains and faith representatives. For more information see: .