Information Governance and Complaints Manager

Health Research Authority; Newcastle upon Tyne; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Health Research Authority seeks an experienced manager to lead the Information Governance and Complaints team in the United Kingdom. You will ensure high-quality work, support staff development, and manage performance and priorities, while addressing complex information governance issues.

The role involves handling complaints, FOI requests, data protection matters and broader governance activities, with opportunities for hybrid work and flexible patterns.

Qualifications

• Experience handling complex information governance issues and complaints.
• Strong knowledge of data protection and FOI requirements.
• Proven ability to lead and develop a mid-size team.

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage and develop the Information Governance and Complaints team to high standards.
• Manage and investigate complaints related to HRA services and research activity.
• Oversee FOI responses and Data Subject Rights requests within statutory timelines.
• Support delivery of information governance framework including records management.
• Monitor governance breaches and provide guidance to staff and stakeholders.
• Produce reports and contribute to service improvement and policy development.

Skills

Complaints management

Data protection

Information governance

Freedom of Information

Line management

Stakeholder management

Project coordination

Education

Degree qualification

Job description

Job summary

We are looking for an experienced manager to lead our Information Governance and Complaints team. This role is responsible for overseeing a team with a range of responsibilities and experience levels, ensuring work is delivered to a high standard, supporting staff development, and managing team performance and priorities. Strong line management experience is essential, as the postholder will play a key role in creating an effective, well-supported team.

Alongside team leadership, the role is responsible for managing complaints, Freedom of Information requests, data protection matters and wider information governance activities. The successful candidate will be comfortable handling complex and sensitive issues, working with colleagues at all levels, and helping to improve processes and services across the organisation.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who combines strong people management skills with practical experience in complaints handling and information governance.

Main duties of the job

• Lead, manage and develop the Information Governance and Complaints team, ensuring workloads are prioritised and delivered to a high standard and to regulatory timeframes.
• Manage and investigate complaints relating to HRA services, procedures and research activity, ensuring they are handled fairly and within agreed timescales.
• Oversee the organisation's response to Freedom of Information requests and Data Subject Rights Requests, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements.
• Support the delivery of the HRA's information governance framework, including records management and data protection activities.
• Monitor and manage information governance breaches, providing advice and escalating issues where required.
• Build effective relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders, providing guidance, training and support on complaints and information governance matters.
• Produce reports, identify opportunities for service improvement, and help shape policies and processes across the organisation.

About us

At the HRA, we are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive working environment where we actively invest in the development and empowerment of our staff, enabling them to perform at their best. We strive to promote a healthy workplace culture where wellbeing, collaboration, and professional growth are valued and encouraged.

Working at the HRA, we support flexible working, recognising that home based or hybrid arrangements provides us with the most productive environment to work well. Where possible, we'll offer a working pattern that suits you.

The HRA offers home based contracts for all locations. Newcastle, Manchester and Nottingham based staff can be office based and hybrid working arrangements are also possible. We encourage you to speak with us to explore how this could be accommodated.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know from experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger, more creative workplace that helps us to deliver the best services. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of our community: age, disability, gender identity and expression, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and other diverse characteristics, and we have policies in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree qualification or extensive portfolio of evidence or equivalent level of experience or achievement

Desirable

• Information governance related qualification
• Complaints management related qualification

Knowledge, Skills and Expertise:

Essential

• Excellent working knowledge relating to complaints management
• Excellent working knowledge relating to data protection, information governance and freedom of information management

Desirable

• Good understanding of the research approval, NHS governance and ethical review processes for UK health research

Experience

Essential

• Experience of communicating, both verbally and in writing, with a range of stakeholders regarding highly complex complaints / information requests and or sensitive issues
• Significant experience of coordinating the operational management of a team and providing effective line management

Desirable

• Experience of working within the NHS, higher education, and/or clinical research

Analytical and Judgemental Skills:

Essential

• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise against a background of change and uncertainty

Interpersonal skills

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal skills to be able to communicate with a range of external stakeholders including members of the public, patients and research participants concerning sensitive areas

Other

Essential

• Commitment to inclusivity and valuing diversity

Employer details

Employer name

Health Research Authority

Address

Newcastle

Holland Drive

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE2 4NQ

United Kingdom

Employer's website