Information Manager

Scottish Canals; Falkirk, Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

Scottish Canals is recruiting an Information Manager to lead information governance, records management, and freedom of information processes. The role covers FOI, environmental information, data protection, and policy development; you will align practices with statutory requirements and internal policies across the organisation.

The role involves collaborating with ICT/PMO on a SharePoint migration project, training staff, and reporting performance to executives and regulatory bodies.

Qualifications

• Degree in Records/Information Management or equivalent with relevant training.
• Experience handling FOI/Environmental information requests.
• Experience handling complaints and communicating with the public.
• Knowledge of FOI (Scotland) Act, Environmental Information Regulations, DP Act.
• Ability to work flexibly with sound judgment and practical solutions.
• Excellent written skills for complex responses and policy drafting.
• Ability to advise staff on information legislation and risk.
• IT skills including word processing, spreadsheets, databases.
• Line management experience and staff development.
• Full UK driving licence or access to driver.
• Permission to work in the UK.

Responsibilities

• Lead information, data, records and access requests management under statutory requirements and internal policies.
• Ensure compliance with FOI, EIR, data protection and records management guidance.
• Develop and improve policies and processes to ensure efficient operation.
• Provide training and raise staff awareness; report KPIs to executives and regulators.
• Collaborate with ICT and PMO on migrating records management to SharePoint.
• Develop Data Sharing Agreements while protecting data security.
• Act as contact for ICO, Scottish Information Commissioner and others; manage regulatory notifications.
• Monitor guidance and update policies to remain compliant and user-friendly.
• Promote a culture of statutory compliance across the organisation.
• Provide risk management advice and options for activities within scope.
• Liaise with internal/external auditors on records management audits.
• Line manage Records Manager and Administrator – Freedom of Information & Compliance.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Empathetic approach

Flexibility

IT skills

Driving licence

Permission to work in the UK

Education

Degree in Records/Information Management

Tools

SharePoint

Job description

About Us

Scottish Canals are the custodians of the nation’s canal network and surrounding estates. Our vision is to invest in the canal network to generate lasting benefit for people and communities; celebrating their industrial heritage, ensuring they offer quality green and blue spaces for people and communities and contribute to Scotland’s resilience in tackling climate change.

Our success is rooted in valuing the contributions of our entire team - we care, we create, and we collaborate to continue to deliver a whole range of activities and services, from boating, and mooring, paddling, walking and wheeling, to living and playing and improving what the canals have to offer to our visitors and communities. We also work collaboratively with our partners and stakeholders to contribute to a wealthier, fairer, greener and more resilient Scotland.

As an employer we offer a truly unique opportunity to be part of our team, help us realise our vision and contribute to safeguarding our heritage and ensuring our canals flourish now and in the future.

About the Role

We currently have an exciting opportunity for an Information Manager to join our Governance & Legal Services team in Glasgow/Falkirk/Hybrid. You will:

• take a lead role to ensure that all information, data, records, and requests for access to those records handled by Scottish Canals are effectively managed in accordance with statutory requirements and internal policies.
• ensure compliance with relevant legislation and best practice guidance relating to freedom of information, environmental information, data protection, and records management.
• proactively improve and develop policies and processes in each of these areas, in accordance with legal requirements and associated best practice guidance appropriately tailored to Scottish Canal’s resources and requirements to ensure effective and efficient operation.
• provide training and improve staff awareness and engagement with relevant policies and will regularly report key performance information to the Executive Management Team and relevant statutory bodies.

The role is offered on a permanent basis, working 35 hours per week.

Primary responsibilities of the role:

• Ensure that information requests are handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004, guidance and internal policies. Regularly review and update the publication scheme.
• Ensure that all enquiries received under data protection legislation including Subject Access Requests are handled in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (the GDPRs), the Data Protection Act 2018, and internal policies.
• Fulfil the statutory role of Data Protection Officer for Scottish Canals as set out in the Data Protection Act 2018 and maintain expert knowledge of data protection law and practice.
• Work closely with the ICT team and Project Management Office on the project to deliver Scottish Canal’s transition of our records management platform from an on-site server base to Sharepoint and contribute to delivering agreed project objectives of a clear, accessible, secure, and robust cloud system.
• Lead on the provision of advice on and development of Data Sharing Agreements, supporting Scottish Canal’s partnership working while protecting the security of our data assets.
• Act as the key contact for the UK Information Commissioner, the Scottish Information Commissioner, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and the National Records of Scotland, ensuring that all statistical and annual notification requirements to the regulatory authorities are fulfilled, and information requested by these authorities is managed and processed timeously.
• Monitor legislative and other relevant guidance relevant to information management, request handling, data protection, and records management with appropriate recommendations made to the Executive Management Team to ensure policies and processes are user friendly and comply with statutory requirements.
• Promote a culture of compliance with statutory requirements falling within role remit, at all levels of the organisation.
• Provide pragmatic, specialist advice to staff at all levels within the organisation regarding risk management and options available for activities within the scope of this role.
• Liaise with internal and external auditors to manage the auditing of processes for records management, and information request handling.
• Line management of Records Manager and Administrator – Freedom of Information & Compliance.

About the Reward

This role offers a progressive starting salary of £49,588 (Band F).

Scottish Canals offer a generous annual leave entitlement of 224 hours, plus 6 public holidays, along with enhanced sick pay, discounted shopping vouchers, health cash plan and a contributory pension scheme with up to 10% employer contribution.

About You

Qualifications and knowledge required:

• A Degree level qualification (e.g. MA/MSc) in a relevant subject, for example, Records or Information Management, Information Governance Law or demonstrable equivalent relevant training and experience of the areas of work for which the role is responsible.

Skills and experience required:

• Experience of handling freedom of information requests and environmental information requests.
• Experience of handling complaints and corresponding with members of the public in an empathetic and professional manner.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, including the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004, Data Protection Act 1998 and Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011.
• Ability to work flexibly using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge to arrive at practical solutions to complex problems.
• Excellent written skills, ability to draft complex complaint and information responses as well as creating and revising policies and procedures to comply with information legislation.
• Ability to apply judgement in the application of specialist knowledge to advise and inform staff at all levels of the requirements of information legislation.
• IT skills – word processing, spread sheets, data bases;
• Line management and developing staff awareness and capability.
• Cloud migrations, governance and architecture development.
• Full UK driving licence or access to driver if disability prevents driving.
• Permission to work in the UK.

Qualities & abilities required:

• Ability to work flexibly using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge to arrive at practical solutions to complex problems.
• Strong communication skills, and an empathetic approach to colleagues.
• Flexibility to work at locations across Scotland’s inland waterways

Scottish Canals reserve the right to close this vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.