Lead Data Governance Consultant

DataCareers; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

DataCareers is recruiting an experienced Data Governance & Ownership Lead to support the delivery and embedding of a Data Ownership Model within UK public sector environments. The role combines strategic governance with delivery, requiring collaboration across policy, digital services and transformation programmes.

The candidate will establish data ownership, stewardship and accountability, align with the data strategy, and ensure governance is embedded into organisational processes and

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering data governance in UK public sector or central government.
• Ability to translate governance principles into practical processes and operating models.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and workshop facilitation skills.
• Experience defining data ownership and accountability structures across large organisations.
• Experience embedding data governance into digital, transformation or policy programmes.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and embed the Data Ownership Model and associated governance artefacts.
• Define Data Owner, Data Steward and Digital Custodian roles and responsibilities.
• Lead governance discussions and workshops with senior stakeholders and document decisions.
• Support discovery, conceptual data modelling and service blueprint activities.
• Develop guidance, training and capability materials for data ownership and governance.

Skills

Data governance

Data ownership

Stakeholder management

Public sector experience

Workshop facilitation

Tools

Service Blueprints

Job description

Location: Can be remote based with occasional travel to Sheffield office

7 Month Fixed Term Contract

Role Purpose

We are seeking an experienced Data Governance & Data Ownership Lead to support the delivery and embedding of a Data Ownership Model (DOM) as a key enabler of the organisation’s Data Strategy.

The successful candidate will provide senior data governance expertise across discovery, design and delivery, helping to establish clear data ownership, stewardship and accountability across business areas, policy functions, digital services and transformation programmes.

This is a strategic and delivery-focused role requiring someone who can operate effectively in complex Public Sector or Central Government environments, influence senior stakeholders and translate data governance principles into practical, sustainable ways of working.

You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to establish, implement and continuously improve the Data Ownership service, ensuring that governance is embedded into organisational processes, services and delivery programmes.

Key Responsibilities

Data Ownership & Governance

• Support the design, development and implementation of the organisation's Data Ownership Model.
• Identify and define appropriate Data Owner, Data Steward and Digital Custodian roles and responsibilities.
• Establish clear accountability for data across business areas, policy, digital and transformation programmes.
• Provide expert advice on data governance, data management, ownership and stewardship.
• Identify gaps, risks and opportunities in existing governance arrangements and develop practical recommendations.
• Support the development of governance principles, processes, standards and operating models.
• Ensure data ownership arrangements align with wider organisational data strategy, policy and transformation objectives.

Discovery

• Support discovery activity to identify appropriate data ownership roles and accountabilities.
• Work with business and technical stakeholders to understand existing data responsibilities, processes and pain points.
• Facilitate test-and-learn activity to validate proposed ownership and stewardship approaches.
• Identify organisational, cultural and operational barriers to effective data ownership.
• Translate discovery findings into actionable recommendations for Alpha and subsequent delivery phases.
• Support and facilitate conceptual data model workshops with business, policy, technical and data stakeholders.
• Help resolve complex and cross-cutting data governance issues identified during Alpha.
• Provide data governance expertise to Service Blueprints, ensuring governance requirements are considered as part of service design.
• Contribute to the design and continuous improvement of the Data Ownership service layer.
• Identify dependencies between data governance, digital, policy, technology and transformation workstreams.
• Support the development of practical approaches for rolling out data stewardship and digital custodian roles.

Guidance, Training & Capability

• Develop and maintain clear, consistent data ownership guidance, training and supporting materials.
• Contribute to a practical Data Owner playbook covering roles, responsibilities, accountabilities and expected behaviours.
• Develop data governance content in collaboration with capability leads and other data governance specialists.
• Support organisational change and behavioural adoption of new data ownership arrangements.
• Help build sustainable data governance capability across the organisation.

Stakeholder Leadership

• Work closely with senior stakeholders across business, policy, digital, technology and transformation functions.
• Build consensus across stakeholders with differing priorities and perspectives.
• Provide constructive challenge where data ownership, accountability or governance arrangements are unclear.
• Lead governance discussions and workshops, ensuring decisions are clearly documented and progressed.
• Provide leadership within multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring work remains aligned, visible and progressing effectively.
• Communicate complex data governance concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Delivery & Continuous Improvement

• Support resolution of cross-cutting issues, dependencies, risks and delivery challenges across workstreams.
• Develop clear recommendations and next steps for emerging data governance requirements.
• Ensure governance activities remain pragmatic and proportionate to organisational needs.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of the Data Ownership Model and associated services.
• Identify lessons learned and incorporate them into future governance approaches and guidance.

The successful candidate will contribute to or lead delivery of:

• Data Ownership Model documentation and supporting artefacts.
• Clear documentation of Data Owner, Data Steward and Digital Custodian roles and responsibilities.
• A practical Data Owner Playbook.
• Data governance input into Service Blueprints.
• Conceptual Data Model workshop outputs and associated governance decisions.
• Data governance training and guidance materials.
• Recommendations and implementation plans for the rollout of data stewardship and digital custodian roles.
• Governance requirements, standards and operating procedures.
• Resolution of cross-cutting governance issues and dependencies.
• Continuous improvement of the Data Ownership service layer.

Essential Experience & Skills

Public Sector / Central Government Experience — Essential

• Proven experience working within UK Public Sector and/or Central Government environments.
• Demonstrable understanding of the complexities of government departments, agencies or public bodies, including the interaction between policy, operational delivery, digital, technology and corporate functions.
• Experience navigating complex governance, accountability and stakeholder structures within a public-sector environment.
• Experience delivering data governance, data ownership or data stewardship initiatives within Central Government or a comparable public-sector organisation.

Data Governance & Data Management

• Proven experience delivering data governance, data ownership and/or data stewardship models at scale.
• Strong understanding of data management principles, governance frameworks and operating models.
• Experience defining and implementing data ownership and accountability structures.
• Strong understanding of the relationship between data owners, data stewards, custodians and wider data management functions.
• Experience developing governance processes, standards, guidance and supporting documentation.
• Experience embedding data governance into digital, transformation or business change programmes.

Strategic & Operational Delivery

• Demonstrable ability to translate strategic data objectives into practical delivery approaches.
• Experience operating across both strategic and operational levels.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work through ambiguity and complexity.
• Experience managing dependencies, risks and cross-cutting issues across multiple workstreams.
• Ability to develop pragmatic solutions within evolving organisational structures and priorities.

Stakeholder & Leadership Skills

• Strong experience influencing and engaging senior stakeholders, including senior business, policy, digital and technology leaders.
• Excellent facilitation and workshop leadership skills.
• Ability to build trust and consensus across complex stakeholder landscapes.
• Experience providing leadership within multi-disciplinary teams.
• Ability to challenge constructively and influence outcomes without necessarily having direct line-management authority.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Organisational Change

• Experience supporting organisational change and behavioural adoption of new data governance arrangements.
• Experience developing training, guidance, playbooks or other capability-building materials.
• Ability to embed sustainable governance practices rather than simply designing governance frameworks.
• Strong understanding of the cultural and organisational challenges associated with introducing data ownership and accountability.
• Experience working within a UK Government Department or major public-sector organisation.
• Experience of Government Digital Service / digital transformation environments.
• Familiarity with Service Design, Service Blueprints and multidisciplinary delivery teams.
• Experience facilitating conceptual data modelling workshops.
• Experience implementing enterprise data ownership or stewardship frameworks.
• Experience working across policy, operational, digital and technology teams.
• Knowledge of recognised data management and governance frameworks and standards.
• Experience supporting large-scale transformation or organisational change programmes.

Summary

This is an opportunity for an experienced Data Governance professional with strong Central Government/Public Sector experience to play a leading role in establishing and embedding an enterprise-wide Data Ownership Model.