Senior Data Steward

UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admissions Service; Rosehill; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading education service organization in the UK is seeking a Senior Data Steward to manage data governance and quality assurance. This role involves advising on data management, training junior staff, and driving improvements in data standards. Candidates should possess excellent communication skills, a degree or equivalent experience, and knowledge of data management tools such as SQL and Power BI. The position offers a salary of up to £37,500 and a supportive hybrid working environment.

Benefits

30 days annual leave

Subsidised gym and café

Flexible contracts

Internal training and mentoring

Everyday wellbeing support

Qualifications

• Proven ability to manage data quality and governance.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to convey technical data effectively.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and manage workloads.

Responsibilities

• Manage data stewardship and governance.
• Source and control key data assets and metadata.
• Lead data quality monitoring and improvement initiatives.

Skills

Data management

Excellent communication

Analytical skills

Problem-solving skills

Knowledge of relational databases

Power BI

Education

Degree level education or equivalent experience

Tools

SQL

Oracle

JSON

Job description

Job Profile

Customer Operations - Data Quality Assurance

Title

Senior Data Steward

Contract Type

Full Time

Location

South West, Gloucestershire, Rosehill - Hybrid

About UCAS

UCAS is at the heart of connecting people to higher ARE. We are the world’s leading shared admissions service for higher education. We provide application services for UK universities and colleges and deliver research, consultancy and advisory services to schools, colleges, careers services and professionals.

We are a fast‑growing organisation that helps hundreds of thousands of people every year. We’re committed to a first‑class service to all of our customers – they are at the heart of everything we do.

The Customer Operations business unit was created to deliver and enhance the support and product & services provided to students, advisers, providers and other stakeholders involved in the higher education admissions process.

This unit focuses on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of customer interactions, ensuring applicants and providers receive timely and accurate information, assistance, and guidance throughout the application cycle. It anticipates, responds to and defines customer change to meet future needs. We work in cross‑company, multi‑disciplinary teams comprising Customer Service and Relationships, Product Management, International, Policy, Admissions Reform and Fair Access.

About the role

The Senior Data Steward is a key subject‑matter expert who advises and guides on data internally and externally, while proactively improving data management and maximizing its potential.

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This role trains and develops junior team members, provides leadership and management in effectively controlling and governing organisational data assets. Responsibilities include defining, measuring and monitoring data quality to verfüg of standards and compliance with policies and data governance guidelines.

Overall, this role champions best practices in data stewardship across the organisation, ensuring robust governance, consistency, and quality of reference data. By driving improvements in data standards and processes, the Senior Data Steward enables UCAS to leverage data as a strategic asset, supporting operational efficiency and informed decision‑making.

We currently have 2 Senior Data Stewards vacancies available

Key accountabilities

• Manage data stewardship and governance
• Source, import, and control key data assets and metadata
• Lead data quality monitoring and improvement initiatives
• Define data flows with developers and architects
• Own reference data management and governance strategies
• Coordinate third‑party data interchange and compliance

For full job description, please see role profile attached.

Skills, qualifications, and experience

• Educated to degree level, or significant proven work experience.
• Experience of data management and data structures, data configuration and database concepts.
• Knowledge of, or ability to acquire knowledge of the higher education sector.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with an ability to communicate technical information to a non‑technical audience.
• A self‑starter with the ability to work and influence key stakeholders (internally and externally) at varying levels of seniority.
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills, including process mapping skills.庄命)
• Proven ability to work to tight deadlines, independently manage high workloads, plan and prioritise as required.
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of relational databases such as Oracle, along with proficiency in data extraction methods and tools like SQL, and data transfer formats such as JSON.
• Possess good knowledge of at least one programming language and strong skills in using Power BI for data visualization and reporting.

Package

Salary up to £37,500

• Purpose‑driven work in a charity‑led organisation connecting people to education and opportunity
• Internal training, mentoring and access to industry‑recognised certifications through our development academies
• Hybrid working model built on trust and flexibility, with a 35‑hour week and flexible contracts
• 30 days annual leave, 3 concessionary days over Christmas, bank holidays, and the option to purchase additional leave
• Everyday wellbeing support through Perkbox, offering discounts and wellness tools
• Onsite facilities including a subsidised gym, café, and free parking at our Cheltenham office
• Inclusive culture supported by employee networks, wellbeing champions and mental health first responders
• Recognition and reward through our quarterly employee scheme and an ex‑gratia bonus for going above and beyond

Studies have shown that some groups of people are less likely to apply to a role unless they tick every box. At UCAS we recognise that talent comes in various forms and we are committed to delivering a fair and equitable recruitment process where applicants have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their skills. So, if you are interested in this vacancy, but do not necessarily meet every single point on the job description, please apply.

If you have any questions and would like to find out more about the role before applying, please email the Talent Acquisition team via [e-mail].

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Working Arrangements

Is fully remote working an option?

No

Attachment

Senior Data Steward January 2026.pdf (345 Kb)