SEO – Smart Data Policy Advisors

Government Recruitment Service; Belfast City District; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Disability Confident employer scheme

Job summary

Government Recruitment Service in Belfast is recruiting SEO – Smart Data Policy Advisors to support the Smart Data Strategy and related multi-sector schemes. Role involves shaping governance, policy options and practical delivery across priority sectors with regulators, industry and consumer groups.

Roles cover cross-cutting policy work, developing statutory regimes and engagement with senior stakeholders. The team collaborates across DBT and other departments to deliver policy advice,

Qualifications

• Policy development and advisory skills across government sectors.
• Stakeholder engagement with regulators, industry and consumer groups.
• Evidence collection, analysis and policy option assessment.

Responsibilities

• Develop Smart Data policy for priority sectors in collaboration with government departments and regulators.
• Support design of governance, cross-economy standards and technical architecture.
• Coordinate inputs from legal, analytical, technical and policy teams to ensure robust scheme design.
• Prepare ministerial briefings, policy papers and consultation materials.
• Engage with stakeholders across government, regulators, industry and consumer groups.
• Track milestones, dependencies, risks and governance reporting for the Smart Data programme.
• Identify cross-sector use cases and reusable approaches to reduce duplication and improve interoperability.

Skills

Policy development

Stakeholder engagement

Evidence gathering

Governance

Delivery planning

Job description

We have exciting opportunities available for SEO Policy Advisors in the Smart Data team. These roles will support delivery of the government’s Smart Data Strategy and contribute to a major programme of work to create an interoperable Smart Data economy across multiple sectors. Smart Data enables consumers and businesses to securely share their data with authorised third parties, with their consent, so that innovative services can help them save time, reduce costs, improve productivity and make better-informed decisions. Open Banking is the UK’s most mature example of Smart Data and demonstrates the potential for secure, standardised data sharing to support competition, innovation and investment. The government has committed £36 million over four years to deliver Smart Data, with an ambition to support 5+ schemes by 2030 and 20+ schemes by 2035. DBT works in partnership with other government departments, regulators, industry and consumer groups to develop sector-specific Smart Data schemes and ensure they are designed in a coherent, trusted and interoperable way.

Successful candidates may work in one of a range of SEO policy roles. Some roles will focus on sector-specific delivery, working with other government departments and regulators to design and develop Smart Data schemes in priority sectors such as banking, finance, energy, property, digital markets, transport, retail, trade, telecoms or agrifood. Other roles will focus on cross-cutting policy work, including the development of overarching governance arrangements, cross-economy standards and technical architecture, and legislative frameworks needed to underpin a joined-up Smart Data economy. Across all roles, post-holders will help turn strategy into practical delivery, supporting policy development, stakeholder engagement, evidence gathering, options analysis, governance, risk management and delivery planning. This is a high-priority and fast-moving area of work, with strong ministerial and cross-government interest, and offers the opportunity to shape a major programme of economic reform.

Successful candidates will support high-priority Smart Data policy work across either sector delivery or cross-cutting programme activity. The exact role will depend on team need and candidate fit, but all roles will contribute to the development and delivery of Smart Data schemes and the wider foundations needed for a trusted, interoperable Smart Data economy.

Depending on the post, responsibilities may include:

• Supporting the development of Smart Data policy for one or more priority sectors, working with other government departments, regulators and wider stakeholders to identify use cases, develop delivery plans and progress scheme design.
• Helping to design regulatory regimes for sector-specific Smart Data schemes, including supporting calls for evidence, consultations, impact assessments, policy instructions, briefing and advice.
• Supporting policy development relating to the overall legislative framework for smart data including further primary legislation
• Developing cross-sectoral policy thinking for our longer-term objectives
• Gathering and analysing evidence from industry, regulators, consumer groups and technical experts to inform policy options, identify risks and develop clear recommendations.
• Coordinating legal, analytical, technical and policy inputs so that scheme design choices are robust, deliverable and aligned with wider Smart Data objectives.
• Supporting cross-cutting work on Smart Data governance, standards, interoperability, technical architecture, assurance, accreditation, trust, consent, redress and customer protection.
• Working with colleagues across DBT and other departments to ensure sector-specific delivery aligns with the wider Smart Data Strategy, programme governance and cross-economy objectives.
• Preparing high-quality written products, including submissions, briefings, policy papers, stakeholder notes, consultation materials and ministerial advice.
• Supporting stakeholder engagement across government, regulators, industry, consumer organisations and technical experts.
• Tracking milestones, dependencies, risks and issues, and supporting effective reporting and governance across the Smart Data programme.
• Helping the team identify opportunities for cross-sector use cases, shared infrastructure, common standards and reusable approaches that reduce duplication and support interoperability.
• Contributing to a collaborative, supportive and inclusive team culture, working flexibly across priorities as the Smart Data programme develops.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

SEO – Smart Data Policy Advisors

Company: Government Recruitment Service Salary: £44,913 to £53,230 a year Hours: Full-time Location: Belfast Job type: Temporary Posting date: 23 Oct 2026 Closing date: 15 Nov 2026

About Disability Confident Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.

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