UK Ministry of Defence
Data Governance Officer
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Summary
Job Summary
Do you want to work at the forefront of UK defence, supporting operations that are beyond the reach, capability, and expertise of other armed forces? We are a tri-service organisation that recruits the best of the armed forces to perform the most arduous and complex tasks, tackling some of the most interesting national security issues in government.
This role offers a rare opportunity to apply data governance expertise in a military operational environment, where decisions have real-world impact. The scale, sensitivity, and complexity of the data involved are unlike typical government or commercial roles. You will work closely with teams to support the secure, discreet, and legal acquisition and use of data to enable military activities.
Job Summary
This role sits within our data policy and governance team, working across technical and operational teams to give our users timely access to the data they need. You will define, implement, and maintain governance frameworks and controls that enable the lawful, proportionate, and auditable use of operational data. You will work closely with military and civilian colleagues, and partners across government and intelligence agencies, to build that confidence across our organisation and allies.
This is a role with genuine proximity to senior decision-making — you will regularly engage with senior military and civilian leaders on the lawful use of data, and your judgement will directly shape how operational activity is conducted.
You will need to interpret a range of legal frameworks and apply them to specific, often novel, operational problems, including:
- Data Protection Act 2018 / UK GDPR
- Investigatory Powers Act (IPA)
- Public Records Act
- Operational and mission-specific legal frameworks
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.
Job Description
Job Description
The main responsibilities of this role and team are to act as a key authority on the lawful and appropriate use of data in operational contexts, translating complex legal frameworks into practical policy, decisions, and governance controls that directly enable military activity.
Specifically, this role works with mixed military and civilian teams to ensure that data acquired for operational purposes is held in accordance with legal and policy requirements. In some cases, this will mean working with partners across government and intelligence agencies. Within this environment, this role is critical in ensuring that data can be used legally and effectively in support of operations. You will sit at the intersection of policy, law, and operational delivery.
You Will:
- Advise and influence senior military and civilian decision makers on the lawful use of data
- Shape policy that directly governs operational activity
- Identify and escalate legal and data risks where tolerance is exceeded
- Provide assurance that data is compliant, proportionate, and defensible
- Ensure that decisions regarding the acquisition, retention, sharing, and use of data are properly recorded and auditable, enabling legal defensibility, operational learning, and accountability
- Support and challenge operational decisions where data use presents legal or reputational risk
Person specification
Essential:
- Strong understanding of data protection, investigatory powers, and/or operational legal frameworks
- Experience interpreting legislation, statutory guidance, or policy and applying it in ambiguous, real-world operational or organisational scenarios
- Ability to translate complex legal and governance requirements into practical implementation
- Experience working with sensitive or high-risk data (e.g. personal, intelligence, operational data)
- Strong interest in supporting the British military and wider UK government and partners in the interest of national security
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Desirable:
- Experience applying data governance practices within government, defence, intelligence, policing, or other highly regulated environments
- Experience developing or enforcing data governance frameworks at scale
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Big Picture
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £37,720, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,927 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
- An environment with flexible and alternative working options
- Professional and Personal Development of skills
- 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
- In addition to 8 public holidays per year, you will also receive leave for HM The King’s birthday
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
- Highly competitive pension scheme
- On-site gym facilities
- On-site parking facilities
The post does not offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.
Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and working from home as part of a non-contractual hybrid working arrangement. All office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of office attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this and other flexible working arrangements may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.
The post does not offer relocation expenses.
External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.
Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.
Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.
Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.
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MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.
Candidates will be required to provide a statement of suitability in no more than 500 words.
At sift, you will be assessed against your CV, suitability statement and the following behaviours:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
At interview, you will be assessed against Strengths and the following behaviours:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
Candidates should be prepared to draw on real examples that demonstrate sound judgement under ambiguity, the ability to influence senior stakeholders, and effective collaboration across mixed military, civilian, and cross-government teams.
As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.
Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.
The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases,
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