Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Deputy Director, Group Corporate Services (GCS) Data Lead
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Location
This role will be contractually based in one of the following main Defra locations – Bristol, London, Newcastle, or York. The location is flexible, however, there will be regular travel to London to participate in Meetings and Workshops.
Job summary
The GCS Data team operates at the heart of Defra Group Corporate Services within the Group Corporate Services (GCS) Directorate. The team supports Defra outcomes by delivering:
- data platform and data services, including data governance, so that GCS teams and end users across the people, finance, and commercial domains have access to the tools, data, and insights they need to deliver business-critical services.
- data protection services that enable the safe and compliant processing of personal data across GCS, core Defra, and APHA.
- data into Defra’s new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution (Synergy) so that Defra and its ALBs can deliver its business-critical services and reporting across the people, finance, and commercial domains.
- data insights that drive decision making on performance and organisation health.
Key responsibilities
The postholder will provide strategic leadership for Defra’s Group Corporate Services central data function ensuring data is managed and exploited as a strategic asset to support operational excellence, organisational transformation, and evidence-based decision making across Group Corporate Services and Arm's Length Bodies.
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The role is accountable for the delivery and continuous improvement of business-critical data services, including data and reporting platforms, data and analytics engineering, data governance, and data protection, while leading the digital and data workstream for Defra’s Synergy transformation programme.
This includes ensuring Defra group is prepared for the transition to a new ERP platform and can access trusted, high-quality data to support critical business processes, and statutory and operational reporting.
Leading a core team of 26 staff and an extended digital and data delivery team, the postholder will directly manage four Grade 6 leaders and oversee a budget of approximately £10 million. They will provide strategic direction, manage organisational risk, ensure value for money, and drive the development of modern data and reporting capabilities across Group Corporate Services.
As a senior leader within Group Corporate Services, the postholder will influence and collaborate across Defra, ALBs, other government departments, and delivery partners, building strong relationships to drive innovation, strengthen data maturity, and enable successful delivery of departmental and cross-government priorities.
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Person specification
Essential Criteria
As part of the application process, candidates are asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement (no more than 1000 words) on how your relevant skills and experience meet the essential criteria.
- Significant experience leading data services and delivery portfolios across large organisations.
- Expert knowledge of data operations, data management, and data governance. A strong track record of leading multi-disciplinary teams and delivery of organisation-wide digital and data transformation within complex stakeholder environments.
- Strong ability to influence across organisational boundaries and build trusted strategic relationships.
- A strong understanding of how data is used, its value, and how this can be fully enabled and exploited by digital delivery.
Qualifications
No specific qualifications are required; however, the post-holder is likely to be accredited in one of the following areas: please indicate in your personal statement, which one you hold.
- Government Digital And Data
- Analysis
- Data governance and management
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