Chief Data Officer

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) strives to be an exemplar in the use of data. This new post of Chief Data Officer will be pivotal in helping us deliver on this vision.

As Chief Data Officer, you will be at the heart of our mission in leading the nation’s health and care system. We help people to live more independent, healthier lives, for longer. The use of NHS data was at the forefront of this country’s fight against COVID-19; we want to build on this and drive better use of data and information across DHSC and the wider health and social care systems; helping to embed a strong culture of data-driven delivery. We seek applicants who have a proven ability to transform data into valuable decision-enabling resources.

You will define the vision, strategy, and processes by which the department acquires, stores, curates and manages data and data flows, setting standards for data quality. You will be the ‘voice of data’ for the department and represent data as a strategic business asset. Working with analysis, digital and technology Directors, you will shape the way we use our data and foster a data-driven culture, developing the capability for outstanding use of data and information across the Department.

A critical part of the role will be to build partnerships and connections across health and social care, so that in partnership we provide a joined-up data service. This will provide better insights to all decision-makers on outcomes and impacts, and on the progress and experience of people, improving outcomes for all. This means that the ability to work in partnership and to develop collaborative working relationships is an essential part of this role.

As our first Chief Data Officer, you will bring together existing teams working on data, set out an ambitious and inclusive data strategy and develop a new function, delivering benefit across the department. You will lead a team of capable data professionals from a wide range of backgrounds and will be responsible for engaging, nurturing, and developing their capabilities, as well as attracting the best talent and potential into the department. You will need to be an exceptional leader, as well as someone who understands the worlds of data, digital and analysis.

As Chief Data Officer, you will be at the heart of our mission in leading the nation’s health and care system. We help people to live more independent, healthier lives, for longer. The use of NHS data was at the forefront of this country’s fight against COVID-19; we want to build on this and drive better use of data and information across DHSC and the wider health and social care systems; helping to embed a strong culture of data-driven delivery. We seek applicants who have a proven ability to transform data into valuable decision-enabling resources.

You will define the vision, strategy, and processes by which the department acquires, stores, curates, and manages data and data flows, setting standards for data quality. You will be the ‘voice of data’ for the department and represent data as a strategic business asset. Working with analysis, digital and technology Directors, you will shape the way we use our data and foster a data-driven culture, developing the capability for outstanding use of data and information across the Department.

A critical part of the role will be to build partnerships and connections across health and social care, so that in partnership we provide a joined-up data service. This will provide better insights to all decision-makers on outcomes and impacts, and on the progress and experience of people, improving outcomes for all. This means that the ability to work in partnership and to develop collaborative working relationships is an essential part of this role.

As our first Chief Data Officer, you will bring together existing teams working on data, set out an ambitious and inclusive data strategy and develop a new function, delivering benefit across the department. You will lead a team of capable data professionals from a wide range of backgrounds and will be responsible for engaging, nurturing, and developing their capabilities, as well as attracting the best talent and potential into the department. You will need to be an exceptional leader, as well as someone who understands the worlds of data, digital and analysis.

You will report to Professor Lucy Chappell, the Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser, who has overall leadership of the Department’s use of data, analysis, and scientific advice.

Responsibilities:

The Chief Data Officer will be the single person responsible for data ownership across DHSC; an unambiguous single point of accountability, providing advocacy and voice both for exploitation and for handling the data in a safe, secure, and legal way, providing analysis ready data, products, and services.

• Supporting Ministers and the Executive Committee by driving and delivering a department focussed Data Strategy that delivers a new operating model for the use and quality of data in DHSC in line with the wider health and care family. This work will be focused on improving health and care policy outcomes with data-driven insight.
• Managing and maintaining strong relationships with partners within and outside the DHSC including data leads in our arm’s length bodies, the NHS and other Government Departments, working in partnership to deliver an organisational model that leverages data for the Government and health and social care systems.
• Ensuring our data are fit for purpose, meeting current and future user needs across the system. This includes establishing collaborative data governance; improving the flow and speed of data sharing; identifying scope for improving outcomes; assessing the value of data; and ensuring that our processes meet user requirements
• Maintaining the infrastructure required to support DHSC’s data-driven activities, including publication of official statistics, while also leading a programme of transformation, setting challenging ambitions for future capability.
• Reducing duplication and deriving full value from the Department’s data, ensuring the provision of trusted, curated datasets that are easily accessible, delivering a high quality and effective data engineering capability providing analysis ready data, working closely with the Director of Analysis to build an ambitious programme to drive improvements that meet ministerial and Departmental needs.
• Setting standards and data requirements across DHSC to support decision-making and better outcomes and working with the responsible Director for technology to specify the data infrastructure, software and tooling needed to achieve them, ensuring that we can leverage and use data and platforms held in arm’s length bodies and other Departments, working in a partnership model, to ensure frictionless access by DHSC to a full range of operational and clinical data.
• Accountability for data, data ethics and other functional standards in DHSC. Ensuring that all major policy and operational decisions fully consider data implications.
• Maintaining a highly skilled, motivated, engaged and diverse workforce, including accountability for professional development of Data professionals in the department.
• Partnering with digital, technology, and analytical colleagues to build a data culture – enabling staff to see data as a strategic asset, understanding its value and their role in maintaining, building and harnessing this value. 

Deliverables

They would have overall responsibility for building a departmental data strategy, ensuring data are fit for purpose, meeting current and future user needs across the system; robust data governance and assurance; improving the flow and speed of data sharing; maintaining and developing the infrastructure required to support DHSC’s data-driven activities, and ensuring the provision of trusted, curated datasets that are analysis ready.  It will also include statutory data protection responsibilities.  

Key Deliverables include:

1. Data strategy- ownership and accountability for the development and implementation of a Departmental facing data strategy and associated data professionalisation and capability development
2. Data governance- organise the way we manage and use data, available to all who require it, as a single version of the truth, and complying with the regulations
3. Data management/operations- Data acquisition, automating, streamlining and quality assuring data flows from source through to policy analysis and digital services. Coordinate use of ALB owned data platforms and operate complimentary internal data platforms to ensure that they are available, performant, resilient and secure – managing ‘data’ relationship with NHSE and other ALBs to meet DHSC needs.
4. Data engineering- capture, creation and maintenance of curated data assets (matching, transformation, data documentation) and designing re-usable, analysis ready datasets, automating the flows of data and serving them quickly to the analysts
5. Product development- facilitating the building and managing interactive internal (e.g. datahub) and external (e.g. fingertips) dashboards and other products.

It is important through your CV and Statement of Suitability that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following

Essential criteria:

• You will be a highly credible leader, able to provide evidence of your ability to set a clear vision for the data function of a large organisation and make strategic decisions to drive through the changes needed to deliver this; and to ensure your senior leadership team pulls together to work with people across the Department and within the function to deliver this vision.
• Strong people-leadership skills, with the ability to develop an inclusive and collaborative working environment, and attract, motivate, develop, and lead staff at all levels within a data function to the highest standard.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with Ministers, senior operational and other colleagues, as well as developing strongly collaborative and partnership-based working with a range of external stakeholders inside and outside government.
• A track record of leadership on data, with a breadth and depth of professional knowledge in this area.
• Lived experience of leading transformational change or establishing a new function at pace (probably in the data, digital or technology arena) that has delivered benefits and shifted practice or culture. Including sponsoring the adoption of modern delivery practices, continuous delivery, lean and agile methods; and the ability to inspire and to take people with you through change.
• A good working knowledge of Information Governance essentials; ensuring DHSC is always operating in line with relevant data legislation, guidance and practice and has a keen understanding of the landscape, barriers, risks, and opportunities around data in a public context.
• A commitment to inclusivity and diversity, that ensures each person is and feels treated fairly, is supported to do their job effectively and can thrive in our working environment.

Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a really successful career with the Department and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead, and you’ll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service values and supports all its employees.

We have strong and pro-active staff networks, special leave policies for hospital appointments, reasonable adjustments put in place for those who need them, and diversity talent programmes to help everyone irrespective of background, to achieve their potential.

Pension

Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package.

A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; where your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. Visit Civil Service Pension Scheme for more details.

Generous Annual Leave and Bank Holiday Allowance

25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to 8 public holidays.

This will be complimented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the King’s Birthday.

Staff Wellbeing

Flexible working including part-time or time-term working and access to Flexible Working Schemes allowing you to vary your working day as long as you work your total hours.

Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers.

Childcare benefits (policy for new employees as of 5 April 2018): The government has introduced the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. Working parents can open an online childcare account and for every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2000 a year for each child or £4000 for a disabled child. Parents then use the funds to pay for registered childcare. Existing employees may be able to continue to claim childcare vouchers, so please check how the policy would work for you here.

Onsite facilities Opportunity to use onsite facilities including fitness centres and staff canteens (where applicable).

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above.
This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions.
Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and
conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your
personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any
absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you
to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Job contact :

• Name : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk