Data Protection Officer and Information Governance Manager

Role Overview

The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) is seeking an experienced Data Protection Officer and Information Governance Manager to join the Legal and Governance team, providing independent oversight and expert advice on compliance with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and related legislation.

• Act as statutory Data Protection Officer, carrying out statutory duties and leading MCA in data protection compliance and best practice.
• Drive strategic information governance projects and provide expert guidance to senior leaders on a range of projects.
• Lead the Information Governance Framework and all matters of Information Governance, including Data Protection, Information Rights, Freedom of Information and Records Management.
• Provide leadership and management of the Information Governance team, ensuring delivery of an efficient service.
• Ensure completion of Subject Access Requests and Freedom of Information requests within statutory time frames.
• Provide advice on data handling/processing in line with UK GDPR, DPA principles.
• Support completion of Data Protection Impact Assessments, considering risk implications and mitigation.
• Liaise with partner organisations and suppliers to establish compliant data flows and agreements.
• Create data sharing agreements and external third-party contracts.
• Manage data breaches/incidents, minimising immediate risks and mitigating future breaches.

• Experience providing expert advice on the Data Protection Act, UK GDPR, Freedom of Information Act, Environmental Information Regulations, information security and records management in a large complex organisation, preferably local government.
• Subject matter expertise in Data Protection with in-depth knowledge and understanding of all relevant legislation and its operational implementation.
• Experience developing, reviewing, delivering, managing and recommending improvements in policies, procedures, controls, monitoring systems and performance to support effective information governance and data protection.
• Extensive knowledge of Data Privacy Impact Assessments, Information Sharing Agreements, information risk and records management.
• Experience investigating data breaches or incidents and recommending and implementing mitigating risk factors.

• Competitive salary £63,685 - £69,665 (full‑time equivalent).
• 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years continuous service, with option to purchase additional leave.
• 2 days of paid leave each year to volunteer.
• Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Flexible, family‑friendly hybrid working model, typically 2‑3 days in office each week.
• Reduced bus fare travel across the West of England.

As a founding Member of the West of England Good Employment Charter and accredited Living Wage Employer, we are committed to creating a diverse environment where all our employees can thrive. We make sure all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment and we particularly welcome applications from under‑represented groups without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or citizenship status.

We provide interview questions to all shortlisted candidates in advance/on request to help ensure everyone can demonstrate their skills, knowledge and experience fully, supporting our duties under the Equality Act 2010. You will also be asked follow‑up questions during the interview to explore your responses in more detail.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, condition or required additional support that means you might need changes to the application or recruitment process, please get in touch with our Resourcing Team at Resour We are here to assist and accommodate your needs.