Head of Data

Position: Head of Data Applications
Job Purpose The role will be responsible for ensuring that data and applications services remain efficient, sustainable, secure and compliant throughout this transformation, while maintaining delivery of operational commitments, service levels and organisational key performance indicators. As a senior strategic leader, the postholder will oversee multidisciplinary teams responsible for data management and software development activities, ensuring alignment of technology investments and delivery models with organisational strategy and future clinical trials requirements.

The Head of Data and Applications will provide key support to the Director of Operations and will establish and manage effective collaborative relationships with fellow operational leads within RCB and also more widely with University and GCTU colleagues, representing RCB on relevant committees at local and national level.

Main Duties and Responsibilities
1. Provide operational leadership across RCB's data management, software applications and information governance functions, including line management responsibility for senior managers and specialist staff within the data management and software development teams. Lead organisational planning, prioritisation and resource allocation to ensure delivery of agreed objectives, service levels and key performance indicators during periods of significant technological and organisational change.
2. Lead on the creation, implementation and evolution of a comprehensive data strategy, with the vision to leverage multiple data sources and technology to help RCB achieve its goals and deliver customer-focussed secure data strategy and management solutions, both physical and cloud based. Identify future challenges and new solutions in the data strategy and digital e-health landscapes, identifying issues and eliminating vulnerabilities, to ensure that RCB remains competitive and financially sustainable.

Foster collaborative and synergistic relationships between RCB and other parts of the University (in particular, with the School of Health & Wellbeing, College of MVLS and Central IT Services), including feeding expertise into RCB support for College initiatives in data strategy (e.g. TRE, Research Data Strategy etc).3. Lead the planning, governance and delivery of major digital transformation initiatives across RCB, ensuring effective change management, stakeholder engagement, risk management and business continuity throughout implementation.

Monitor performance against agreed objectives and ensure that operational and regulatory requirements continue to be met during periods of transition.
4. Lead the development of future operating models for Data Management and Software Development services, ensuring that organisational structures, roles, skills and resources evolve appropriately to support technological transformation, operational efficiency and long-term sustainability.
5. Lead the operational development, implementation and governance of RCB's electronic data capture and clinical trial applications portfolio, including the adoption and optimisation of Open Clinica and oversight of bespoke application services. Ensure effective integration between platforms through secure and compliant interfaces and APIs, enabling efficient data flows and supporting evolving clinical trial requirements. Lead the assessment, selection and implementation of technology solutions that deliver value, scalability, operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.
6. Lead on management and continuous improvement in the full lifecycle of collection, processing and management of research data (including setup, maintenance, validations, change management, coding, quality control, database locking), implementing standardisation of data collection, management and delivery protocols. Implement efficient, effective and secure procedures in support of high quality data provision, control and governance, including devising standardisation of data outputs to statisticians and data analysts, developing and implementing data management metrics reporting for use internally and by relevant external stakeholders, and standardising logging and structuring of data held within controlled repositories.
7. Lead on complex data handling activities, including design and management of the methodology and protocols required in support of data merging, wrangling, pooling and structuring of datasets for research exploration and investigation.
8. Lead on the production of accurate and comprehensive documentation as it relates to data strategy, data governance and software development, including input to research protocols, contracts, patient information sheets, information governance records (e.g. Data Protection Impact Assessments, data controller/processor role assignments, Information Asset Register, Record of Processing Activities) and applications for linkage of data with public datasets.
9. Contribute at a senior level to the development of new costing,…