Lead Data Governance Consultant

Location: Can be remote based with occasional travel to Sheffield office

7 Month Fixed Term Contract

Role Purpose

We are seeking an experienced Data Governance & Data Ownership Lead to support the delivery and embedding of a Data Ownership Model (DOM) as a key enabler of the organisation’s Data Strategy.

The successful candidate will provide senior data governance expertise across discovery, design and delivery, helping to establish clear data ownership, stewardship and accountability across business areas, policy functions, digital services and transformation programmes.

This is a strategic and delivery-focused role requiring someone who can operate effectively in complex Public Sector or Central Government environments
, influence senior stakeholders and translate data governance principles into practical, sustainable ways of working.

You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to establish, implement and continuously improve the Data Ownership service, ensuring that governance is embedded into organisational processes, services and delivery programmes.

Data Ownership & Governance

• Support the design, development and implementation of the organisation's Data Ownership Model.
• Identify and define appropriate Data Owner, Data Steward and Digital Custodian roles and responsibilities.
• Establish clear accountability for data across business areas, policy, digital and transformation programmes.
• Provide expert advice on data governance, data management, ownership and stewardship.
• Identify gaps, risks and opportunities in existing governance arrangements and develop practical recommendations.
• Support the development of governance principles, processes, standards and operating models.
• Ensure data ownership arrangements align with wider organisational data strategy, policy and transformation objectives.

• Support discovery activity to identify appropriate data ownership roles and accountabilities.
• Work with business and technical stakeholders to understand existing data responsibilities, processes and pain points.
• Facilitate test-and-learn activity to validate proposed ownership and stewardship approaches.
• Identify organisational, cultural and operational barriers to effective data ownership.
• Translate discovery findings into actionable recommendations for Alpha and subsequent delivery phases.
• Support and facilitate conceptual data model workshops with business, policy, technical and data stakeholders.
• Help resolve complex and cross-cutting data governance issues identified during Alpha.
• Provide data governance expertise to Service Blueprints
  , ensuring governance requirements are considered as part of service design.
• Contribute to the design and continuous improvement of the Data Ownership service layer.
• Identify dependencies between data governance, digital, policy, technology and transformation work streams.
• Support the development of practical approaches for rolling out data stewardship and digital custodian roles.

• Develop and maintain clear, consistent data ownership guidance, training and supporting materials
  .
• Contribute to a practical Data Owner playbook covering roles, responsibilities, accountabilities and expected behaviours.
• Develop data governance content in collaboration with capability leads and other data governance specialists.
• Support organisational change and behavioural adoption of new data ownership arrangements.
• Help build sustainable data governance capability across the organisation.

• Work closely with senior stakeholders across business, policy, digital, technology and transformation functions.
• Build consensus across stakeholders with differing priorities and perspectives.
• Provide constructive challenge where data ownership, accountability or governance arrangements are unclear.
• Lead governance discussions and workshops, ensuring decisions are clearly documented and progressed.
• Provide leadership within multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring work remains aligned, visible and progressing effectively.
• Communicate complex data governance concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Support resolution of cross-cutting issues, dependencies, risks and delivery challenges across work streams.
• Develop clear recommendations and next steps for emerging data governance requirements.
• Ensure governance activities remain pragmatic and proportionate to organisational needs.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of the Data Ownership Model and associated services.
• Identify lessons learned and incorporate them into future governance approaches and guidance.

The successful candidate will contribute to or lead delivery of:

• Data Ownership Model documentation and supporting artefacts.
• Clear documentation of Data Owner, Data Steward and Digital Custodian roles and responsibilities
  .
• A practical Data Owner Playbook
  .
• Data governance input into Service Blueprints
  .
• Conceptual Data Model workshop outputs and associated governance…