Principal Data Governance Manager (we have office locations in Cambridge, Leeds and London)

Genomics England is a global leader in enabling genomic medicine and research, focused on creating a world where everyone benefits from genomic healthcare. Building on the 100,000 Genomes Project, we support the NHS’s world-first national whole genome sequencing service and run the growing National Genomic Research Library, alongside delivering numerous major genomics initiatives. By connecting research and clinical care at national scale, we enable immediate healthcare benefits and advances for the future. Our mission is to provide the evidence and digital systems so that by 2035 genomics could play a role in up to half of all healthcare interactions, whilst securing the UK’s position as the best place to discover, prove and benefit from genomic innovations.

We are looking for a Principal Data Governance Manager to provide senior leadership across data governance, data management and information stewardship, helping ensure some of the UK’s most important clinical, genomic and research data assets are governed, protected, understood and used responsibly.

You will provide senior accountability for data governance and information stewardship activities across complex, sensitive healthcare and research‑critical data assets. Working with senior stakeholders, executives, service leads, squads and governance forums, you will establish practical frameworks, standards and decision routes that improve trust, consistency and delivery. The role will suit an experienced data governance leader who can combine strategic thinking with pragmatic delivery, influence across matrix structures and create clear, auditable governance approaches for highly regulated data environments.

• Setting data governance direction across clinical and research domains.
• Establishing sustainable data ownership, stewardship and decision‑making models.
• Leading the development of data governance frameworks, standards, controls and roadmaps.
• Providing governance oversight for data release, data sharing, data tagging, participant withdrawal, metadata, classification and data quality.
• Identifying and managing data governance risks as services, datasets and research activity scale.
• Influencing senior stakeholders through clear, evidence‑based recommendations.
• Chairing or contributing to governance boards, steering groups and delivery forums.
• Building data governance capability and maturity across teams, services and communities of practice.

You will bring significant experience leading data governance, data management or information stewardship programmes in complex environments. You will understand how to design and embed governance frameworks that are proportionate, practical and trusted by technical and non‑technical teams. We are particularly interested in people with:

• Significant experience leading enterprise data governance or data management programmes.
• Experience developing policies, standards, controls and data management frameworks.
• Strong understanding of data ownership, stewardship, data quality, metadata and lineage.
• Experience working with sensitive, regulated or research‑critical datasets.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead through matrix structures.
• Experience managing organisational change and improving data management maturity.
• Knowledge of DAMA‑DMBOK or equivalent data management frameworks.
• Experience leading, coaching or developing teams and governance practitioners.
• Experience in clinical genomics, biomedical research, healthcare data, Trusted Research Environments, NHS or public sector governance, data linkage, consent, withdrawal or research data access would be an advantage.

Salary From: £102,000
Closing Date: Sunday 26th July @ 23:00 (UK time)

Being an integral part of such a meaningful mission is extremely rewarding in itself, but in order to support our people, we’re continually improving our benefits package. We pride ourselves on investing in our people and supporting them to achieve their career goals, as well as offering a benefits package including:

• Generous Leave: 30 days’ holiday, plus bank holidays, plus additional leave for long service, and also the option to apply for up to 30 days of remote working abroad annually (approval required).
• Family‑Friendly: Blended working arrangements, flexible working, enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave benefits.
• Pension