***Internal applicants only (not on an On Demand or Casual contract)***
Department
The Office of the Vice-Chancellor (OVC) at the University of Essex is a central hub for the University’s leadership and administration. It includes key members such as the Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellors and other senior staff who set the overall direction and provide leadership across the University. Additionally, the OVC oversees the Information Assurance Team and the Corporate Governance Team.
The University is a knowledge organisation and handles a large volume of information and data of various types across its educational, research, and administrative activities. The University must act in accordance with external information legislation and regulation and ensure that its internal policies, procedures, and processes support availability, integrity, and security of the University’s information assets.
Duties of the Role
The University is seeking to recruit an Information Assurance Manager. The Information Assurance Manager is responsible for advising on and guiding the University’s legal and statutory compliance with the Freedom of Information Act, the Data Protection Act, Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, and the General Data Protection Regulation. The postholder will be the University’s lead professional on information assurance and data compliance leading development work on information assurance, including ensuring that the University follows a methodical risk-based approach to compliance with relevant legislation and regulation, development and maintenance of corporate-level policies and procedures to safeguard the University’s compliance with obligations and mitigate institutional risk associated with contravention, and promotion of best practice in information stewardship.
Skills and qualifications required
The Information Assurance Manager should have deep expertise in data protection legislation, information security standards, and ICO guidance, backed by hands‑on experience ensuring organisational compliance and confidently navigating contracts, data‑sharing agreements, and other governance tools. They will bring a track record of acting independently within regulatory frameworks and delivering clear, engaging training to a wide range of audiences. While not essential, experience leading a team or service and presenting to senior stakeholders will help them thrive in this role and shape the way we embed strong information governance across the organisation.
The postholder should be someone who communicates with clarity, confidence, and diplomacy, able to break down complex issues into straightforward guidance and produce concise, high‑quality written materials. They will bring strong attention to detail, a calm and organised approach to managing multiple competing deadlines, and the judgement to navigate sensitive situations with professionalism and discretion. Building positive working relationships comes naturally to them, whether collaborating as part of a team or working independently, and they should be comfortable engaging with people at all levels. The Information Assurance Manager should be a confident user of Microsoft Office tools, understand the importance of confidentiality, and ideally be familiar with redaction tools to support effective information handling.
At the University of Essex, internationalism and diversity is central to who we are and what we do. We are committed to being a cosmopolitan, internationally oriented university that is welcoming to staff and students from all countries, faiths and backgrounds, where you can find the world in one place.
To support this commitment we have our, a staff-led network that promotes and celebrates the rich cultural diversity among Essex staff, and our Colchester campus based, which hosts regular services, meetings and events organised by our chaplains and faith representatives.