The Senior Data Steward will be one of our key subject matter experts, providing advice and guidance on data both externally and internally and will be proactive in improving its management and in maximising its potential.
One of the key priorities for the Senior Data Steward will be to play a central role in the work to implement and roll out a new organisation wide Reference Data Service.
The Senior Data Steward will use their subject matter expertise to train and develop junior members of the team and work collaboratively to provide leadership and management to effectively control and provide stewardship of organisational data assets. Leading on activities to include defining, measuring, and monitoring of the quality to ensure that the data meets agreed quality standards and conforms to policy/data guidelines.
This role is essential to running our admissions service, ensuring that UCAS has highquality reference data and data sets to work from.
*Key accountabilities:*
* To take the lead in the control and management of key named data assets, ensuring we control and manage our reference data in line with national or sector standards.
* Works across a range of disciplines including data stewardship, stakeholder management (internal and external) and managing change/improvements of the data.
* Lead on the data stewardship (the sourcing, importing and control of data assets, data sets and structures) of our key data assets and associated metadata management to include meaning, purpose, business rules and usage.
* Develop and manage a rolling programme of quality monitoring of our key data sets. Identifying priorities for improvement and working collaboratively with key stakeholders to drive forward demonstrable improvements across the collection, storage, management, quality, interoperability, and dissemination of the data.
* Provide subject matter expertise on data stewardship, training and developing junior team members and working collaboratively across the business to embed processes and influence the planning of data sets.
* Proactively championing, raising awareness of, and embedding principles for good quality data and reference data. You will also be required work with developers & Data/Solution Architects to establish required flows of data around the organisation and implement processes to support them to include the ability to specify data structures / requirements for new or existing developments and initiatives.
* Highlight risks and issues which could affect the organisations operations as far as the data related to his or her responsibilities as a data steward, proactively proposing and managing the mitigation activities where and if appropriate.
* To implement changes to the database(s) and complete updates to coding and quality standards as and when required in accordance with contractual obligations, responsible for meeting data quality standards with this.
* Provide subject matter expertise on reference data sets, controlling and managing reference data in line with national or sector standards, liaising with key contacts internally and externally on the use or potential use of the data, and providing support, advice and guidance to UCAS colleagues, to member institutions and other organisations in the sector.
* Ensure a continued awareness of external standards and sector developments ensuring that where relevant these are investigated and implemented across our own data. Be able to independently specify data structures/requirements for new or existing developments and initiatives, in line with areas of expertise.
*Skills, qualifications, and experience:*
* Educated to degree level, or significant proven work experience
* Experience of data management and data structures ideally within the Education sector, data configuration and database concepts
* Knowledge of, or ability to acquire knowledge of the Higher Education sector
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with an ability to communicate technical information to a non-technical audience
* A self-starter with the ability to work and influence key stakeholders (internally and externally) at varying levels of seniority
* Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, including process mapping skills
* Proven ability to work to tight deadlines, independently managing high workloads, planning and prioritising as required
* Demonstrate working knowledge of relational databases, such as Oracle; methods and tools for extracting data such as SQL, Crystal Reports or Business Objects; methods for data transfer such as XML and the means and good practice of metadata management
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: Up to £37,500.00 per year
Experience:
* Data management: 2 years (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Cheltenham GL52 3LZ