Job Title: Data Lead
Pay of £75,026 plus 28.97% employer pension contributions, hybrid working, flexible hours, and great work life balance.
DWP. Digital with Purpose.
Are you ready to step into a leadership role where you can harness data to drive influence, innovation and meaningful improvement?
Do you want to use one of the UK's richest data environments to shape the customer journey for millions of people?
DWP is the UK's largest government department supporting individuals into work and delivering over £195 billion in payments each year to some of the most vulnerable members of society.
As Data Lead for Working Age Services you will play a vital role in shaping and delivering its data strategy.
You will lead the development of multidisciplinary data capability across Working Age Services identifying priority skills and championing their adoption across both data teams and wider digital stakeholders.
Drawing on your technical expertise you will provide strategic insight into how data can be used to deliver key outcomes and improve services.
This is a transformative period for Working Age Services Data as DWP introduces a new 'hub and spoke' model. This role will play a pivotal part in driving a successful transition and fostering a modern, data-driven culture.
What skills, knowledge and experience will you need?
Proven experience in strategic data leadership with the ability to define and deliver a clear vision that aligns with organisational priorities, enhances data services and drives data-led decision-making at scale.
Strong leadership and capability-building skills with experience of leading, developing and motivating multidisciplinary data teams through both direct and matrix management, while fostering high-performing and inclusive environments.
Proven ability to influence and collaborate with experience of engaging senior stakeholders, building trusted relationships across DWP and wider sectors and aligning diverse groups around shared data goals.
Excellent communication and analytical skills with a strong ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights that support strategic and operational decision-making.
Proven experience in governance and risk management with accountability for ensuring data is managed effectively, compliantly and in a way that balances control with innovation.
You and your role
As a Data Lead you will establish and lead a core team of data professionals to deliver DWP's Data Strategy within Working Age Services (WAS).
You will identify gaps across people, products, practices and develop a targeted programme of work to strengthen data capability. Alongside directly managing members of your core team, you will also lead a broader network through a matrix management approach.
As a senior leader you will work closely with the G6 Lead Data Scientist and G6 Lead Delivery Manager to provide joined-up leadership across all data activity within WAS.
You will drive the implementation of the DWP data strategy ensuring strong governance, compliance and collaboration across teams and stakeholders.
As a strategic influencer, you will partner with senior colleagues across WAS and the wider DWP to shape and deliver data priorities ensuring business needs are continuously met.
You will also lead on data-related communications and upskilling promoting a culture where data is understood valued and effectively used to improve outcomes.
Details. Wages. Perks.
Location: You'll join us in one of our brilliant digital hubs in Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle or Sheffield.
Hybrid Working: We work a hybrid model - you'll spend some time working at home and some time collaborating face to face in a hub.
Pay: We offer competitive pay of £75,026 to £92,522
Pension: You'll get a brilliant civil service pension with employer contributions worth 28.97%, worth up to £23,253 per year.
Holidays: A generous leave package starting at 26 days rising to 31 days over time.
You can also take up to 3 extra days off a month on flexi-time. You'll also get all the usual public holidays.
We have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:
Flexible working including flexible hours and flex-friendly policies
Time off volunteering and charitable giving
Bring your authentic self to work with 'I Can Be Me in DWP'
Discounts and savings on shopping, fun days out and more
Interest-free loans to buy a bike or a season ticket, so it's even easier for you to get to work and start making a difference
Sports and social activities
Professional development, coaching, mentoring and career progression opportunities.
And we have an award-winning environment and culture:
DWP have been recognised as 2024 Diversity Employer of the Year at the Computing Women in Tech Excellence awards
Diverse and Inclusive Leadership at Digital Leaders Awards 2024
Commended as Best Place to Work in Digital category in the Computing Digital Technology Leaders awards 2025
Recognised as one of the Best Public Sector Employers at 2025 Women In Tech Employer Awards
Process:
We know your time is valuable so our application and selection process is just two stages:
Apply: complete your application on Civil Service Jobs. There'll be full instructions when you click through.
Interview: a single stage interview online.
CLICK APPLY for more information and to start your application
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