Chief Data Officer

Locations:

The candidate can be based in, Ashford, Basingstoke, Bedford, Birmingham, Bristol, Bootle, Buxton, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Crewe, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham or York.

If successful you will be based at one of the HSE locations listed in this candidate pack. Occasional travel to other HSE locations across the UK will also be expected, including to North West locations. A minimum 60% workplace attendance is expected.

Working Pattern:

Full Time or Job Share

Job Summary:

This is a pivotal opportunity to lead the transformation of HSE’s data landscape. Following the launch of HSE’s Strategy in 2022, which laid the groundwork for our data journey, further development in 2024/25 has refined our approach—combining short-term wins with long-term foundational initiatives.

The Chief Data Officer (CDO) will play a central role in delivering the Data Strategy, driving innovation, and embedding a data-driven culture across the organisation.

As a regulator under increasing scrutiny from environmental and customer perspectives, HSE is committed to harnessing the power of data to better serve duty holders, regulated organisations, and the communities we protect.

This transformation will reshape how we operate, enabling us to:

• Recognise and unlock the strategic value of data.
• Enhance collaboration across HSE through targeted data initiatives.
• Manage risks associated with complex and evolving data structures.
• Support evidence-based decision-making and robust outcome assessments.

The CDO will lead the implementation of HSE’s data strategy, embedding the principles that data is a shared asset, and ensuring existing capabilities are leveraged before new solutions are introduced. This role will champion a hub-and-spoke model—balancing centralised data governance with divisional empowerment—aligned with HSE’s broader strategic, digital, and transformation programmes.

This newly established role will consolidate existing data activities to form the foundation of a central Data Hub. The CDO will deliver high-impact use cases while simultaneously building organisational data capability, driving momentum, and meeting stakeholder expectations.

The post holder will manage teams of technical specialist and data professionals, it is probable that the Data Hub will increase in size relatively rapidly as the segmentation of central `control` and the empowerment of local teams is further developed. It is expected that some technical roles and functions will sit in the central team, under the CDO, with `spoke` teams managing local requirements, but using the data sets developed by the Data Hub, and under the guidance and frameworks put in place by the CDO.

The nature of the role will also mean that matrix management will be in place, with the post holder tasking individuals and teams, who will not be in the CDO line management chain, and will be responsible for their output quality and deliverables.

Job Description:

This is a senior role, reporting directly to HSE’s Director of Transformation and Operational Services. The Chief Data Officer will be responsible for:

• Leading the delivery of HSE’s Data Strategy and implementation plan by building and establishing organisation wide data transformation.
• Working with the Executive Committee to develop and implement the hub-and-spoke Target Operating Model (TOM).
• Establishing and overseeing the Data Hub and specialist groups, ensuring high standards and measurable impact.
• Acting as the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for data use across HSE, setting robust standards for responsible data management.
• Ensuring data governance and quality across the whole organisation, enabling and delivering the extraction of actionable insights through analytics.
• Driving forward a culture focussed on the use of data and intelligence to drive business value and strategic goals.
• Driving, where appropriate, the adoption of advanced analytics, such as AI and machine learning, to identify opportunities whilst managing risk.
• Accountable for the oversight of HSE’s data activities, many of which will be outside the postholders direct line management responsibility, guiding and advising where necessary and staging effective interventions if required.
• Empowering and leading Data Hub teams, driving efficiency and value through improved data utilisation.

Person Specification:

It is important that, through your CV and supporting statement, that you provide evidence of the professional skills, breadth of experience and personal qualities for this post.

• Experienced in leading the development and implementation of successful data strategies that enhance organisational performance, effectiveness, and efficiency. Skilled in analysing complex problems, organising information, and identifying key factors and underlying causes. Capable of generating evidence-based, objective insights and making effective decisions in critical situations and dilemmas.

• Experience in data risk management including getting owners of data assets to take responsibility for risks, and helping people use risk assessment results to make decisions instead of relying on opinion.

• Success in senior-level data leadership, fostering cultural change and advancing data maturity with the ability to build cross-organisational relationships and deliver tangible outcomes.

• Excellent communication skills with a proven ability to influence stakeholders and communicate effectively across complex organisational structures. Is able to demonstrate sound judgement and credibility at all levels with experience in understanding what matters to senior/executive level leaders, and communicating matters and value, in ways that resonate at their level.

• Outstanding problem-solving skills, the ability to work with focus and pace, adapt to ever-changing environments and react quickly to emerging challenges.

• Extensive experience leading large-scale strategy and data transformation initiatives, Adept at evaluating existing data systems and technologies to define and implement the data architecture and strategic direction required to achieve organisational objectives and drive long-term success.

• Build and lead inclusive high performing teams that demonstrate accountability and innovation by acting as a visible and authentic role model. Champion a culture of trust, empowerment, and continuous improvement.