Lead Data Services Manager

Are you an experienced digital and data leader who can help shape how Public Health Wales harnesses data to improve population health? We're looking for a Lead Data Services Manager to play a pivotal role in transforming our data capabilities, strengthening our digital foundations, and ensuring that our services remain safe, effective, and future focused.

As a Lead in our Digital Services team, you will lead a multi disciplinary digital, data and information specialists team who design, operate, and improve the data systems underpinning our national public health outcomes. From delivering modern data environments to leading major digital programmes, you'll be central in ensuring that high quality data drives meaningful insight and impact across our services.

The role sits within the Research, Data and Digital Directorate and contributes directly to the organisation's strategic goals. You'll work closely with cross functional teams, senior leaders, and external partners to help shape effective, future ready services across the health system.

If you're passionate about national scaledigital and data transformation and public health innovation-this is your opportunity to make a real difference.

Main duties of the job

The Lead Data Services Manager provides strategic and operational leadership across Public Health Wales's digital, data and information functions. They will lead and manage the Informatics and Data Services (IDS) Team and ensure alignment with the organisation's long term strategy and the Digital and Data Strategy. You will be part of the senior leadership across the division and the organisation, enabling successful cross function partnerships.

Alongside this strategic leadership, the role is responsible for driving the delivery of complex digital and data projects, overseeing the design of data flows, and supporting the adoption of modern cloud platforms. The post holder communicates highly complex information to technical and non technical audiences and ensures compliance with national data standards and legislation. They will work closely within information governance, cybersecurity, and clinical safety teams to support the mitigation of risks and manage incidents.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Job responsibilities About the Role

As a Lead in our Digital Services team, you will lead multi disciplinary data and digital specialists who design, operate, and improve the data systems underpinning our national public health mission. From delivering modern data environments to embedding best practice governance and leading major digital programmes, you'll be central in ensuring that high quality data drives meaningful insight and impact across our services.

WhatYoullDo

Lead and develop specialist data and information teams, fostering an agile, collaborative culture, maintaining clear roadmaps for data systems and architectures.

Oversee and collaborate on the delivery of major digital and data projects, working across PHW with clinical, operational, and technical teams.

Communicate complex information to diverse stakeholders and produce clear technical documentation.

Collaborate across the directorate to support quality assurance, risk mitigation, and incident response for data and digital services.

Ensure compliance with information governance, GDPR, NHS standards and data protection requirements.

What You Bring

Significant leadership experience within data, digital, or technical environments.

Deep expertise in modern data platforms and interoperability standards.

A passion for Agile approaches, continuous improvement, and delivering high quality digital services and programmes.

Strong communication skills, able to translate complex concepts for diverse audiences.

The ability to lead collaboration across clinical, operational, and technical teams.

Person Specification Qualification and Knowledge

• Degree in computer science, data analysis, data engineering, information management or equivalent experience.
• Highly specialist knowledge acquired through postgraduate study or equivalent experience to Master's level in digital, data or information systems.
• Skilled in modern data environments and platforms, such as SQL, relational databases, and modern BI tools.
• Knowledge of interoperability standards (HL7, FHIR).
• Knowledge of programme and project management.
• Understanding of data policy (e.g. GDPR) and its impact on our digital services.
• Familiarity with healthcare coding standards (ICD, SNOMED CT), and reporting frameworks.

Experience

• Proven experience of working in a senior management position leading technical or data teams.
• Experience of working and engaging with senior clinical/managerial staff to shape data requirements.
• Significant experience of effective delivery of large, highly complex projects or products.
• Experience with migrating data to cloud environments.
• Experience working within NHS Wales or other UK health systems.
• Familiarity with Agile delivery, DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and containerisation.

Skills and Attributes

• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with the proven ability to inspire, mentor, and coach a technical team.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of engaging with both technical and non technical stakeholders across NHS Wales.
• Committed to continuous improvement, innovation, and professional development.
• Collaborative and inclusive, with a strong focus on delivering value to service users and healthcare professionals.

Other

• Prepared to travel to sites across Wales.

We are committed to building an inclusive workplace that values equality and diversity. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of the communities we serve and are supportive of flexible working arrangements, including part time roles and job sharing.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.