Data Strategy Senior Manager

Do you want to be at the forefront of delivering a data strategy to drive meaningful change?

We are inviting applications for a Data Strategy Senior Manager to help drive the Rural Payments Agency’s Data Strategy objectives, working within the Data and Innovation directorate and in partnership with colleagues across RPA and the wider Defra group.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and provides a range of services to farmers and land managers. It’s an exciting moment to join the RPA as we move towards a data-led organisation, rethinking how data, insight and innovation shape the way we serve farmers, land managers and rural communities.

Further information can be found on the Rural Payments Agency website Rural Payments Agency - GOV.UK, The successful candidate will join a small team with a complex brief. The Defra Chief Data Office (CDO) is committed to delivering a ‘whole department’ view of data maturity, requiring significant collaboration across RPA teams and liaison across all levels of the business. Using the findings from the 2026 Data Maturity Assessment, the Data Strategy Senior Manager will help the Agency understand data priorities and what they mean in practical terms.

Supporting teams to improve how they manage and use data, helping build awareness of the data roadmap, and working with stakeholders to keep things moving in the right direction, the Data Strategy Delivery Manager has the opportunity to shape what’s needed to develop better use of data across the Agency and a data-led culture.

Responsibilities:

• Lead team analysis of the data maturity assessment
• Advise on, develop and manage progress of data maturity actions, influencing and engaging teams across the Agency to meet The Defra Chief Data Office (CDO) requirement and wider government priorities including AI readiness
• Prioritise data roadmap actions through organising and leading the delivery of workshops with a wide range of stakeholders
• Establish and implement data management governance and standards across the Agency, drawing on best practice from Defra, Arms-Length Bodies (ALBs) and other government partners
• Develop clear reporting and success measures to communicate progress using tools such as Power BI and Power Automate to add value
• Support the development of a Data Advisory Service, to ensure RPA colleagues are informed and confident users of data and analysis
• Champion a positive data culture across RPA
• Line manage (including remote management)
• Travel between offices as and when required, As part of the interview, you will be required to prepare and deliver a presentation which will assess the following behaviour:
• Seeing the Big Picture

Details of the presentation will be provided if you are successful at sift.

Behaviour Questions

During the interview, you be asked to provide examples of occasions when you have demonstrated the following behaviours:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service, If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes., * UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

You must be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience listed in the essential criteria, * Proven experience in a data environment

• Ability to communicate complex information clearly and concisely to technical, non-technical and multi-disciplinary stakeholders
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide range of stakeholders using influencing, persuading and engagement at all levels
• Strong organisational skills, able to prioritise workloads, manage risk and maintain momentum across multiple areas of work
• Demonstrated leadership qualities, including supporting others to deliver
• Ability to innovate and problem solve, * Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service, As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s)

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both RPA’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time., Please take note that RPA does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship., Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Alongside your salary of £42,665, Rural Payments Agency contributes £12,360 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%, New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to RPA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Near Miss Candidates

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in RPA which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order by location.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.