Data Governance and Quality Lead - Temporary (up to 24 months)

Data Governance and Quality Lead - Temporary (up to 24 months)
Salary: £42,479 to £49,976 (dependent on experience)
Contract Type: Temporary: Fixed Term Contract or Secondment
Hours: Full Time
Location: Poole, Dorset, England
Location Description: Hybrid between home and Poole - with a minimum of two days per week in the Poole office
Closing Date: 21-06-2026
Reference: 21662
About us
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that provides a 24-hour lifeboat search and rescue service, seasonal lifeguards, and water safety education and initiatives. Our lifeboat crews and lifeguards need a dedicated, professional, and talented team behind them, and that is where you come in. This is your chance to join that team and help save lives every day.
We are looking for a Data Governance and Quality Lead to support the RNLI’s Digital Transformation Programme and help deliver its long-term strategic ambitions. Working as part of the wider Data Governance team and with our key stakeholders, this role will champion the development of a strong data culture, embedding robust governance controls and quality practices across the organisation.
You will play a critical role in advancing the RNLI from a low level of data maturity to a highly data-driven organisation, enabling the adoption of improved systems, behaviours, and governance frameworks. By establishing effective validation, analysis, and progressing quality practises, you will ensure data can be trusted to inform decision-making at every level.
Through strong leadership in planning, communication, and stakeholder engagement, you will drive the adoption of best practices and ensure data governance and quality are fully integrated into the organisation’s transformation journey.
Some of the Benefits
- Salary of £42,479 to £49,976 (dependent on experience)
- Flexible working
- 26 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays
- Outstanding pension scheme
- Life assurance
- Health and dental cash plan
Your Role
In this role, you will:
- Lead on data governance organisational roles – owners, stewards, controllers and ambassadors. Manage communications and engagement to support ownership of best practices and Change.
- Work with stakeholders to manage audits and evaluate data management maturity. Shape improvement through negotiating effective acceptable quality levels.
- Have a solid understanding of data and database management tools.
- From Data Quality Analyst, supply of data condition and root cause analysis, work with stakeholders to agree and implement both tactical and strategic solutions to workflow blockers and data issues.
- Develop and support training to drive data governance, quality awareness and improvement. Actively engage with Data Protection and Information Security to maintain compliance.
- Facilitate a cross-organisational network to ensure a culture of best achievable data governance and quality principles that are understood and delivered. Lead on steering considerations with the use of new tools and technologies.
- Develop and present on strategic initiatives, engaging at all organisational levels, chairing forums and review meetings.
- Manage stakeholder expectations, ref team capacity vs demand, delivering prioritisation against organisational requirements.
- Support team capability through coaching and engagement, identifying and addressing skills and knowledge gaps,
- Manage continuous improvement balanced against project and BAU deliverables.
About You
We are looking for someone who is a great communicator with an ability to connect and engage with a broad audience to demonstrate sometimes complex ideas clearly. You will be able to understand technical concepts and act as a conduit between technical and non-technical stakeholders, have good planning and organisation skills, and be able to manage priorities against team capacity and demand, maintaining multiple initiatives and workflows. You will also have a focus and interest in continuous improvement and change management, with the ability to influence stakeholders to adopt new processes and ways of working.
The successful candidate will also have experience of:
- Development and delivery of data governance and/or information management programmes with a strong understanding of underpinning principles.
- Working within a data-driven environment utilising analysis, measures, and reporting.
- Influencing and managing stakeholders.
- The creation of documentation, including propositions, implementation guidelines, process flows, and working instructions.
- Facilitating workshops and forums with a focus on iterative change management and control, and ensuring best practice.
It is also desirable to have:
- Experience with large organisations' core business processes, process mapping and development.
- Experience of managing a technical team to deliver organisational requirements collaboratively and in an environment that promotes growth and personal development.
If this sounds like you, and you are someone who wants to work in an organisation that is driven by the desire to ensure that no one loses their life to drowning, apply today!
Safeguarding
The RNLI is committed to safeguarding; protecting a person’s health, wellbeing, and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment and have a zero-tolerance approach. The suitability of all prospective employees and volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. This will include relevant criminal record checks being carried out, dependent on the eligibility of the role. (England & Wales; DBS check, Scotland; Disclosure Scotland PVG, Northern Ireland; Access NI, Republic of Ireland; Garda Vetting; International, International Child Protection Certificate process).
Diversity at the RNLI
Our staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for 200 years. We respect and value diversity of background, skills and perspectives within our teams, and consider it essential to help us deliver a world-class lifesaving service. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applications from everyone. In addition to having the skills needed for the role, we also look for applicants who share our commitment to living our RNLI values (trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable), and helping us work towards Our Vision: To save Every One