Data Asset Manager - Licensing at Jisc in United Kingdom

Data Asset Manager - Licensing

Salary: c£39,000 per annum (negotiable based on experience) + comprehensive benefits package

Jisc grade: TDA3 (internal use only)

Job Type: Permanent

Hours: 35 hours per week

Reports into: Principal Data Governance Lead

Working style: Hybrid - A blend of working from home and your nominated hub office. We have hubs located in London, Bristol, Manchester and Oxford.

About Jisc:

For 30 years Jisc has pioneered digital solutions for UK education and research, transforming how knowledge is created, shared and used.

We are uniquely positioned to protect, promote and lead the sector in digital and data transformation, making a difference to students, communities and society. Together, we are

working to build a better digital future for education and research.

Raise your potential at Jisc through our culture of lifelong learning. At Jisc, we're all about growth, so embrace new challenges, sharpen your skills and shape a career that excites you.

About the team

Within our Licensing team, we broker agreements with leading vendors for digital content and software solutions—helping universities and colleges deliver an outstanding student experience, drive world-class research, and enable transformational change.

Our Data and Intelligence portfolio plays a vital role in everything we do. It provides the insight, analysis and evidence base that underpins our negotiations and supports smarter decision-making across the sector.

In this role, you’ll contribute to a team that:

• Supports major licensing and negotiation activity through high-quality data analysis, insight and intelligence
• Collects, processes and curates trusted datasets, enabling access to high-quality data products for Jisc and our partners
• Measures the impact and value of Jisc’s services and agreements using advanced analytics
• Delivers research, market intelligence and data-driven products that inform strategy and enable evidence-based decision-making
• Drives insight and thought leadership across the sector, supporting our members, customers and funders

About the role

As a Data Asset Manager, you’ll support the Principal Data Governance Lead and lead a network of data stewards to improve how data is acquired, managed and used across our Licensing function. You’ll work closely with data engineers to shape data-driven processes, pipelines and systems that underpin major vendor agreements.

This is a hands-on, high-impact role where you will:

• Champion strong data governance, quality, metadata and lineage
• Design and implement data frameworks and cataloguing solutions
• Improve data literacy and embed a culture of best practice
• Manage end-to-end data asset lifecycles across content and software products
• Turn data into real business value, aligning data initiatives with strategic goals

You’ll be part of an innovative, customer-focused team delivering smarter data solutions for Jisc and the wider education and research sector.

If you’re passionate about data governance, love turning complexity into clarity, and want to make an impact at scale—this is your role.

What you’ll be doing:

• Deliver high-quality, standardised metadata services to customers
• Own the acquisition, management and optimisation of data assets supporting Licensing
• Translate business needs into data solutions, workflows and technical requirements
• Work across tools and formats (SQL, XML, CSV, JSON) to process and manage metadata
• Drive data governance, quality and standards, embedding best practice across teams
• Collaborate with stakeholders, suppliers and engineers to build scalable data processes
• Manage end-to-end data lifecycles and maintain clear, accessible documentation

You’ll also

• Lead and support a high-performing network of data stewards
• Act as a data governance expert and champion data culture
• Shape data flows, specifications and business processes
• Build strong relationships to improve data quality, access and impact
• Support training and data literacy across the organisation

And you’ll bring

• A passion for continuous improvement and emerging data practices
• A commitment to ethical, compliant and responsible data management
• A drive to embed standards, quality frameworks and a data-first mindset

What we are looking for:

• Expertise in designing, developing and maintaining ETL processes to integrate data from multiple sources using ETL tools such as Alteryx Designer.
• Experience of working with and managing critical technical data assets.
• Experience of leading successful data projects and teams using agile methodologies.
• Experience delivering data protection governance, with working knowledge of GDPR requirements and wider data protection regulations
• Practical experience of data and metadata management practice and principles, including data model maintenance.
• Experience in working with metadata standards, technical specifications, and an understanding of their application and use in the development of systems.

It’s a bonus if you have

• Experience of working with ER/Studio.
• Experience working with a data cataloguing tool such as Microsoft Purview or Collibra.
• Knowledge of data related IPR.

Skills & personal qualities

• A strong role model for Jisc values and behaviours, leading by example
• Calm, resilient and positive under pressure
• A growth mindset with a drive to continuously improve
• Excellent communication skills—able to translate complex data concepts for non-technical audiences
• Confidence to influence and collaborate with stakeholders at all levels, internally and externally
• Ability to lead and support a high-performing team of data stewards in a fast-paced environment
• Strong relationship-building skills with both data suppliers and data consumers
• Experience writing and interpreting technical specifications
• Solid understanding of data architecture (data lakes, warehouses, pipelines, APIs)
• Practical experience in data and metadata management, standards and system development
• A commitment to Agile/Scrum values: courage, focus, commitment, respect and openness
• Ability to drive improvements in data management processes aligned to business needs

Nice to have

• Experience with Databricks and Unity Catalog
• Experience working with Salesforce

Don’t meet every single requirement?

We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they think they can’t tick every box, so we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet 100% of the requirements, but you feel this role is perfect for you. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles!

Hybrid working:

Specific patterns for working in the office are not mandated, and the frequency of time worked in the office is agreed with your manager. Meeting in person is something we value so you may need to travel on occasion to any of our hub offices.

Why work for us?

At Jisc, every role is meaningful, and every individual is valued. We foster a culture of continuous learning and personal growth, offering opportunities to develop new skills and make a real impact in education and research. With a strong focus on work-life balance, we embrace flexible working that prioritises outcomes over hours, empowering you to create a rhythm that energises both your professional and personal life.

Our Guiding Principles:

Jisc’s culture is powered by our four guiding principles: putting customers first, driving innovation, creating impact, and championing inclusive collaboration to deliver sustainable outcomes and shape a better future.

Discover the amazing benefits we provide! Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Flexible work pattern, which can adapt to suit your schedules and personal commitments
• 31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) that includes three closure days over Christmas
• Buy up to an additional 5 days leave during the flexible benefits window
• Generous flexible pension schemes
• A range of wellbeing lifestyle benefits including company paid health care cash plan, mental health first aiders and support
• A company culture of continuous learning with access to thousands of LinkedIn Learning courses, and lots of resources and opportunities to support your development
• Financial well-being support including access to preferential loan and savings plans, mortgage advice, will writing tools and support and resources to help you make the most of your money
• A wide range of discounts and cashback from retailers and big-name high-street stores
• Family friendly policies including enhanced parental, maternity and paternity and co-parental leave as well as opportunity for career breaks
• Support your volunteering with up to 3 days volunteer leave

Equity, diversity and inclusion:

Jisc believe our people make all the difference in cultivating an inclusive culture that welcomes ideas, encourages innovation, and values belonging.

We work hard to create an equitable experience for our candidates and workforce which embraces all aspects of their identity including race and ethnicity, religion and belief, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, trans identities, age, class, disability, neurodivergence, or veteran status.