Data Manager

Salary: £35,608 to £37,694 with progression to £46,049 per annum

Closing Date: 27 January 2026

The NIHR Innovation Observatory (IO) is a world-leading health and care innovation horizon scanning research centre based at Newcastle University. Our work supports government agencies, industry, regulators, charities, and researchers by delivering timely, actionable insights that inform strategic decision-making, policy development, investment guidance, funding programs and improve alignment across agencies. We work across the health, life sciences and wider care ecosystem to identify innovation, gaps and unmet needs, follow trends and signal potentially game changing innovations – ranging from medicines to medical devices to digital.

Our work fosters national and international collaboration supporting the growth of the UK health and life sciences sector. We are at the forefront of developing and applying approaches to identify and analyse emerging health and care technologies, ensuring the UK is prepared to leverage scientific breakthroughs that improve patient outcomes and support system readiness.

The post holder has a responsibility for promoting the values of the NIHR Innovation Observatory through appropriate and visible leadership behaviours and actions. They will have a particular responsibility to:

• Teamwork:
  Collaborate with kindness, value and respecting everyone, offering help and support. Actively promoting an open flow of information and seeking to partner with external interest holders/stakeholders in all our activities.
• Courage and Ambition:
  Operate at the top of your game, valuing and actively seeking out learning and development opportunities. Giving and receiving feedback with honesty and reflecting on your approaches.
• Curiosity and Open-mindedness:
  Embrace creativity and value originality, seizing opportunities to learn and innovate.
• Integrity and Quality:
  Walk the talk and be well-prepared and robust in your approach, delivering high quality timely outputs, and managing your time and resources effectively

We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Data Manager to lead the development and implementation of data governance practices and governance across all aspects of the IO work. The successful candidate will work closely with the IO team, our collaborators legal teams, wider relevant University teams, and the IO Technical team to ensure that data is managed ethically, securely, and in compliance with institutional, legal, and funder requirements.

This role is central to promoting data quality, consistency, and reusability across the organisation.

The post is full time, fixed term until 31st March 2031.

Informal enquiries should be directed to Dominic Lamb () or Professor Dawn Craig ().

To apply for this role, please submit a CV and covering letter with your application.

Data Strategy & Governance

• Develop and implement data governance frameworks aligned with institutional, funder and regulatory standards (e.g., GDPR, UK Data Protection Act)
• Promote FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) across research teams

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

• Design, document, and maintain relevant SOPs including, IP and data ownership protocols, Data sharing, access, and archiving, Metadata standards and documentation, etc
• Deliver training and onboarding on SOPs and monitor compliance through audits and feedback mechanisms

Coordination with Technical Teams

• Act as the primary liaison between IO project teams, our strategic partners and stakeholders, and the IO Technical team/wider IO team members.
• Ensure technical solutions meet compliance standards

Data Sharing Agreements (DSAs)

• Draft, negotiate, and manage DSAs with external collaborators and institutions.
• Ensure agreements address data access, usage rights, security, and retention.
• Maintain a central register of DSAs and monitor adherence.

Intellectual Property (IP) Management

• Identify data assets with potential IP implications.
• Collaborate with legal and technology transfer teams to support the management of licensing, ownership, and commercialisation.
• Educate researchers on IP rights and…