Service Manager (Smart Data Donation Service)

Role Description

Department

The Smart Data Donation Service (SDDS) is a new large-scale piece of research infrastructure funded by Smart Data Research UK’s Data Services Call. The SDDS combines extensive research facilitation with construction of technical infrastructure at scale at the University of York. The SDDS is about making people’s data rights work for them.  Corporations hold vast amounts of behavioural data about citizens, but this data is often inaccessible  either to the individuals who generated it, or to independent researchers who need it to understand the impacts of online environments. However, under GDPR, individuals have the right to data portability: If they wish, they can obtain a copy of their personal data from a corporation - they could then share this data with the research community. This ‘data donation’ paradigm is at the heart of the SDDS. It will break deadlocks in understanding domains like gaming and social media by enabling individuals to exercise their right to data portability en-masse, crowdsourcing massive-scale data donations at a national scale.

Further information about the SDDS can be found at https://sdds.org.uk.

Role

The SDDS Service Manager plays a pivotal role responsible for the successful delivery, operation, and continual growth and improvement of the SDDS. The SDDS is operationally complex, integrating a staff of 10+ full-time employees, as well as numerous additional specialists, co-leads, and partners across multiple universities and public bodies. Working closely with the director and co-director, and line-managing other support staff, the Service Manager will ensure that the SDDS meets its objectives, aligns with strategic goals, and provides value to all stakeholders, including the wider community. The Service Manager role comes with ample opportunity for personal development and the remit to make strategic decisions about the growth of the service.

Skills, Experience & Qualification needed

Strategic management: Coordinates the development and maintenance of a service roadmap with the directorship, ensuring that this is aligned with both SDDS strategic objectives and relevant funder KPIs. Leads the development of service metrics, tracks service performance, triages potential challenges and areas for improvement, proactively addresses operational challenges, and ensures that the project meets deadlines and budget constraints. 

Operational management: Leads the daily functioning of the SDDS. This includes operational management during both rollout, and the ongoing lifespan of the SDDS as a piece of infrastructure.

Financial management and reporting: Managing budgets and delivering reporting in accordance with University and funder processes and regulations across several research grants over the SDDS lifetime. 

Interview date: 24 January 2025

For informal enquiries: please contact David Zendle via david.zendle@york.ac.uk 

The University strives to be diverse and inclusive  – a place where we can ALL be ourselves.

We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University. 

We offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements, with forums and inclusive facilities to support our staff. #EqualityatYork