Data Sourcing Manager (fixed term)

Do you believe in the power of data to improve people’s lives? Do you want to enable exciting data driven research to take place securely and for the public good? Research Data Scotland needs you!

At Research Data Scotland (RDS), we’re on a mission to unlock the potential of public sector data—securely, responsibly, and for the benefit of everyone in Scotland. We’re transforming the way we source data – building clearer processes and repeatable solutions that enable efficiency across the sector. To support this, we’re recruiting a Data Sourcing Manager to play a pivotal role in helping us scale the next phase of our transformation journey.

About the job

RDS is undertaking an exciting programme of work to transform the current system of data access for research in Scotland across partners delivering Administrative Data Research – Scotland (ADR-S), part of the wider Administrative Data Research UK (ADR UK) is a programme funded by the Economic and Social Sciences Research Council (part of UK Research and Innovation). ADR UK works with government (UK and devolved) to create linked, research datasets from administrative data sources, so that impactful research can be delivered both by government and the wider research community. In turn, this evidence base enables government to make policy that supports economic growth and better public services to improve people’s lives – across all four nations of the UK.  The ambitions of ADR UK are being delivered in Scotland through the ADR Scotland programme.

This role sits at the heart of our ambition. You will work closely with the Data Sourcing Lead, data owners and teams in partner organisations to facilitate the process to make new datasets available for research use in the safe haven environments across Scotland. You will help refine and ensure clear, repeatable onboarding processes that ensure data is brought into the system securely, efficiently and to a high standard.

This role will suit someone who can bring structure, clarity and momentum to delivery working with others within Standard Operating Procedures, as well as consider continuous improvements and efficiencies.

This is an exciting opportunity to step into a role where you’ll help design and embed better ways of working. Moving away from ad‑hoc and siloed approaches, you’ll support the development of consistent, scalable and sustainable data sourcing practices that can be reused and adapted across teams.

About you

You are highly organised, delivery-focused, and confident working with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. You are comfortable working with external organisations to manage making data available for research, guiding data owners through multiple stages of information governance and data management in a clear and supportive way.

You have experience working with data and understand the practicalities of project management, data management, governance and onboarding. You are proactive in identifying and resolving issues, and you know when to escalate risks or blockers appropriately.

You’re someone who enjoys bringing order to complexity and has a passion for improving how things work. You think systematically and are motivated by designing clear, repeatable processes that make data easier to source, reuse and trust.

You’re confident working with a wide range of stakeholders, able to balance technical, legal and operational considerations while keeping outcomes front of mind. You communicate clearly, ask the right questions and can translate data requirements into practical, well‑defined sourcing solutions.

You take a proactive, problem‑solving approach and are comfortable challenging ad‑hoc or inconsistent practices. You enjoy building frameworks, guidance and standards that others can rely on, and you take pride in embedding ways of working that are sustainable, scalable and well‑governed.

About us

Research Data Scotland (RDS) is a charity set up by the Scottish public sector and leading universities. We help researchers find and make use of data that can improve the lives of people in Scotland. Working in partnership, we do this by widening the range of data available, creating new data assets and providing a single point of contact for safe, secure and effective access to public data in a trustworthy manner.