Head of Information Governance, Compliance and Assurance (Maternity Cover)

at  University of Oxford

Applications are invited for the role of Head of Information Governance, Compliance and Assurance in the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), which will be based at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre (NOC) on Windmill Road, Oxford.
The role is full-time, available on a 7-month fixed-term basis, from February 2025 to the end of August 2025. An internal secondment will be considered. If you wish to apply as secondment, please seek prior confirmation from your host department of their approval and note this in your supporting statement.
The principal responsibilities of the post are to ensure the department has adequate and effective processes in place to ensure it can comply with its legislative and regulatory obligations to contribute to the development and implementation of the assurance framework for the department, including financial and non-financial assurance, and to contribute to the department’s risk management.
This role will provide an excellent opportunity for a proactive and organised individual with great interpersonal skills looking to take their next role in professional administrative services.

You will play a significant role in relation to the compliance, assurance and risk management capability of a large University department. The portfolio is wide-ranging, and will provide an opportunity to gain an insight into compliance, assurance and risk management activities throughout the department, to contribute to the University’s ability to meet its statutory obligations in respect of compliance, assurance and risk management, and to take responsibility for important areas of work. This would include audit responses and action plans, and strategic creation and implementation of policies and practice. You will represent the department with external stakeholders including funders and external auditors.
Reporting to the COO, you will work closely with the department’s academic leadership. You will engage positively with all staff groups and work in close collaboration with the Heads of the Operations of the department’s two research institutes, Heads of Function, the University’s Head of Assurance and Risk Management, and other University officers responsible for particular areas of compliance and assurance. The Head of Compliance and Assurance is a member of the COO’s senior management team and will be expected to provide strategic insights and recommendations for improvements to operations and services generally, as well as to contribute to the development of the department.
The role is also responsible for the oversight and delivery of all information governance matters, including governance, risk management and compliance elements of the department’s Information Security Strategy through creating information security policies, managing information security risk and reviewing information security arrangements. The role involves liaising with all levels of staff to establish and explain Information Governance policies and review current processes for compliance against these policies. There is a particular focus on the coordination of work towards the continued certification under the NHS Information Governance Toolkit. This role will represent NDORMS in discussions with external organisations and engage with information security co-operation across the University. The Head of Information Governance, Compliance and Assurance line manages the Information Governance Officer and regularly reports progress and proposes relevant policy changes to the Department’s IT and Informatics committee.
NDORMS operates a flexible working policy under the University’s New Ways of Working framework and you will be able to agree a pattern of regular remote working with your line manager, should you request it. The expectation is that the Head of Information Governance, Compliance and Assurance will be required on-site for at least 3 days per week, but potentially more for the first month of induction and during times of operational need.