Data Curator

Interview date: TBC

About the role

Corporate Resources and Business Improvement

The Corporate Resources and Business Improvement directorate is led by interim executive director Niran Mothada. It's responsible for: People Function, Facilities Management, Digital Experience Unit and Technology Group, Information Governance, Executive Support Team, and leadership of all our shared services across the GLA Group.

About the team

The Mayor of London’s Data for London Board has been established to improve the flow and usage of data to serve citizens, solve city challenges, and promote productivity - putting data into the hands of those who can make a positive difference for London. The Board brings together data leaders from across public, private, and civil society and includes expertise in the fields of data science, data ethics, smart cities, cyber security, public engagement, and data journalism.

Inside the GLA, the Data for London team is working to ‘fix the plumbing’ for the data ecosystem in London. This includes delivering a rebuild of the London Datastore https://data.london.gov.uk/, which serves 2m users and contains 18,000 data files. As we work towards that, the team has released the first component of new data infrastructure for London: the Data for London Library.

The Data for London Library will allow users to search city data, all in one place. We will harvest metadata from many more organisations across London than the current DataStore and put it all in one searchable Library, allowing data analysts to find new datasets or possible collaborators to solve their problem.

About the role

The Data Curator in the Data for London team is the public face of the DataStore and the first point of contact for many users. You will manage the London Datastore data registry, maintaining its quality and promoting its use, making key London data accessible and easier for users to find. You will be responsible for maintaining our current level of service to ensure that these descriptions of data feed through to the Pan-London Library.

You will upload new data releases, update the London Datastore homepage, and distribute an E-Zine every month. Supported by colleagues, you will also host a community of practice on data sharing and publishing, convening those publishing data from across the GLA to discuss common issues and best practices.

You also have a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of the Data for London Platform. Because you maintain relationships with many of London’s data publishers, you can provide key insights into the user needs and pain points of data publishers all around London. So you will be key to our user research efforts and ensure all voices are heard.

More broadly, you will also contribute your own knowledge on the practical realities of data curation, helping design how future data catalogues will be structured and organised to help our users find what they need without lots of manual work.

Finally, as connections are made with other sources of structured metadata across London, you will check for quality and consistency across them all. Therefore, in the job description, wherever it says ‘London Datastore’, please assume that the same task will be required for the Data for London Library.

The data curator is responsible for line management of a data analytics apprentice, who they can task with data curation work as well as continuous improvement of the London Datastore service. This is an exciting opportunity to gain line management experience and be central to an apprentice’s graduation project.

Principal accountabilities

• Maintain the London Datastore homepage, updating statistics and briefings with the latest data
• Take proposed open data releases and prepare them for release, including quality assurance, reformatting, and writing accurate descriptions
• Communicate with data publishers across the London ecosystem (for example City Intelligence Unit, Transport for London, London Fire Brigade) to onboard new data onto the London Datastore or new metadata onto the Data for London Library
• Prepare a monthly newsletter with the latest open data, performing analysis to calculate important statistics about London
• Monitor and respond to any requests that are received in the datastore inbox
• Contribute to the Data for London rebuild process, advocating for the needs of data publishers and data users and adding your experiences of maintaining a data platform
• Line manage a data analytics apprentice, tasking them with work that furthers their development

Person specification

Technical requirements/experience/qualifications

To be considered for the role you must meet the following essential criteria:

• Skills in data processing and analysis, for example through Excel, PowerBI, and Python
• Skills in data quality assurance, confirming adherence to the Code of Practice for Statistics and checking the trustworthiness, quality, and value of datasets
• Experience working with analytical and data governance colleagues, understanding and serving their needs
• Experience with an online content management system for files and rich text (e.g., a blog)

Application Process & Additional Information

Please note all applications for this vacancy must be submitted via our online recruitment system. We do not accept CVs alone for this role.

If you would like to apply for the role you will need to submit the following:

• Personal statement with a maximum of 1500 words. Please ensure you address how you demonstrate the essential criteria outlined above in the advert.

Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement have a maximum file size of 1.5MB each and upload your Personal Statement to the ‘Additional Documents’ section of the form, ensuring you address the technical requirements and competencies in your Personal Statement.

Word or PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images. Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement are saved with the job reference number as part of the naming convention (E.g. “CV – applicant name - 012345).

Applications submitted without a Personal Statement will not be considered.

London's diversity is its biggest asset and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London's diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith, or disability.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian, and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We would welcome applications from candidates who are seeking part-time work as this role is open to job share.

In addition to a good salary package, you will be paid every four weeks, providing frequent salary payments. We also offer an attractive range of benefits including 30 days’ annual leave, interest-free season ticket loan, interest-free bicycle loan, and a career average pension scheme.

Application closing date: 6 January 2025 at 23:59

If you have a question about the role or would like to discuss it informally, please feel free to contact Martine Wauben at martine.wauben@london.gov.uk to arrange a call.