Senior Data Platform Manager

The University       

At Durham University we are proud of our people.  A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.      

Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. 

We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here.

Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page.

The Role and the Department

This role is an integral part of a shift in service ownership for Power BI and Microsoft Fabric. The service was previously owned by the Computing and Information Services (CIS) and is now owned by the Strategy, Planning and Insight Office (SPIO). This innovate way of working will ensure that our new institutional data platform (in Microsoft Fabric) is aligned with organisational priorities and customer needs. The post holder will be responsible for the end-to-end management of the Power BI/Fabric platform, including its design, configuration, deployment, support, maintenance, and continuous improvement. They will lead the delivery of technology change in support of the organisation’s Data Strategy, enabling better use of data as a strategic asset.

Further information about the role and the responsibilities is at the bottom of this job description.

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:

• 30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year.

• The University closes between Christmas and New Year.

• We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into this University Superannuation Scheme (USS).

• No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.

• There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.

• Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.

• On site nursery is available plus access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16.

• Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).

• The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community

• Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.

• A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.

• If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.

Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential, and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification

When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered.

Your application should cover the following criteria:

Essential Criteria

Qualifications/Experience

1. Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).

2. Professional practitioner with specialist knowledge of dimensional/semantic data modelling (for example star schemas, complex relationships and calculation logic), whether within BI tools such as Power BI or on data warehouse or modern data platform services, with the expertise to influence service delivery and activities within the organisation.

3. Experience of participating in networks to share and discuss good practice and develop strong and productive working relationships.

4. Experience of leading the delivering of data or analytics service or platform projects that bring together diverse functions within an educational, commercial or industrial environment to meet organisational needs. 

5. Experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including presenting to and influencing senior managers.

6. Experience of implementing policies and procedures and supporting service improvements.

7. Track record of working as part of a multidisciplinary team to lead colleagues through project or service delivery.

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

1. Excellent spoken and written communication skills including the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.

2. Strong digital competence across a range of digital devices and apps including digital communication tools, Microsoft 365 applications, and Power BI, together with knowledge of modern data platform technologies such as Microsoft Fabric (or equivalent).

3. Committed to continuing professional development to maintain professional recognition.

4. Professional knowledge and experience of information governance and cyber security compliance and regulations.

5. Ability to solve complex data and platform-related problems and decide on and plan appropriate technical and strategic solutions.

6. Extensive knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines.

7. Ability to plan the delivery of a technology-based service at operational and strategic levels.

Desirable Criteria

1. Technical experience with enterprise data warehouse solutions, statistical analysis tools, database systems, and data visualisation applications, such as Microsoft Fabric or equivalent.

How to apply

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. Please don’t forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above).

While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.

Submitting your application

We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.

What you need to submit

• A CV: and

• A supporting statement which outlines how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification.

Contact details

For a chat about the role or any further information please contact Neil Dawson, Head of Business Intelligence (neil.dawson@durham.ac.uk).

Typical Role Requirements

Service Delivery/Development

• Contribute to equality, diversity and inclusion, and the University’s values.

• Develop and promote an in-depth understanding of University policy and external developments relevant to your role.

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of external developments, including the Microsoft Fabric roadmap and evolving platform capabilities, to ensure the service remains aligned with best practice and user needs.

• Ensure that policy and regulatory standards are met in the design, configuration, and operation of the Power BI and Microsoft Fabric services under your responsibility.

• Use your professional knowledge and experience as a data platform and analytics practitioner to resolve technical and service-related issues, shape platform processes and user engagement activities, develop and optimise system configurations, and provide subject matter expertise and advice.

• Provide specialist advice on the analysis and interpretation of complex data and information relevant to your area, and making recommendations for service improvements based on your analysis.

• Use your professional knowledge and experience as a data platform and analytics practitioner to resolve technical and service-related issues, shape platform processes and user engagement activities, develop and optimise system configurations, and provide subject matter expertise and advice.

• Support the team to create testing plans and test and validate the configuration, functionality, and security of Power BI and Microsoft Fabric environments, ensuring that datasets, reports, and access controls meet organisational standards and governance requirements.

• In collaboration with the Senior Data Governance Manager, contribute to the design, implementation and monitoring of policies, standards and procedures governing access to and use of data within the Microsoft Fabric platform, ensuring compliance with data governance requirements and supporting effective, secure, and consistent use across the organisation.

• Use your professional expertise and leadership skills to identify development priorities and shape the Power BI and Fabric service to achieve the required outcomes.

• Look for ways to continually improve services and take a lead role in the development and implementation of assigned policies, processes and standards.

• Instigate and manage business process reviews to improve the service in your area.

• Ensure data (commercially sensitive and/or personal) is appropriately stored and managed.

Planning and Organisation

• Contribute to the development of operational and strategic-level plans relevant to your area.

• Scope, plan and implement large scale/University wide initiatives to ensure that shared institutional datasets in the Microsoft Fabric platform deliver value to analyst users and to ensure agreed objectives are delivered.

• Lead and manage the development of institutional datasets such as core HR, research, student and finance data, that can be used across the organisation. Monitor usage and performance, providing progress reports and taking action to ensure agreed outcomes are met.

• Promote a culture of iterative delivery that focuses on delivering frequent value to customers and prioritising working solutions over p