We are seeking an experienced and forward‑thinking Service Manager to lead the development and operation of our Strategic Data Platform.

This is a pivotal role at the heart of our data and digital transformation, responsible for establishing a modern, scalable data environment that enables high‑quality insight, advanced analytics, and AI‑driven decision making across the organisation.

The successful candidate will lead the design, implementation and ongoing management of the data platform, ensuring the delivery of robust, secure and well‑governed curated datasets. These datasets will underpin corporate reporting, performance management, and emerging AI capabilities, enabling teams to access trusted, consistent data at scale.

You will manage and develop a high‑performing team of data engineers, driving standards for data modelling, pipeline design, and data quality. The service will focus on delivering reusable, structured datasets that support both traditional reporting tools and natural language querying through AI.

The role will also provide leadership to a Platform Manager and a Business Analyst. The Platform Manager will support the operational stability, performance and optimisation of the data platform, while the Business Analyst will lead engagement with services to gather requirements, define use cases and prioritise delivery.

A key strategic ambition for this role is to enable integrated “single view” capabilities, bringing together data across services to support a holistic understanding of residents, supporting earlier intervention and improved outcomes.

We are looking for a candidate with strong experience in data platform leadership, modern data architectures and team management, combined with the ability to translate organisational priorities into actionable data solutions. You will be comfortable working at both strategic and operational levels, influencing senior stakeholders while ensuring high‑quality delivery.

This is an opportunity to shape a critical capability for the organisation, enabling better decisions, improved services and more joined‑up insight through data.

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form. Sometimes, if lots of people apply, we might not be able to interview everyone who qualifies for the Guarantee. In these cases, we’ll interview the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on our Sheff news page.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyone and where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.