About the role
Data Acquisition Manager (internal), UK Data Archive
Reference: REQ10386
Job details
Job referenceREQ10386 Application closing date15/11/2026 LocationColchester Salary£38,784 - £46,049 per annum (pro-rata for part-time) Employment typeFixed-term, Full-time (Part-time considered) Job category/typeProfessional Attachments REQ10386_Jobpack.pdfData Acquisition Manager (internal), UK Data Archive
Job description**This vacancy is only available to existing University of Essex staff**
We are seeking an organised, proactive, and collaborative social sciences domain expert to join us as the Data Acquisitions Manager, playing a key role in delivering the UK Data Archive’s data collections development strategy. Experienced in managing people and workflows, you will bring a problem-solving mindset, a sharp eye for detail, and a commitment to maintaining defensible, audit-ready decisions.
The UK Data Archive is the lead organisation of the UK Data Service, a national data infrastructure funded by the ESRC through the UKRI to acquire, preserve, and disseminate social sciences data, and to provide support, guidance and training for data management, curation, and use.
You will lead the day-to-day operations of the Archive’s data acquisition pipelines. Within this, you will line-manage two officers and coordinate workflows across the broader team to ensure collections are acquired efficiently and in compliance with our policies and accreditation standards. You will provide hands-on operational leadership, support smooth handovers with other teams, and supply operational evidence for external accreditations.
Beyond operations, you will act as a friendly, practical point of contact for depositors, providing first-line advice, handling complex deposit queries, and co-designing producer-facing training and guidance. You will also support collection growth by conducting horizon scanning and proactive outreach, analysing KPIs and feedback to drive continuous improvement. In this role, you will have opportunities to represent the team and present insights at national and international workshops and conferences and have dedicated personal development time (around 10%) to keep pace with emerging data types and tools.
A full list of duties and applicant requirements can be found within the job pack.
This post is full-time and fixed term until 31 March 2030 due to a temporary funding source. In addition, a job share arrangement could be considered for the right candidates and we would similarly welcome applications from those looking to work 0.5 FTE (18 hours per week) on this basis. Please state clearly on your application, the contract type for which you are applying.
This post involves access to Government systems, information or data and will be subject to the staff vetting process. Further information can be found in the job pack.
At the University of Essex, internationalism and diversity is central to who we are and what we do. We are committed to being a cosmopolitan, internationally oriented university that is welcoming to staff and students from all countries, faiths and backgrounds, where you can find the world in one place.
To support this commitment we have our Global Forum, a staff-led network that promotes and celebrates the rich cultural diversity among Essex staff, and our Colchester campus based Faith Centre, which hosts regular services, meetings and events organised by our chaplains and faith representatives. For more information see: https://www.essex.ac.uk/life/student-facilities/religion-and-faith.
Please see the attached job pack, which contains a full job description and person specification, which outlines the full duties, skills, qualifications and experience needed for this role plus more information relating to the post. We recommend you read this information carefully before making an application. Applications should be made on-line, but if you would like advice or help in making an application, or need information in a different format, please email the Resourcing Team ([email protected]).
*More information: Working at the University
Apply online Send to a friendData Acquisition Manager (internal), UK Data Archive
Job description**This vacancy is only available to existing University of Essex staff**
We are seeking an organised, proactive, and collaborative social sciences domain expert to join us as the Data Acquisitions Manager, playing a key role in delivering the UK Data Archive’s data collections development strategy. Experienced in managing people and workflows, you will bring a problem-solving mindset, a sharp eye for detail, and a commitment to maintaining defensible, audit-ready decisions.
The UK Data Archive is the lead organisation of the UK Data Service, a national data infrastructure funded by the ESRC through the UKRI to acquire, preserve, and disseminate social sciences data, and to provide support, guidance and training for data management, curation, and use.
You will lead the day-to-day operations of the Archive’s data acquisition pipelines. Within this, you will line-manage two officers and coordinate workflows across the broader team to ensure collections are acquired efficiently and in compliance with our policies and accreditation standards. You will provide hands-on operational leadership, support smooth handovers with other teams, and supply operational evidence for external accreditations.
Beyond operations, you will act as a friendly, practical point of contact for depositors, providing first-line advice, handling complex deposit queries, and co-designing producer-facing training and guidance. You will also support collection growth by conducting horizon scanning and proactive outreach, analysing KPIs and feedback to drive continuous improvement. In this role, you will have opportunities to represent the team and present insights at national and international workshops and conferences and have dedicated personal development time (around 10%) to keep pace with emerging data types and tools.
A full list of duties and applicant requirements can be found within the job pack.
This post is full-time and fixed term until 31 March 2030 due to a temporary funding source. In addition, a job share arrangement could be considered for the right candidates and we would similarly welcome applications from those looking to work 0.5 FTE (18 hours per week) on this basis. Please state clearly on your application, the contract type for which you are applying.
This post involves access to Government systems, information or data and will be subject to the staff vetting process. Further information can be found in the job pack.
At the University of Essex, internationalism and diversity is central to who we are and what we do. We are committed to being a cosmopolitan, internationally oriented university that is welcoming to staff and students from all countries, faiths and backgrounds, where you can find the world in one place.
To support this commitment we have our Global Forum, a staff-led network that promotes and celebrates the rich cultural diversity among Essex staff, and our Colchester campus based Faith Centre, which hosts regular services, meetings and events organised by our chaplains and faith representatives. For more information see: https://www.essex.ac.uk/life/student-facilities/religion-and-faith.
Please see the attached job pack, which contains a full job description and person specification, which outlines the full duties, skills, qualifications and experience needed for this role plus more information relating to the post. We recommend you read this information carefully before making an application. Applications should be made on-line, but if you would like advice or help in making an application, or need information in a different format, please email the Resourcing Team ([email protected]).
*More information: Working at the University
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