Information Governance Officer

Job IntroductionThe Role

The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) is seeking to appoint an Information Governance Officer to join our Legal and Governance team to support the provision of independent oversight and advice on compliance with the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and related legislation.

The role is central to the practical operation of the MCA’s Information Governance framework, supporting compliance with UK GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018, Freedom of Information Act 2000, Environmental Information Regulations 2004, and related guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The postholder works under the direction of the Data Protection Officer and Information Governance Manager (who acts as the statutory Data Protection Officer) to ensure that day-to-day information governance processes are delivered consistently, accurately and in line with legislative and organisational requirements.

What you’ll be doing

The Information Governance Officer contributes to the effective functioning of the service through casework delivery, administrative management and monitoring activity. They support the coordination of information governance processes across the organisation.Working under the direction of the Data Protection Officer and Information Governance Manager, key work areas include:

• Supporting the completion of Subject Access Requests and Freedom of Information requests within statutory timeframes
• Maintaining information governance and data protection support logs
• Preparing regular reports for MCA boards
• Supporting information governance and data protection processes, such as Data Protection Impact Assessments, considering risk implications and mitigation
• Supporting the data breach/incident process, to minimise immediate risks and mitigate future breaches.

What you’ll bring

• Experience of working in an information governance, data protection, legal administration or compliance environment
• Understanding of information governance principles and relevant legislation (UK GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018, FOI Act, EIR)
• Experience in handling confidential or sensitive information in a professional setting
• Experience of managing administrative processes with accuracy and attention to detail.

We’re particularly interested in people with experience of working in the public sector.

Why choose us?

As Information Governance Officer, you will play a key support role in how the MCA manages its information as a strategic asset by:

• Supporting the MCA to take great care of the data entrusted to us
• Supporting major projects and programmes to be compliant with legislation
• Contributing to our new Information Governance framework and team.

This is not just a compliance role — it is an opportunity to support great governance at the heart of regional delivery.

This is an opportunity to make a real difference. Find out more

If this sounds like your next opportunity, please apply so you can tell us why you'd be a great fit. There’s more information for you in the job description.

There’s more role-related formation is in the job description, but if you have any questions for the recruitment team you can contact us on Resourcing@westofengland-ca.gov.uk.

If you’d like to have an informal conversation about this opportunity with the manager who’s hiring, you can contact Steven Hellard, Head of Legal Services, steven.hellard@westofengland-ca.gov.uk

The closing date for this role is midnight on 27th September 2026.

The interviews are planned to be held on Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th October at our offices at 70 Redcliff St, Bristol BS1 6AL, but please note the date may change. If this isn’t the right opportunity for you right now, we’d encourage you to register for our community where you can search and apply for jobs and also keep up to date with any applications you make.

Working arrangements

The Mayoral Combined Authority has a hybrid working approach, which enables employees to split their week between working in the workplace and working remotely. Full-time employees are required to work in the office for 1 to 2 days a week and can work from home for the remaining days. This approach aims to maintain a work-life balance while ensuring effective delivery of services. For more information, you can visit the WECA careers page. About The Company

Our offer

We are based in a new bright and airy office, with all the latest technology, close to Bristol Temple Meads Train Station.

Alongside the opportunity to make a real difference to the people who visit, live and work in the West of England, we offer an excellent benefits package including:

• 26 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years continuous service. There is also the option to increase your annual leave with our annual leave purchase scheme.
• 2 days of paid leave each year to volunteer
• Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK).

• Flexible, family friendly and hybrid working options to ensure you achieve the best work/life balance and career goals. We follow a hybrid working model with typically 2 or 3 days in the office each week
• Reduced bus fare travel across the West of England

We believe in fostering a culture of continuous learning and development, empowering you to thrive in your career. We prioritise your growth and success by providing a diverse range of learning and development opportunities. Our goal is to keep you motivated, equipped with essential skills, and confident in delivering excellent services.

The salary for this role is £38,220 - £41,771. This is the full-time equivalent salary, and will be pro-rata for part-time. We advertise salary ranges for job roles, with new appointments for external candidates typically starting at the lowest salary point. In exceptional cases, where higher skill levels or experience are applicable, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year-on-year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees.

Good Employment Charter
https://www.goodemploymentcharter.co.uk/
As a founding Member of the West of England Good Employment Charter and accredited Living Wage Employer, we’re committed to creating a diverse environment where all our employees can thrive. We make sure all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment and we particularly welcome applications from under-represented groups without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or citizenship status.

Fair and Inclusive Recruitment

As part of our commitment to fair and inclusive recruitment, we provide interview questions to all shortlisted candidates in advance/on request. This approach helps ensure everyone can demonstrate their skills, knowledge and experience fully, and supports our duties under the Equality Act 2010. You will also be asked follow-up questions during the interview to explore your responses in more detail.

Reasonable Adjustments
If you have an accessibility need, disability, condition or need any additional support that means you might require changes to the application or recruitment process (for example, you might need to submit your application in a different format), please get in touch with our Resourcing Team at Resourcing@westofengland-ca.gov.uk. We are here to assist and accommodate your needs.

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We want to understand the real person behind each application. While we recognise that some applicants may use AI tools, these should support your writing rather than replace your own voice. AI can be a helpful aid, but your personal insight and individuality are what matter most to us.

Closing dates
Our roles close at midnight on the closing date. Please note this vacancy may close early or be extended depending on the number of applications so please don’t wait to apply. If you have started your application, we’ll give you notice of the new closing date by email.

From a recruitment agency?

We’re not engaging with agencies for this role. Any CVs received from agencies will be considered as unsolicited and the property of the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, with no obligation to pay agency fees.