Principal Manager, Data Capability Planning, Change and Adoption [DSAD]

This role reports to the Deputy Director (Data Strategy and Capabilities Building) and leads organisation-wide Data & AI capability planning, with a strong focus on driving adoption and sustained use across the organisation. The role is accountable for translating Data & AI strategy into tangible adoption outcomes, by designing and executing approaches that embed Data & AI into day-to-day work. Key responsibilities include: Adoption Strategy & Delivery · Lead organisation-wide Data & AI capability planning and adoption efforts aligned to enterprise priorities · Translate strategy into clear adoption approaches that drive usage and behavioural change · Identify barriers to adoption and implement targeted interventions (e.g. pilots, campaigns, initiatives) to improve uptake · Track adoption outcomes (e.g. participation, usage, impact) and refine approaches based on results Adoption Design · Develop clear and compelling adoption propositions for different stakeholder groups, articulating relevance and value · Design approaches that build momentum and participation (e.g. champions networks, communities of practice, targeted engagement efforts) · Shape how Data & AI is positioned and communicated across the organisation to drive understanding and interest Portfolio & Stakeholder Management · Oversee a portfolio of capability and adoption initiatives, ensuring alignment and scalability across the organisation · Work across technical, strategy, and programme teams to bridge capability development and actual adoption outcomes · Engage senior stakeholders to drive ownership, prioritisation, and sustained participation · Support transition of initiatives from exploration into operational use Planning & Reporting · Provide planning and coordination across capability and adoption workstreams · Track progress, risks, dependencies, and adoption outcomes for management reporting · Support prioritisation and resource alignment across initiatives Requirements At least 6–8 years of experience in transformation, change, adoption, or digital/data roles Demonstrated experience driving adoption or behaviour change initiatives at organisational level Experience designing and implementing engagement or capability-building initiatives Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills Ability to operate across technical and non-technical contexts Comfortable working in ambiguous environments and iterating based on outcomes Able to translate strategy into actionable initiatives that drive real adoption Strong instinct for what makes people engage and participate, and ability to execute on it Hands-on and proactive, with a bias towards action and experimentation Able to balance structure and execution in a complex environment Strong ownership mindset, focused on delivering impact rather than managing processes Successful candidates will be offered a 2-year contract in the first instance and may be considered for an extension or be placed on a permanent tenure.