Location
Bristol, London, Manchester
About the job
Job summary
The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre of government - setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital government. GDS is responsible for setting the digital strategy for government.
The Blueprint for Modern Digital Government sets out our vision and we are responsible for:
* Setting the digital strategy for government
* Measuring and managing digital performance across government
* Maintaining guidance and tools to support best practice, including the Service Manual
* Driving greater efficiency in digital public services
* Owning product strategy and delivery for government including GOV.UK and its common components, GOV.UK One Login, artificial intelligence (AI) products for use across government, geospatial data, the National Data Library and the National Underground Asset Register
* Leading the Government Digital and Data function and champion the work of digital teams across government
Job description
In the Data Directorate, we are responsible for:
The Data Directorate within the Government Digital Service (GDS) is responsible for developing strategies and innovations to ensure that data is used effectively and efficiently across the public sector. Its work is crucial for achieving important government goals, including the UK’s AI Adoption Plan, the Government’s Missions, the Cyber Security Strategy, and GDS’s Blueprint for Modern Government, which includes plans for the National Data Library and the Plan for Change.
Currently, the UK public sector faces challenges with the quality, accessibility, and sharing of data. The Data Directorate is focused on making significant improvements in these areas. It is also committed to managing security risks by putting in place the right technical and non-technical measures, allowing data to be shared safely and used to drive value, especially in relation to AI.
For 2025/2026, Data Directorate has set six main priorities:
1. A Mission-Led Data Strategy for Government: Creating a clear strategy that supports the government’s main goals.
2. Unlock Data Sharing: Making it easier for different departments and organisations to share data and work together.
3. Data Managed as an Asset: Treating data as a valuable resource and managing it wisely to get the most out of it.
4. Modern Data Capabilities and Platforms: Improving data technology and systems to better meet the needs of the public sector.
5. Right Mindset, Strong Skills, Thriving Community: Encouraging a culture that appreciates data, developing skills within the workforce, and building a supportive community around data use.
6. Evidence Based, Measurable Impact: Focusing on making decisions based on evidence and ensuring that the results of data initiatives can be measured.
By focusing on these priorities, the Data Directorate aims to enhance how data is handled in the UK public sector, ensuring that it meets current needs and is prepared for future challenges within a modern, user-friendly government.
The success of the Data Directorate will be assessed by how effectively it advances the six strategic priorities:
* A Mission Led Data Strategy for Government: We will shift the mindset across the public sector to establish a common vision of the value of data. Our focus will be on leading the development of this shared vision and demonstrating the importance of data in achieving government missions.
* Unlock Data Sharing: Our goal is to improve efficiency, transform services, and drive economic growth within the public sector. We will deliver the National Data Library to enhance the availability, interoperability, and accessibility of key public sector data assets, thereby enabling better services for citizens and fostering economic development.
* Data Managed as an Asset: We will treat data as a highly valuable asset, ensuring it is managed ethically, legally, and securely. This involves improving the quality, accessibility, and interoperability of data through the implementation of robust data standards, tools, and guidance across departments and the wider public sector. We will emphasise data ethics, privacy, and transparency to instill public confidence in the trustworthy use of data and AI.
* Modern Data Capabilities and Platforms: We aim to develop modern data capabilities and platforms that operate across all departments, facilitating proactive actions while reducing unnecessary effort, risk, and costs. We will create a common ecosystem of platforms and APIs to enable secure and efficient data sharing, thereby lowering administrative burdens and enhancing public services. Additionally, we will expand the use of the Digital Economy Act to ensure data sharing benefits the public.
* Right Mindset, Strong Skills, Thriving Community: We will foster the growth of an expert data community at all levels within government. This entails building data skills and capabilities across various functions through communities of practice that share best practices and innovations, as well as engaging strategically with suppliers to learn from the private sector.
* Evidence Based, Measurable Impact: We will focus on quantifying the impact, value, and return on investment of our digital, data, and AI initiatives. This will be achieved through the work of our analysis function, which will support evidence-based decision-making and strategy development.
Our team has large ambitions. We want to improve and transform our public services through effective use of data. A key part of that is our cross-government strategy, our standards and our governance.
Working with the Government Chief Data Officer, the Data Leadership Team, the National Data Library Programme and Chief Data Officers across the public sector you will lead the government's mission to better use its data as part of the National Data Strategy.
You will be responsible for drafting and coordinating the government's data strategy across five priority areas, focusing on:
* Unlocking data sharing
* Ensuring data are managed as assets
* Modernising data platforms and capabilities
* Confirming there is the right mindset, and thriving data community cross-government
* Ensuring data’s impact is evidence based and quantified.
You will ensure departments follow data standards and remove obstacles to using and reusing data effectively in the public sector.
You will lead your team and influence stakeholders across the public sector in data policy, strategy, and governance relating to data to achieve successful outcomes.
In this role, you work closely with Ministers, Special Advisers, Permanent Secretaries, Chief Data Officers and other Digital and Data leaders across the public sector and other senior leaders across the wider system to deliver this high-profile agenda at pace.
The core responsibilities of the post:
* Implement a national data strategy.
* Lead and develop a thriving public sector data community.
* Manage the broad Data Portfolio.
* Knowledge and information management.
* Advance data maturity and establish data governance structures to report to senior leaders and ministers.
* Champion data access to improve services and decision-making.
* Support the National Data Library Programme.
Person specification
As a Deputy Director, you have a strong track record in data standards, strategy and governance - supporting data transformation.
Essential skills include:
* Expertise in designing and delivering data policy work
* Deep expertise in the multifaceted nature of managing data as an asset and establishing best practice for use of data to deliver on outcomes for departments
* Adept in connecting missions, policy and department priorities to data strategy
* Understanding and experience of modern data capabilities across culture, people, process, technology
* Experience in ethics, trust, regulation, privacy, and legislation on data
* Leadership in building high-performing, multidisciplinary teams.
* The confidence and credibility to influence senior leadership cross-government.
* The ability to prioritise resources, handle ambiguity, and foster relationships across organisational barriers in a complex stakeholder environment.
Benefits
The benefits of working at GDS
There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:
* Flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
* A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
* 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
* An extra day off for The King’s birthday
* An in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
* Career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
* Paid volunteering leave
* A focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
* Job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
* Advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
* Death in service benefits
* Cycle to work scheme and facilities
* Access to children's holiday play schemes across different locations in central London
* Access to an employee discounts scheme
* 10 learning days per year
* Volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
* Access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning
GDS offers hybrid working for all employees. This means that everyone does some working from home and also spends some time in their local office. You’ll agree to your hybrid working arrangement with your line manager in line with your preferences and business needs.
Any move to Government Digital Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:
* A simple application screening process - We only ask for a CV and cover letter of up to 750 words. Important tip - please ensure that your cover letter includes how you meet the skills and experience listed in the “person specification” section above
* A 60 minute video interview
Depending on how many applications we get, there might also be an extra stage before the video interview, for example a phone interview or a technical exercise.
While we value the use of AI technology to enhance our daily work, we also value the personal touch and urge applicants to write cover letters without the use of AI to emphasise their own unique experiences.
In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. We’ll be assessing your technical abilities, skills, experience and behaviours that are relevant to this role.
For this role we’ll be assessing you against the following Civil Service Behaviours:
* Making effective decisions (lead)
* Communicating and influencing
* Leadership
* Seeing the big picture
Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.
For meaningful checks to be carried out, you will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. Whilst a lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance, and expectation of UK residency may range from 3 to 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements needed for the role may result in the withdrawal of provisional jobs offers.
Other information: Occasionally, business pressures, priorities or critical delivery may mean that we move you into a different team or work area within GDS. This will always be within the same grade and discipline within which you were hired, but does mean that your focus or objectives may shift in order to deliver GDS business.
You may be aware that there are plans for the Government Digital Service (GDS) to move into the Department of Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT). This move is to bring together the digital transformation of public services into one core department. The move itself will offer huge opportunities whilst allowing DSIT to lead the way and drive forward the new Government's digital agenda.
As the announcement is relatively new, we are awaiting more detailed information. Therefore, we encourage you to apply for this role, and will keep you informed with updated information throughout the application process.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.
As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.
See our vetting charter
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
* UK nationals
* nationals of the Republic of Ireland
* nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
* nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
* nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
* individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
* Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
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