Chief Digital Information Officer Our client is a local authority shared service provider which works with a number of councils in the local area The councils are investing in Digital, and have ambitious Digital transformation programmes. A recent review of the shared ICT services has identified the opportunity for this service to provide more digital leadership, capability and capacity to support the partner councils with their digital change. A new CDIO role has been created to provide digital leadership to each of the partner councils, as well as to provide overall leadership to the shared digital and ICT operational services. The CDIO will provide direction and support for each partner councils digital strategies, identifying opportunities for joint digital initiatives between the partner councils, as well as shared resourcing to reduce cost. The CDIO role will also oversee the transition of an operating model change that develops digital capability and capacity, evolves the service from a fairly traditional delivery model to one that addresses the ongoing shift to cloud services, and embeds a customer centric approach and engagement model. Job description As Chief Digital Information Officer (CDIO), you will serve as a senior digital leader across all Councils and be an integral member of their respective leadership teams. In this capacity, you will actively contribute to shaping the digital vision and objectives for each Council, pinpointing opportunities where digital initiatives can drive and expedite service transformation and innovation. Your role will involve identifying and nurturing collaborative opportunities for joint digital initiatives across the Councils. This doesn't necessarily mean a "design once, deliver once" strategy for all Councils, but rather identifying areas for synergy, whether through common technologies, shared resources, unified design principles, or combined programs of work. A pragmatic and facilitative approach will be essential to leverage the benefits of a shared digital service across Councils, each at different stages in their digital journey. You will oversee a Head of operational ICT, working closely with this role to craft a forward-thinking operating model suited to the evolving technology landscape and the Councils' needs. The ICT operational services should be user-centric, proactive, and provide high-quality, efficient support. Your focus should be on driving performance and fostering a positive culture, with diligent reporting to partnership governance boards. Additionally, establishing a continuous improvement mindset within your team will be crucial, ensuring that the digital services provided are not only sustainable but also adaptable to future challenges and opportunities. By aligning the digital strategies of the Councils, you will help create a cohesive digital environment that supports innovation and enhances service delivery, ultimately benefiting the communities served by each Council. Key Responsibilities: Contribute towards the strategic direction and delivery of Digital at the CxO level. Champion digital innovation and act as a thought leader for the adoption of AI, machine learning, and other emerging technologies. Stay abreast of technological developments, advising the organisation on opportunities afforded by new technologies and their implications for working practices. Drive a culture of creative and innovative solutions that align with the partner councils' long-term strategy and objectives. Foster collaboration across departments to leverage technology for improving operational efficiency and enhancing the user experience. Evaluate and manage technological risks and opportunities, ensuring alignment with the partner Councils risk appetite. Act as a bridge between technology teams and non-technical stakeholders, ensuring clear, transparent communication about digital initiatives, risks, opportunities, and achievements, fostering trust and buy-in from all levels of the organisation. Support the definition, scoping, and successful delivery of key digital transformation initiatives. Oversee the delivery of stable, resilient, and high-quality IT services, ensuring system uptime, reliability, and performance meet organizational needs Implement digital and IT standards and processes to ensure consistency and support a coherent architecture and security framework. Manage and mentor a high-performing digital and IT team, fostering professional development and continuous improvement. Provide inspiring and empowering leadership, establishing a clear direction and goals, while promoting a performance and learning culture. Ensure the organisation has a well-developed Cyber Security Strategy that effectively responds to emerging cyber threats. Ensure robust backup and recovery arrangements (including Disaster Recovery) are in place to provide staff access to systems at agreed times. Develop and implement a forward-thinking data strategy, ensuring data governance, quality, and accessibility align with business objectives. Essential Criteria: Proven strategic and leadership skills, with the capacity to handle complexity, demonstrate creativity, and inspire staff through periods of uncertainty with honesty and empathy. A degree of comfort with ambiguity, combined with the ability to set up clear processes and functions (e.g., budgetary accountability; contract management; portfolio management) to establish a team with a clear remit that can work effectively across the partner Councils Experience maintaining the integrity of personnel, physical assets, ICT systems, and data, enabling staff to work safely and securely. Proven ability to thrive in a customer-focused environment and fostering a culture conducive to this. Experience introducing internal and public-facing digital services and the associated digital operating models. Highly developed leadership skills with proven experience in leading, supporting, and mentoring teams through change whilst retaining focus on delivering agreed objectives and outcomes. Acting as a champion for Digital transformation and using new ways of working and technology to enable and accelerate organisational change. A demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and role modelling of inclusive behaviours. A proven track record in leading and delivering complex, large-scale projects, and managing a range of internal and external stakeholders. Experience in managing significant budgets and controlling tight resources to gain the maximum value for money. A track record of developing and leading the implementation of strategy and operational plans across a medium or large organisation with dispersed management. A thorough understanding of strategic developments in the digital/IT/technology sectors. Your knowledge of emerging technologies, web-based development, experience with business-critical applications and delivery of IT/IS services in a multi-site organisation will be critical. You will have a broad understanding of IT operations (networking, telecommunications, virtualisation, data storage, and security) and application development. Experience of leading delivery within both a waterfall and Agile project management environment and a track record of delivering high performing digital services in complex environments. Demonstrating an appropriate appetite in line with the goal of successful achievement of the wider organisational strategy. Personal credibility with colleagues at all levels through high-level influencing skills, expert advice, the ability to think and act creatively, and championing new ideas that contribute to the aims of the organisation. Excellent presentation skills with the ability to deliver material or convey complex ideas clearly and concisely. Desirable but not essential: Experience working in a similar role/s in local authorities.