Chief Digital Technology Officer

Ministry of Defence

United Kingdom

Hybrid

Expires: Expiring in less than 4 weeks

Full time

£162,500 per year

Job summary

Defence Digital and the wider Digital Function are critical enablers for almost all aspects of Defence activity. Defence requires an exceptional and driven Director to lead the implementation and delivery of technology, innovation, and architectural standards, with a particular focus on accelerating AI adoption across Defence. The Chief Digital Technology Officer will require a broad technical knowledge, an understanding of the evolving technology landscape, and proven experience in leveraging the latest digital advances. As the senior functional lead, the post holder will drive and evolve common technology architecture and standards to support the realisation of Defence’s strategic intent. They will oversee strategy, transformation, design, and implementation, ensuring supporting architecture, standards, and compliance processes are maintained across Defence. Additionally, they will be accountable for tracking and advising on the reduction and prevention of obsolescence and technical debt. As an advocate for emerging game-changing technologies, including AI, the CDTO will provide leadership to ensure these innovations are integrated into solutions that deliver lasting military and business value. The role includes responsibility for an annual delivery budget of approximately £140.7M, c. 400 direct staff, and a broader workforce comprising Civil Servants, Military personnel, and contractors.

To provide an overview of the role and answer any questions, Charlie Forte will host an online Town Hall session at 09:30-10:30 Wednesday 25 March. You can access the meeting by clicking here. If you prefer, you may use your initials instead of your full name to maintain confidentiality regarding your interest in the role. Please note this session is not part of the formal assessment process. If you experience any issues accessing the session, please contact: People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

Operating as part of the Functional Senior Leadership Team to promote and embed the Digital Strategy Defence. As part of the Functional Leadership operating model this post is responsible for leading strategic change, including implementing and governing standards, for technology, AI and architecture across Defence.
Responsible for setting the architectural compliance that all digital projects across defence must comply with, using the CTO Council to bring the CTOs from Defence together to build relationships across Defence, International Partners, HMG and Suppliers and ensure understanding and strategic thinking across the group, prioritising core activities and agree the delivery aims from business initiatives and external influencers.

Technology & Futures

Lead innovation efforts to access and integrate emerging technologies, such as AI and Quantum, to support Defence Strategy at pace.
Collaborate across the Function, wider Defence, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and government to align innovation with business relevance and strategic goals.

Technology Exploitation

Develop and oversee the compliance framework that ensures a continual evolution of modern capability that drives cohesion, integration, and interoperability, including exploitation of cloud.
Manage the relationships across Defence and with relevant, high-profile, external stakeholders (including industry, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the Five Eyes (FVEY) community to strengthen relevance and access innovation.
Define the technology compliance expectations.
With Director Cyber Defence and Risk, ensure security technology fits with wider technology architecture.
Define the technology compliance expectations.
With Director Cyber Defence and Risk, ensure security technology fits with wider technology architecture.

Tech Governance and Risk

Maintain and evolve a common enterprise technical architecture with supporting standards in explicit support of strategic outcomes.
Maintain a supporting implementation plan and propose / agree the funding and oversee delivery.
Manage the Architecture cadre, ensure its health and application to drive standards.
Own the vision and design of a common digital technology architecture to support Defence Strategy, working with leaders across the function.

Foundry, Digital Services

Lead the Digital Foundry (which is a software factory) and change capability that promotes the ability to build software solutions at pace and which demonstrates modernity.
Support the Foundry to drive pace on exploitation and re-use of common technology.
Drive up maturity of digital platforms and their use pan Defence.

Person specification

Proven Senior Leadership: A confident and experienced leader with a track record of managing large, multidisciplinary teams and overseeing financial and workforce data. Demonstrated ability to inspire confidence, foster collaboration, and drive innovation, continuous improvement, and organisational success.
Strategic Technology Leadership: Experience in developing and implementing enterprise-wide digital and technology strategies, with strong technical knowledge and awareness of evolving technologies. Proven ability to leverage advancements like AI, cloud, and quantum computing to drive transformation and deliver operational benefits.
Commercial Acumen: Strong understanding of commercial functions, including contract management and supplier relationships, with the ability to ensure value for money and alignment with organisational goals.
Project Delivery Expertise: Proven experience in managing large-scale projects, programmes, and portfolios, with a focus on delivering complex transformation initiatives on time, within scope, and on budget.
Stakeholder Management and Communication: Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively, build relationships, and inspire confidence at all levels, including with senior leaders, international partners, and industry stakeholders.
Strategic Judgment: Strong decision-making skills, with experience providing strategic advice, constructive challenge, and support to subject matter experts, including civilian and military policy teams.
Translating Strategy into Action: Skilled in aligning strategy with transformation, operational delivery, and organisational design, translating strategic goals into measurable outcomes and enterprise-wide impact.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £162,500, Ministry of Defence contributes £47,076 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Learning and development tailored to your role
An environment with flexible working options
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process no later than 23:55 on Monday 6th April 2026 and will involve providing the two documents outlined below via the Civil Service Jobs portal:

A CV (no more than 2 pages) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
A Personal Statement (no more than 2 pages) explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

External candidates who join the MOD and are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

For further information about the role and full application process, please refer to the candidate pack attached below. If you wish to receive any material in a different format for accessibility, then please contact People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk.

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 meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).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.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Salary range

£162,500 per year