Director of Digital Government for Business Programme

Job summary

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is leading a cross-government programme to radically improve how businesses interact with government digital services. This work will provide a single digital platform and simpler, proactive and more joined up way to access those services, via GOV.UK and its channels.

The programme is central to DBT’s role in driving economic growth and improving the UK’s business environment. It also supports wider government ambitions to modernise public services and strengthen digital government.

This is a high-profile, system-leading Director role, operating at the heart of government transformation. You will work across departmental boundaries and with senior leaders in policy, delivery and digital functions to shape and deliver this major reform.

As Director, you will act as Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the programme, leading delivery of one of government’s most significant and complex digital transformation initiatives. This is a unique opportunity to shape how millions of businesses engage with government.

Candidate Information Call

The hiring manager for this position; Isobel Stephen, will be hosting a virtual call for any interested applicants to discuss the role and answer any questions. Please note this is not part of the formal assessment process.

This will be held via Microsoft Teams on 15th June 2026 at 15:00-16:00 (UK time).

Please click here for the meeting link.

If you would like to join without your full name being displayed in the meeting, please ensure you access the link on a personal device and select 'Join without signing in'.

If you would like to join without your full name being displayed in the meeting, please ensure you access the link on a personal device and select 'Join without signing in'.

Job description

Strategic leadership and ownership

• Set a clear, compelling vision for a unified digital experience for businesses, aligned with DBT and wider government priorities.
• Act as Senior Responsible Owner, accountable for strategic outcomes, business case, delivery confidence and benefits realisation.
• Provide visible, inspirational leadership across departments to maintain alignment, pace and ambition.

Programme governance and delivery oversight

• Establish robust governance, ensuring effective assurance, risk management and decision making in a complex, cross-government programme.
• Act as an intelligent client to digital delivery partners (including Government Digital Service), ensuring requirements are clearly defined and delivered effectively.
• Ensure the programme is strategically controlled, with appropriate programme management, reporting and performance oversight.

Cross-government leadership and engagement

• Build and maintain effective relationships with senior leaders across government, including DSIT, Cabinet Office, HM Treasury, HMRC and Companies House, to secure commitment and alignment.
• Engage confidently with Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Directors General, senior stakeholders and business representatives providing clear advice and securing decisions.
• Broker solutions across organisational, policy and delivery boundaries.

Delivery mobilisation and capability

• Design and mobilise a sustainable delivery model, ensuring the right skills, capability, structure and governance are in place over the Spending Review Period and Beyond.
• Lead workforce and resourcing strategy across multiple organisations and delivery partners.
• Ensure long-term capability building, value for money and scalable service delivery.

Benefits, value and outcomes

• Ensure delivery of measurable benefits for businesses, government and the wider economy.
• Champion user-centred design, inclusion, security and trust.
• Embed evidence-based decision making and continuous improvement.

Leadership and culture

• Build and lead an inclusive, high-performing team across organisational boundaries, creating an inclusive, high-performing culture that supports collaboration, accountability and innovation.
• Role model Civil Service Leadership Standards and DBT values.
• Contribute to DBT’s senior digital leadership and broader transformation agenda.

Person specification

Strategic and Systems Leadership

Demonstrable ability to operate at a senior executive level (Director or equivalent), setting clear strategic direction, turning ambitions into plans and leading complex, cross-organisation systems or portfolios to deliver large-scale outcomes.

Delivery of Major Complex Programmes

Significant experience leading large-scale, high-risk programmes as an SRO or equivalent, with a strong track record of delivering outcomes in complex environments.

Digital and Transformation Leadership

Experience leading digital, data or service transformation, with a strong understanding of modern delivery approaches (including agile) and working effectively with technical delivery partners.

Stakeholder and Political Leadership

Proven ability to influence and build alignment with senior stakeholders in complex multi organisation environments, including experience communicating at executive or board level (e.g. Ministers, senior officials, or equivalent) to articulate complex issues clearly, navigating political, commercial or organisational complexity.

Governance, Risk and Financial Accountability

Strong experience of programme governance, assurance and risk management, alongside accountability for significant budgets and delivery of value for money.

Inclusive Leadership and Organisational Capability Building

Evidence of building high-performing, multi disciplinary, inclusive teams and developing organisational capability and culture to deliver sustained outcomes.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £100,000, Department for Business and Trade contributes £28,970 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

Please follow the online instructions on the Civil Service Jobs website to apply for this role. Applications must be submitted no later than 23:55 on 21/06/2026.

You will be asked to upload the two documents outlined below. It is essential you add your full name to both documents:

1. A CV setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. Please provide reasons for any gaps within the last two years.​​
2. A Supporting Statement of around two pages of A4, providing examples of how your experience meets the essential criteria.

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification. ​​

If you encounter any issues or are unable to apply online please contact SCSRecruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk in the first instance​.

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 (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

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) (opens in a new window)
• 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 (opens in a new window)

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

Job contact :

• Name : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email : scsrecruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : scsrecruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email at SCSRecruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Civil Service Commission Complaints​

Attachments

Director, Digital Government for Business Programme - Domestic Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 6363kB)Director, Digital Government for Business Programme - Domestic Accessible Candidate Pack Opens in new window (docx, 151kB)