Director General for Digital Transformation
Full time
£200,000 - £260,000 per year
Job summary
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is looking for a Director General for Digital Transformation.
This isn't just a leadership role; it's a platform to fundamentally rewire how the UK government serves millions of citizens. We have a clear mandate: public services must be quick, accessible, and simple.
This is for a leader who wants to forge new ways to do things in Government, work with agility, and build coalitions that deliver real change.
Job description
What you will drive:
- The Blueprint for a Modern Digital Government: Lead the development and delivery of the national vision. You will set the standards for coherent, user-centered service design, embedding interoperability and security principles to provide a clear roadmap for departments to modernize at scale.
- Strategic Ministerial Influence: Represent DSIT at the heart of government. You will advise Ministers and central departments on transformation priorities, lead cross-government boards, and influence policy and investment decisions at the highest level.
- Frontier AI Adoption: Launch AI programs targeting £100m+ in productivity gains. You will sponsor exemplar pilots in casework automation and predictive analytics, ensuring successful prototypes are scaled across the public sector.
- The National Data Library: Launch and scale this flagship commitment, unlocking economic value and supporting better public services through secure and ethical data access.
- Funding & Performance Reform: Implement the Digital Performance Framework to track service quality and cost. You will work with HM Treasury to pilot agile investment models, ensuring digital teams can deliver iteratively while maintaining value for money.
- Commercial & Capability Excellence: Oversee the Digital Commercial Centre of Excellence to reset supplier contracts and expand regional digital hubs to build AI confidence across all levels of government leadership.
Person specification
Who we are looking for:
- Proven track record of large-scale digital transformation in complex organisations, with a track record of delivering measurable improvements in service outcomes.
- Deep understanding of agile delivery, service design, AI integration and digital performance management.
- Exceptional judgement and decision-making under uncertainty, with the ability to balance innovation, risk and public value.
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience aligning priorities across departments, regulators and delivery bodies.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and building inclusive, high-performing cultures.
- Financial and commercial fluency, with confidence in shaping investment strategies and assurance frameworks.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £200,000, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £57,940 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 refer to the Candidate Brief attached below for more information on the selection process.
DSIT and Global Resourcing will a host a Town Hall on Friday 24 April. This will be a virtual conversation with Emran Mian, Permanent Secretary, DSIT and Global Resourcing to offer the opportunity to learn more about the role and the contexts within which it sits.
Please email transformation@global-resourcing.com for more information on how to join.
After the event, a live recording will be available
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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
Job contact :
- Name : Global Resourcing
- Email : transformation@global-resourcing.com
Recruitment team
Further information
The recruitment process is being undertaken by Global Resourcing on behalf of DSIT. To apply, and for a conversation about the role, please email transformation@global-resourcing.comAttachments
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Salary range
- £200,000 - £260,000 per year