** Head of Detention Strategy and Innovation

Job summary

Immigration Enforcement is responsible for enforcing the government’s immigration laws, tackling illegal migration, removing foreign national offenders and immigration offenders from the UK. It also aims to disrupt the organised criminal groups that exploit the vulnerable for their personal gain. Learn more on our careers pages.

Detention Strategy & Programmes (DS&P), within Immigration Detention, leads some of the Home Office’s most significant transformation initiatives. The team plays a central role in supporting Immigration Enforcement’s mission to maintain effective immigration control, strengthen operational capacity, and increase the removal of individuals with no legal right to remain in the UK.

DS&P is responsible for delivering the Detention Strategy 2030 and shaping a modern, efficient detention estate within a fast‑moving and high‑profile policy environment. This includes expanding and improving Immigration Removal Centres, coordinating complex cross‑cutting programmes, and working closely with digital and technology partners to modernise systems and introduce innovative solutions. Through this work, the team is building a sustainable, cost‑effective and future‑ready detention system that supports Immigration Enforcement’s long‑term strategic objectives.

We are seeking a dynamic leader to drive two key priorities within the ID system:

1. Develop and deliver a technology investment pipeline for the Detention Estate, working closely with Home Office technology teams and suppliers.
2. Coordinate delivery of the Detention Strategy 2030, ensuring alignment with ministerial priorities, clear governance, and robust performance metrics.

Job description

This role will lead technology strategy and innovation across ID, establishing a dedicated Technology Innovation & Strategy function. The postholder will oversee the creation and execution of a digital investment pipeline aimed at modernising detention processes, reducing long‑term operating costs, and replacing legacy systems with resilient, future‑focused platforms. They will provide strategic leadership on technology roadmaps, horizon scanning, and digital opportunities that can transform operations in sustainable, high‑impact ways.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the implementation of the Detention Strategy, ensuring effective coordination across programmes and operational areas.
• Act as a conduit between Immigration Detention and the IE Strategy Team ensuring that the Detention Strategy and any future planning aligns with IE’s overarching strategic plans.
• Mobilise and apply a robust governance structure to track progress, manage risks, and maintain delivery discipline.
• Assemble, baseline, and manage a pipeline of technological innovation for Immigration Detention, including major digitisation initiatives to modernise existing processes.
• Provide senior ownership for technology led transformation activity not covered within existing programme or portfolio roles.
• Support major programmes such as IRC Expansion Programme, Heathrow and Gatwick re-procurements, and future estates initiatives to anchor their work in the strategic priorities of IE 2030.
• Apply strategic, technological innovation, and project management capabilities to drive forward long-term change across the detention system.
• Continuously review, adapt and refine the Detention Strategy in response to changes in Government policy, ministerial priorities, fiscal constraints and operational pressures, ensuring strategic intent remains aligned with delivery reality and wider Immigration Enforcement objectives.

Working Pattern

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis. However, compressed hours is available.

Flexible working

You may be required to undertake the same or a similar role within a different team or teams (where possible, at your base location or within reasonable travel distance), depending on business priorities. With appropriate training and support, this will provide opportunities to broaden both your experience and skill set.

Travel

The successful applicant will be expected to travel to our many locations across the UK, with occasional overnight stays required.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Demonstrable experience of working with digital and technology‑enabled services or programmes, including contributing to the design, delivery, implementation or improvement of digital, data or technology solutions within a complex organisational environment.
• Experience leading the development and implementation of strategies or strategic frameworks, working with a large number of stakeholders to implement change;
• Exceptional leadership capability, with substantial experience of motivating a large number of disparate capabilities in pursuit of a common a common goal.
• Experience briefing senior officials and ministers on complex and contentious issues, communicating with clarity and credibility.

Desirable Criteria

• Relevant digital, data or technology qualifications, or formal training (for example in digital delivery, data, technology, systems, or related disciplines).
• Experience of working in, or with, custodial or secure operational settings, such as detention, prisons, or other regulated environments.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

Benefits

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.
• See more of our benefits on our careers website.

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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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

1.Application – by 12th July 2026.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• C.V.
• Personal Statement (maximum 1250 words).

Your CV should consist of your career history, qualifications and skills/experience, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be scored against the experience required for the role as noted within the essential criteria.

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

2. Sift – 14th July 2026.

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement and CV.

Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of all the remaining elements submitted (CV).

Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the initial sift will not have their remaining submitted elements scored and will only receive a sift score for that assessed at the initial sift.

3. Interview – 4th August 2026.

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviour and Strength based questions. All behaviours listed in the selection process will be scored at the interview.

The interview will take place online on Teams and will consist of a panel of three SCS.

In addition, candidates will be asked to prepare a presentation that will be delivered at interview. The presentation question/scenario will be disclosed closer to the interviews.

The presentation will be assessed against 'Behaviours' on the 'Success Profiles' and will be specifically assessed against the Lead Behaviour - Delivering at Pace.

For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.

Do not create or attempt to submit another application, online test or use a different Civil Service Jobs account to proceed as this would be in violation of the candidate declaration.

Location Preference

You can select up to three locations in order of preference. Please ensure that these are locations you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at one of your preferred locations and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.

Reserve lists will be held for each location. Candidates will be appointed in merit order by location.

Breaking Tied Scores

The behaviours and strengths have been ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores.

Standards

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Integrity Check

As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, you will also be subject to an additional Integrity Check, as part of the pre-employment process, to determine your suitability to work for Border Force or Immigration Enforcement. For further information on what this involves, please visit our website.

Further Information

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct.

If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs

• Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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 : HORC Campaign Team (IE)
• Email : horccampaignteamie@homeoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. and you wish to make a complaint, then contact the Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

2025-11-17 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)Candidate_Information_v17_April_2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 207kB)