Head of Digital Business Partnering

Job summary

In the Department of Health and Social Care, we are proud of our purpose – to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you would like to work in, we would love to hear from you.

The DHSC Digital Transformation team works with the national health and care system to realise the benefits of digital, data and technology, to deliver better end to end services for their users and for the professionals who provide them.

We don’t manage live digital services; our role is more strategic. We partner with policy and commissioning teams to deliver user centred, design-led change, and to act as a bridge between policy and digital delivery teams. We support the Department and its arms' length bodies in a range of different ways - from providing short-term consultancy advice and digital training, to running full discoveries and alphas, and embedding team members in wider beta or live delivery teams.

We champion standards, user-centred design and accessibility in everything that we do.

Job description

As Head of Digital Business Partnering, you will lead a digital engagement and business partnering function that strengthens relationships between DHSC and senior digital, data and technology stakeholders across the wider healthcare system. You will build trusted relationships with senior leaders, provide strategic leadership for external engagement, and support work that improves collaboration across organisational boundaries. Working closely with Chief Digital and Information Officers (CDIOs) and senior stakeholders, you will help identify opportunities to share expertise, reduce duplication and improve outcomes through more joined-up digital, data and technology activity.

This is a highly visible leadership role operating at the intersection of strategy, engagement and delivery. You will provide leadership across digital business partnering activity, oversee key engagement forums and communities, and help ensure that organisations are better connected, informed and equipped to tackle shared digital, data and technology challenges together.

Person specification

Role responsibilities

• Lead and develop a digital business partnering function, providing strategic direction, people leadership and fostering a high-performing, inclusive culture.

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior digital leaders, CDIOs and stakeholders across DHSC and partner organisations, acting as a senior lead for outward-facing digital engagement.

• Lead and support work to strengthen collaboration, visibility and digital capability across organisational boundaries.

• Identify and manage strategic opportunities, risks, dependencies and emerging priorities across the digital, data and technology landscape, supporting informed decision-making and greater coordination between organisations.

• Establish and lead engagement mechanisms that support collaboration across organisations, including senior leadership forums, working groups, communities of practice and strategic partnerships.

• Provide strategic advice, challenge and briefing to senior stakeholders, helping shape digital, data and technology priorities across DHSC and partner organisations.

We are looking for an experienced and credible leader who can operate confidently in complex stakeholder environments and build strong relationships across organisational boundaries.

You will be comfortable engaging with senior leaders, translating strategic priorities into practical action and influencing without formal authority. You will bring strong digital awareness, excellent judgement and a passion for helping organisations work more effectively together.

You will enjoy working across organisational boundaries, understanding different perspectives and identifying opportunities where collaboration can deliver better outcomes. Most importantly, you will be motivated by helping others succeed and by improving how digital, data and technology are used to support shared priorities.

This role will include line management responsibilities.

Key skills and experience required for the role

Essential

• Demonstrable experience of leading and developing high-performing teams, creating an inclusive environment where people can thrive and perform at their best.

• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence, challenge and build credibility with senior leaders across complex organisations.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with experience facilitating discussions, brokering agreement and communicating complex information to diverse audiences.

• Broad knowledge of technology, digital and data delivery, together with significant practical experience in at least one digital specialism such as product management, delivery management, architecture, data, user-centred design or engineering.

• Experience of planning and prioritising across multiple programmes, products, portfolios or organisations, with the ability to identify dependencies, risks and opportunities and translate these into practical action.

• Knowledge and understanding of the public sector, with experience of business partnering, stakeholder engagement or relationship management, ideally within digital, technology, health or wider government settings.

Desirable

• Experience working with public bodies, partner organisations or senior external stakeholders within a complex delivery environment.

• Experience leading or contributing to cross-organisational transformation, collaboration initiatives, communities of practice or networks.

• Knowledge of the health and care system, including the role of technology, digital and data in supporting organisational and system-wide priorities.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

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

• Knowledge of standards and ability to communicate technical concepts clearly.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £73,559, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £21,310 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 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

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

Applications will be sifted week commencing: 16/11/2026

Interview date: week commencing 30/11/2026

Interview location: Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Further details and interview slots will be released to candidates who are successful at sift.

Applications will be sifted on CV, Statement of Suitability and Lead Behaviour: Seeing the Big Picture. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

An initial sift based on CV and Statement of Suitability may be held if a large number of applications are received. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Please use your CV to set out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. These can be found in the ‘key skills and experience required for the role’ section of the advert.

Please use your personal statement todemonstrate your suitability for the role and how you meet the essential skills and experience in no more than 1000 words

At interview candidates will be assessed on behaviours and technical skills.

Candidates invited to interview will be asked to do a short practical task piror to interview which will assess a technical skill; Knowledge of standards and ability to communicate technical concepts clearly. The practical task question will be shared with candidates once sift scores are released. Candidates will then be given 5 minutes to present verbally at the beginning of the interview.

To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service careers website https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/departments/working-for-the-department-of-health-social-care/ and to find out more information on how to apply visit the Civil Service careers website https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/how-to-apply/

Applicants who are appointable but were not successful in appointment to this vacancy, may be held on a reserve list for up to 12 months, and contacted if similar vacancies become available.

Please be aware that some travel may be required across the DHSC estate.

Candidates must ensure that all information provided in their application is factually accurate. Any examples provided must be taken from personal experience. The Civil Service abides by honesty and integrity as part of its core values, if evidence of plagiarism is found, applications may be withdrawn.

Please note that applicants will require clearance.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to DHSC from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put 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 DHSCrecruitment.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.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service 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.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

This role is being advertised on a permanent basis. If preferable, Loan or Secondment options will also be available for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited NDPBs or any other employer (Secondment). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Terms and Conditions

Candidates should note that DHSC’s Terms and Conditions of employment changed from 1 October 2013. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful.

New Entrants to the Civil Service

New entrants appointed in grades AA to G6 will receive DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions:

• Annual Leave: 25 days on entry rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff
• Privilege Leave: 1 day - for the King’s birthday
• Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
• Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): one month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months’ full pay and five months’ half pay
• Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allow staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
• Probation: 6 month probation period

Existing Civil Service staff transferring from another Government department, on either level transfer or promotion

All staff moving to DHSC will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).

Existing DHSC staff, appointed on promotion

If DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions are already held, the employee will retain those terms and conditions. If DHSC’s pre-modernised terms and conditions are held, the employee will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.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 : DHSC Digital Team
• Email : digital@dhsc.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the DHSC Central Recruitment Team at DHSCrecruitment@dhsc.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact/

Attachments

General Pay Principles on Recruitment Opens in new window (pdf, 72kB)