Head of Portfolio (CDO – Digital & Data)

Job summary

We are looking for a Head of Portfolio (CDO – Digital & Data) to join the Portfolio and Business Partnering team, which is within the Digital and Data directorate, part of the Chief Data Office group.

The team are responsible for:

• Oversight of the group's priorities, deliverables, roadmaps & status, ensuring alignment to Agency objectives.
• Manage strategic business partnering enabling robust relationship management and engagement across key stakeholders, dependents and users.
• Provision of project management resources across key deliverables.
• Assurance of spend in line with GDS’ DDAT spend control framework.

Job description

As Head of Portfolio (CDO – Digital & Data), you will lead the portfolio office, ensuring effective governance, reporting, and oversight of all projects and programmes. You will have responsibility for the prioritisation and allocation of resources across the portfolio to ensure optimal delivery of departmental / business strategic objectives in line with government priorities.

This role is aligned to the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework (GDD), Digital Portfolio Manager – Head of Portfolio.

• Lead the collaboration with CDO Business Partners and UKHSA business areas to identify and categorise new projects for a decision on entry into the portfolio through to acceptance into BAU (whole lifecycle)
• Establish clear governance frameworks and lead the co-ordination of reporting from projects across the Portfolio, including the analysis of performance at portfolio level for review by governance bodies such as the Portfolio Board.
• Responsible for the maintenance of the portfolio delivery map and critical path to monitor progress across projects, tracking interdependencies across change projects.
• Lead the identification and monitoring of portfolio risks, issues, assumptions and dependencies.
• Provide leaders with insights into the portfolio's future so they can make informed decisions on how resources are allocated across change initiatives to optimise return on investment.
• Establish ownership and responsibility for benefit realisation, reviewing business cases regularly to assess progress towards benefits realisation.
• Map stakeholder interest and influence alongside organisational strategic objectives to determine priorities for engagement and delivery.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders, providing updates, challenge assumptions and resolve issues.
• Be a visible leader, communicating and building commitment to a shared vision and sense of purpose. Support business areas to take decisions independently.
• Build and lead a diverse, skilled and motivated team of digital portfolio managers.

Person specification

Essential criteria:

• Qualifications in Portfolio Management Frameworks such as P3M, MSP, MoP or Prince2 and knowledge of how they support effective portfolio management, or equivalent experience
• Expert knowledge and experience of establishing and embedding governance and benefits management in multiple complex programmes/projects using both waterfall and agile methods within a Digital, Data and Technology portfolio.
• Evidence of portfolio management as a tool for managing organisational change.
• Extensive experience and detailed knowledge of planning, scheduling, budgeting, risk and issue management and assurance in a complex programme, project, or portfolio environment.
• Good knowledge and experience of business case development, resource management, business change and implementation and asset allocation.
• A visible leader with experience of driving performance through collaboration with project or programme teams; an advocate for continuous improvement.
• Proven ability to build productive relationships and influence diverse stakeholder groups – including technical specialists, delivery teams, senior leaders and external partners
• Good analytical skills, experienced in utilising digital tools to interpret and analyse complex data into clear, accurate and actionable portfolio level reports and insights to shape strategic decisions.
• Experience of working with product management and service management teams
• Be able to demonstrate persistence and resilience, achieving success by delivery despite obstacles or setbacks.

Desirable criteria:

• Ability to operate in ambiguous, high pace environments – comfortable navigating uncertain or shifting priorities and enabling teams to maintain clarity and momentum through strong portfolio oversight.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £70,797, UK Health Security Agency contributes £20,509 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce. UKHSA's ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

• 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 and will assess your Behaviours, Experience & Technical skills.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 10 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 1000 word supporting statement.

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1000 words. We will not consider any words over 1000 words.

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

Only those who meet SOME and ALL essential criteria will proceed to shortlisting.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we may conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of:

• Extensive experience and detailed knowledge of planning, scheduling, budgeting, risk and issue management and assurance in a complex programme, project, or portfolio environment.
• Expert knowledge and experience of establishing and embedding governance and benefits management in multiple complex programmes/projects using both waterfall and agile methods within a Digital, Data and Technology portfolio.
• Qualifications in Portfolio Management Frameworks such as P3M, MPS, MoP or Prince2 and knowledge of how they support effective portfolio management, or equivalent experience

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview - Success Profiles

You will be invited to a single remote interview.

Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills will be assessed/tested at interview.

There will be a Presentation. You will be asked to prepare and present a 5–10-minute presentation at the start of your interview.

• What would be your approach to embedding portfolio management across an organisation-wide digital, data and technology environment?

You will be provided with more information if invited to interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be

• Lead Behaviour: Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communication and Influencing
• Working Together

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Eligibility Criteria

External: Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including internal applicants).

Salary Information

If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

Please be aware that the salary is based on the office location.

Grade 6

• £70,797-£81,450 (National)
• £72,950- £83,443 (Outer London)
• £75,104- £85,436 (Inner London)

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).

Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport links and benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a basic disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.

Future location

UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/huge-biosecurity-centre-investment-to-boost-pandemic-protection The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process, you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/

International Police check

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.

Internal Fraud Check

If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub, and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for external candidates to the Civil Service.

Careers website

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a 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.

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

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : John Inglis
• Email : john.inglis@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. 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 UKHSA Complaints team via email at: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Visit the Civil Service Commission website for further information: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk