Lead Delivery Manager

Job summary

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has a clear mission - to grow the economy. Our role is to help businesses invest, grow and export to create jobs and opportunities right across the country. We do this in three ways.

Firstly, we help to build a strong, competitive business environment, where consumers are protected and companies rewarded for treating their employees properly.

Secondly, we open international markets and ensure resilient supply chains. This can be through Free Trade Agreements, trade facilitation and multilateral agreements.

Finally, we work in partnership with businesses every day, providing advance, finance and deal-making support to those looking to start up, invest, export and grow.

The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate develops and operates tools and services to support us in this mission. The team won Best Public Sector Employer at the Women in Tech Employer Awards in 2025!

Job description

As a Lead Delivery Manager (Grade 6) in the Business Growth portfolio, you will be part of the portfolio’s senior leadership team. As we work in a matrix environment, this will involve:

Cross-profession leadership, with your senior leadership team colleagues (c. 4), on all matters relating to the portfolio which designs, builds and runs DBT’s national scale digital services that underpin how we support businesses to start, grow and succeed both domestically and internationally.

On behalf of the senior leadership team, you will lead delivery across a complex portfolio of products and services, working in close partnership with Service Owners, Product Leads and senior stakeholders across DBT, other government departments and delivery partners. You will shape delivery strategy, embed effective and inclusive ways of working, and create the conditions for multidisciplinary teams to deliver valuable outcomes at pace in a supportive, agile environment. You will manage budgets, workforce strategies, commercials and assurance for the portfolio. You will do this by leading and growing an empowered team of delivery managers and project professionals across close to 10 multidisciplinary squads running live services and delivering transformation in an environment with high level of uncertainty, change and pace.

In addition to your responsibilities as lead delivery manager, you will also be the senior leadership team member responsible for one of the sub-portfolios (platform, domestic growth, export or investment) providing first line review, advice and where needed, hands on support, for two to three multidisciplinary squads.

This is a stretching role for an experienced and ambitious colleague who is enjoys a challenge and is driven to have an impact, delivering through others. We are looking for an experienced and thoughtful delivery leader who enjoys working collaboratively in complexity and uncertainty, at pace. You will bring deep expertise in Agile and Lean delivery, alongside strong people-centred leadership skills and a commitment to continuous improvement. You will line manage and develop Delivery Managers, nurture capability across the delivery profession, and role model inclusive leadership that values psychological safety, learning and shared accountability. You will influence with care and credibility, build strong relationships at all levels, and champion modern, sustainable digital delivery practices, recognising that how outcomes are achieved is as important as what is delivered.

You will be:

• Provide leadership as part of a team on all matters that involve running a digital, data and technology portfolio in a complex, high change, high pace environment.

• Take responsibility for a sub-set policy area of the portfolio, to support them to deliver their specific area of work. This will involve delivering the government’s agenda for two to three multidisciplinary squads across all disciplines, with support from fellow senior leadership team members.

• Lead delivery across a portfolio of digital products and services, supporting multiple teams at different stages of the product and service lifecycle.

• Set and maintain delivery strategy and plans, including ownership of roadmaps, dependencies, risks and critical paths.

• Enable strategic planning and decision‑making through workshops, facilitation and collaborative problem‑solving with senior leaders.

• Establish, embed and continuously improve delivery standards, processes and tools across your area.

• Line manage, support and develop Delivery Managers, including recruitment, performance management and professional growth.

• Proactively identify and remove blockers, manage cross‑team and cross‑government dependencies, and act as an escalation point where needed.

• Work with Product and Service leadership to support business planning, assurance, resourcing and financial submissions.

• Lead delivery through blended resourcing models, including civil servants and delivery partners, contributing to supplier engagement and procurement where required.

• Champion agile ways of working and continuous improvement, contributing to organisational learning and positive culture change.

Person specification

• Significant experience delivering complex digital products or programmes in agile environments involving multiple teams and stakeholders. (LEAD)
• Deep knowledge of Agile and Lean delivery practices, with experience applying and coaching these approaches at scale.
• Proven line management experience, including developing, coaching and supporting delivery professionals.
• Strong collaborative leadership skills, with the ability to influence and work effectively with senior leaders and partners.
• Clear and inclusive communication skills, with experience facilitating difficult conversations and managing stakeholder expectations.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain delivery momentum by identifying, prioritising and addressing risks, issues and dependencies.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership

Technical skills

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

• Agile and Lean practices
• Financial management
• Life cycle management
• Maintaining delivery momentum*
• Making a process work
• Team dynamics and collaboration

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £69,284, Department for Business and Trade contributes £20,071 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
• A flexible, hybrid working environment with options like condensed hours
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual leave starting at 25 days rising to 30 days with service
• Three paid volunteering days a year
• An employee benefits programme including cycle to work

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.

As part of the application process you will be asked to upload a two-page CV and complete a 750 personal statement outlining how you meet the essential skills and experience listed above. You can use bullet points and subheadings if you prefer.

Sift will be from week commencing 13/05/2026

Interviews will be from week commencing 27/05/2026

Please note these dates are indicative and may be subject to change.

If there is a high volume of applications, we will sift looking at your Lead Criterion only. You may then be progressed to full sift or straight to interview.

How we interview

At the interview stage for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant Technical Skills and Behaviours from the Success Profiles framework, which are listed. These are role specific and in line with the DDaT Capability Framework

How we offer

Offers will be made in merit order based on location preferences. If you pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring you will be held on a 12-month reserve list in case a role becomes available. If you are judged a near miss at interview, you may be offered a post at the grade below the one you applied for.

This role requires SC clearance. DBT’s requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet this requirement will result in your application being rejected and your offer will be withdrawn.

Checks will also be made against:

• departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)

• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records

• your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency

• security services record

• location details

More about us

This role can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. If you are based in London, you will receive London weighting. DBT employees are contracted to work in a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

You can find out more about our office locations, how we calculate salaries, our diversity statement and reasonable adjustments, the Recruitment Principles, the Civil Service code and our complaints procedure on our website.

Find out more about life at DBT, our benefits and meet the team by watching our video or reading our blog!

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.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 : Kelly Thompson
• Email : ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : ddat.recruitment@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 Resourcing@trade.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

DDaT Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 506kB)