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data platform and data services, including data governance, so that GCS teams and end users across the people, finance and commercial domains have access to the tools, data, and insights they need to deliver business-critical services.
data protection services that enable the safe and compliant processing of personal data across GCS, core Defra, and APHA.
data into Defra’s new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution (Synergy) so that Defra and its ALBs can deliver its business-critical services and reporting across the people, finance and commercial domains.
data insights that drive decision making on performance and organisation health.

Job description

Key responsibilities

The postholder will provide strategic leadership for Defra’s Group Corporate Services central data function ensuring data is managed and exploited as a strategic asset to support operational excellence, organisational transformation and evidence-based decision making across Group Corporate Services and Arm's Length Bodies.

The role is accountable for the delivery and continuous improvement of business-critical data services, including data and reporting platforms, data and analytics engineering, data governance, and data protection, while leading the digital and data workstream for Defra’s Synergy transformation programme.

This includes ensuring Defra group is prepared for the transition to a new ERP platform and can access trusted, high-quality data to support critical business processes, and statutory and operational reporting.

Leading a core team of 26 staff and an extended digital and data delivery team, the postholder will directly manage four Grade 6 leaders and oversee a budget of approximately £10 million. They will provide strategic direction, manage organisational risk, ensure value for money and drive the development of modern data and reporting capabilities across Group Corporate Services.

As a senior leader within Group Corporate Services, the postholder will influence and collaborate across Defra, ALBs, other government departments and delivery partners, building strong relationships to drive innovation, strengthen data maturity and enable successful delivery of departmental and cross-government priorities.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

As part of the application process, candidates are asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement (no more than 1000 words) on how your relevant skills and experience meet the essential criteria.

Significant experience leading data services and delivery portfolios across large organisations.

Expert knowledge of data operations, data management and data governance. A strong track record of leading multi-disciplinary teams and delivery of organisation-wide digital and data transformation within complex stakeholder environments.

Strong ability to influence across organisational boundaries and build trusted strategic relationships.

A strong understanding of how data is used, its value and how this can be fully enabled and exploited by digital delivery.

Qualifications

No specific qualifications are required; however, the post-holder is likely to be accredited in one of the following areas: please indicate in your personal statement, which one you hold.

Government Digital And Data

Analysis
Data governance and management

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £86,000, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £24,914 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

Selection process details

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

You will be assessed on the following behaviours throughout the selection process: Leadership, Changing and improving, Communicating and influencing, Seeing the big picture

Application Process

As part of the application process, candidates are asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement (no more than 1000 words) on how your relevant skills and experience meet the essential criteria. Completed applications must be submitted no later than the closing date of 23:55, Wednesday 19th August 2026.

Sift

A sift will be conducted against the key criteria in the essential criteria and will assess your experience. Applications will be assessed by the selection panel and shortlisted. (please note: feedback is not given at the shortlist stage)

Staff Engagement Exercise (SEE)

These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision-making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

Full details of the assessment process will be provided to shortlistedcandidates at the earliest opportunity.
For further information regarding the assessments please visit - https://scs-assessments.co.uk/

Interviews

You will be asked to attend a panel interview, in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the essential criteria for the role. As part of the interview, we may ask you to prepare and present a short presentation or undertake a practical desktop exercise. This will be confirmed in the interview invitation. We will also ask some strengths-based questions.

Interviews will be held via MS Teams

Informal chat

Shortlisted candidates will have the opportunity for an informal chat, further details will be provided to those who progress to this stage.

Other Information

Please let us know what adjustments we can put in place to help you through the recruitment process if you are disabled.

Candidates who pass the interview criteria but are not offered a post may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months and may be offered similar roles across the department.

Defra Is committed to ‘name blind’ sifting. That means that identifying characteristics such as your name, gender, age, or address are removed from your application until after shortlisting for interview has taken place.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

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

Salary range

£86,000 per year