Chief of Staff, Cyber Security and Digital Identity

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Full-time

London, England, United Kingdom

1001-5000

London, GB

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Job summary

At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.

We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development.

We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared.

We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back.

We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future.

Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives. Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do.

Our inclusive environment

We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.

Please note

Former DSIT recruitment campaigns are continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the Government’s announcement on the changes to some civil service departments, roles will be subject to the machinery of government moves and will ultimately be in one of the new departments. We will provide more information if you are selected for a role. This work remains of high importance to the civil service, and we thank you for your continued interest.

Job description

The Cyber Security and Digital Identity directorate sits at the heart of the UK’s efforts to strengthen cyber resilience, drive growth through cyber and digital technologies, and ensure citizens and organisations can thrive in an increasingly digital world.

Our work spans cyber resilience, digital identity, technology innovation, growth and national security priorities. We work closely with Ministers, senior officials, industry, regulators, the National Cyber Security Centre and partners across government.

As Chief of Staff to the Director, you will operate as the Director’s principal strategic adviser, helping to lead and coordinate a large, complex and high-profile directorate. Working across policy, programme delivery and corporate functions, you will ensure the Director and Senior Leadership Team remain focused on their highest priorities, while driving organisational effectiveness, accountability and delivery.

This is a highly visible leadership role requiring exceptional judgement, strategic thinking and the ability to influence at senior levels. You will have significant autonomy and responsibility for coordinating activity across multiple teams, ensuring decisions are implemented, risks are managed and priorities are aligned.

You will act as the connective tissue between the Director, Senior Leadership Team, the directorate and the wider department, helping the directorate operate as a coherent, high-performing organisation. The role is suited to someone who combines strategic thinking with strong operational delivery skills and enjoys working at pace across a diverse and challenging portfolio.

Person specification

Act as principal adviser and trusted partner to the Director on strategic, operational and organisational matters.
Lead the Director’s Office and ensure effective coordination across all directorate priorities.
Drive implementation of Director and Senior Leadership Team decisions, ensuring delivery remains on track.
Lead directorate governance arrangements, including Senior Leadership Team and senior management forums.
Lead cross-directorate initiatives and priority projects on behalf of the Director.
Support organisational design, transformation and continuous improvement across the directorate.
Build strong relationships across DSIT, government, industry and delivery partners to advance directorate objectives.
Ensure the Director’s engagement with Ministers, senior officials and external stakeholders is strategically coordinated and effective.
Line manage staff within the Director’s Office.

As a line manager, you will be responsible for working with your members of staff to define their objectives, as well as managing their development and performance.

Essential criteria

Excellent strategic thinking, with the ability to understand complex issues quickly and give clear advice.
Outstanding communication, briefing and drafting skills.
Strong leadership and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively with senior stakeholders.
Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
Experience of driving delivery through others and holding teams to account for outcomes.
High levels of resilience, discretion and personal integrity.

Desirable criteria

Experience in cyber security, digital, national security, technology or regulatory policy environments.
Experience supporting a Director General, Director or equivalent senior leadership team.

Behaviours

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

Communicating and influencing
Leadership
Making effective decisions

Salary and benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,275, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £16,882 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.

Office attendance

The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 500 words) to outline how you meet the essential criteria set out in the job advert.

Applications will be sifted on CV and Personal Statement.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement only.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviour and strength-based questions.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact

Name: Will Fletcher
Email: Will.Fletcher@dsit.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email: dsitresourcing.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Reasonable adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DSIT Candidate Guidance. A DSIT Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.

We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact.

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

Security and nationality requirements

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting.

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)
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)

For further information on nationality requirements visit the specified links.