Assurance Cluster Lead - CDDO

The Cluster Lead manages a cohort of departments along with its respective Senior Digital and Technology Advisors in providing advice and assurance to government departments and arms lengths (ALBs) bodies. You will be responsible for: 

• assuring the quality of assurance engagement with departments within the cluster you lead, and of the recommendations which are made on a bi-weekly basis to the Minister.
• the performance of the cluster you lead, ensuring that the team are given the support they need, that dips in performance are dealt with quickly and effectively, and dealing with any problems the team have that are escalated to your level
• working with ministers and civil servants up to and including Director General level to challenge projects and programmes that have weaknesses, shaping conditions that will allow teams adhere more closely to government standards
• leading and mentoring senior digital, data and technology advisers and being responsible for ensuring that the work of the team is aligned with CDDO priorities
• integrating the work of the team with other areas of CDDO and the wider DDaT and Spend Controls functions to deliver clear, consistent assurance to departments in alignment with the cross-government Digital and Data Strategy
• alignment to one or more departments and will act as the CDDO lead and point of contact for all assurance activities within that department/ALB range, scoping opportunities for CDDO to support wider digital transformation. 
• ensuring the team iterates, leverages and shares its data and insight to support the team and CDDO’s objectives.
• provide ad-hoc support / draw on experts in CDDO requests in alignment with the assurance model for prioritised departments and arms lengths bodies. Includes leading, mentoring and supporting a pool of resources from the function including peers in other functions such as the Infrastructure & Projects Authority

Who you'll be

We're looking for people with strong interpersonal skills who enjoy working in a delivery-focused, agile environment. We're looking for people who care about technology and who know how to make projects succeed and constructively identify issues or risks.

This role requires:

• strong proven engagement, communication skills including the ability to use a range of different engagement approaches to support constructive challenge, and manage conflicting priorities
• experience of DDaT in the public sector and an understanding of the DDaT function in government
• experience of working in leadership roles within delivery teams or having consulting experience advising enterprise DDaT programmes, or building or managing DDaT transformation portfolios
• experience of successfully managing a wide range of stakeholders, across multiple organisations with varied cultures, the ability to form and maintain strong collaborative relationships, and the ability to negotiate constructively with senior stakeholders and delivery teams

Additional Information 

We will also be assessing your experience, behaviours and technical skills.  

The standard selection process for roles at CDDO consists of:

• An application screening process - Simply, hit apply.  We only ask for a Name Blind Cover letter (up to 750 words) and a name blind CV. Important tip - please ensure that your cover letter includes how you meet the skills and experience listed in the “who you’ll be” section above.
• An interview - We will asses you against the behaviours listed above, technical experience and your experience
• A presentation at interview

Depending on the volume of applications we may also include an additional stage, which you will be invited to should you pass the application screening stage.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status.

CDDO offers hybrid working for all employees. This means that everyone does some working from home/remote working and also spends some time in their local office. You will agree to your hybrid working arrangement with your line manager in line with your preferences and business needs.   

The level of clearance required for this role is Security Clearance or Developed Vetting depending on the team you join. Further details are outlined in Security vetting for employees. 

 The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. For further information see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prison-leavers-project-improving-outcomes-for-prison-leavers