Head of Delivery

What you'll do

GOV.UK is an agile programme at the heart of government digital delivery. We deliver services and content to millions of users every day, alongside critical responses to urgent and priority needs. We have over 17 million users every week, and 99% brand recognition. Read our public roadmap and the GOV.UK blog to get an idea of some of the work.

This role will be reporting to the Deputy Director for User Experience and Platform and working across GOV.UK as part of a multidisciplinary Senior Management Team.

As Head of Delivery, GOV.UK you’ll: 

• Own delivery, tracking and ongoing iteration and updating of the delivery plan, including the critical path
• Lead on delivery and assurance of the GOV.UK Product Strategy
• Lead delivery across multiple teams at different stages of development and product life cycle
• Lead on developing and implementing delivery methods that combine both permanent civil servants and other people and resources seamlessly, and to best effect
• Work closely with GDS Head of Profession for Agile Delivery to ensure that the delivery community across GOV.UK is healthy, sustainable and high performing
• Work within GDS processes, and with senior delivery groups across GDS to track progress against plans. Directly manage 3 lead delivery managers and develop a wider community of talented delivery managers.
• Manage the GDS risk framework, ensuring that all risks are surfaced and mitigations implemented
• Have oversight for recruitment for the GOV.UK delivery community

Who you'll be

You'll be excited by the dynamics of people-centred agile delivery in large teams, and have ideas about how to make things more efficient without losing the lively culture.

You’ll be an individual with strong interpersonal skills, used to managing senior stakeholders and accustomed both to adjusting priorities and leading continuous improvement practices.

We’re interested in people who can demonstrate experience in: 

• agile delivery practice in medium to large digital transformation programmes (proficiency in scaled lean/agile management methods and techniques preferred)
• ensuring a sustainable but progressive delivery momentum, solving issues and unblocking problems and empowering teams to do the same
• having a sound understanding of the variety of disciplines involved in digital delivery, including engineering, service design, content design, product management, performance analysis and user research developed through working in multi-disciplinary teams
• balancing changing priorities and dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty
• prioritising people and resources even when hard choices are required
• building and maintaining effective relationships at senior levels and operating successfully in a complex stakeholder environment with competing priorities

How to apply

In order to be considered for this role please ensure that you demonstrate all of the essential skills listed in the ‘who you are’ section above, with examples from your own experience, in your cover letter.

If you do not provide these examples you will not be progressed to the next stage of the process.

The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of: 

• An application screening process - Simply, hit apply.  We only ask for a CV and Cover Letter up to 750 words. 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. This vacancy will also include a presentation and full details will be provided to candidates invited to an 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.

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

Candidates that do not pass the interview, however, have demonstrated an acceptable standard will be considered for similar roles at a lower grade. 

GDS 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. 

Clearance information 

This role will require BPSS security clearance. You must meet national security vetting requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3 years prior to the date of application.

Additional information

The benefits of working at GDS

At GDS we support, encourage and respect our people and our teams - their individuality, their perspectives and what they have to say. Together, we are bound by the mission to achieve digital transformation, the future, accelerated. 

• Truly flexible working and flexi time 
• Career progression 
• Paid volunteering leave 
• Access to employee assistance programme 
• Career coaching 
• Advances on pay 
• Death in service benefits
• Cycle to work scheme / facilities
• Access to children's holiday play schemes across different locations

How you'll be assessed

In the Civil Service, we use our Success Profiles. For each role we advertise we consider what you will need to demonstrate to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. We will be looking at your experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the specific job role. We may assess your ability, strength, experience, technical/specialist skills and behaviours.

For this role the following behaviours are the most relevant:

Things you need to know

You can find out about the application process and practical details like our office locations on the things you need to know page.

Equal Opportunities 

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our organisation. You can find out more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion and read our equal opportunities statement on our Diversity and Inclusion page.