CEO, Office for Digital Identities and Attributes - Department for Science, Innovation & Technology - SCS1

Location

Bristol, London, Manchester

About the job

Job summary

The opportunity 

Digital verification and trust services can make it easier for people to prove who they are and complete important tasks safely. They only work when the public, government and the market have confidence in them. 

As Chief Executive of DIA, you will set the strategic direction for a new organisation with an important public purpose. You will shape the policy, governance and legislative framework for trusted and secure digital verification and trust services across the UK. You will also make sure the department delivers its statutory functions effectively and earns confidence across the public and private sectors. 

This is a visible, demanding leadership role. You will bring together ministers, senior officials, regulators and industry leaders, often where interests and expectations differ. You will turn complexity into clear choices, maintain strong safeguards, and help digital identity services develop in a way that protects privacy, security and public trust. 

Job description

What you will do

• Set direction. Develop and lead the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes policy and strategy, aligning ministerial priorities, legislative requirements and cross-government digital transformation goals. 
• Build credible governance. Put in place governance and accountability arrangements that give ministers and the market confidence that DIA’s statutory functions and approximately £9 million budget are well managed. 
• Influence across sectors. Build trusted relationships with senior officials, ministers, regulators and private-sector leaders, using them to shape and influence the future of digital identity. 
• Manage risk and safeguards. Identify and manage policy risks involving privacy, security, interoperability and funding constraints. 
• Lead the statutory and legislative agenda. Oversee the statutory functions in Part 2 of the Data (Use and Access) Act and lead the development of legislative proposals and regulatory frameworks that support the adoption and integrity of digital identity services. 
• Grow a strong team. Build and lead a high-performing policy team, creating an inclusive culture that supports innovation and delivery excellence. 

Person specification

This role is for you if... 

You can lead through ambiguity, make sound decisions and bring people with you. You will be able to show that you have: 

• led complex policy programmes at scale, ideally involving digital services, identity or data governance 
• worked confidently with legislative and regulatory processes, including drafting or influencing primary or secondary legislation 
• influenced senior stakeholders across organisational boundaries in high-pressure environments 
• designed governance models and accountability frameworks for programmes involving more than one department or organisation 
• used strategic thinking and sound judgement to turn complex issues into clear decisions and action 
• communicated clearly with different audiences and built confidence in difficult or unfamiliar work 
• led inclusively and demonstrated a strong commitment to public service values and ethical leadership.