Deputy Director Data Assets & Contracts & Deputy Director, Geospatial Data Programmes - DSIT - SCS1

Location

This role can be based in Manchester or Bristol. With the potential for travel to London and other DSIT locations.
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 60% of the time. Senior Civil Servant (SCS) staff are expected to aim for closer to 60% of the time at an office or non-home-based location over the accounting period.

About the job

Job summary

Thank you for your interest in these two roles for Deputy Director Data Assets & Contracts and Deputy Director for Geospatial Data Programmes at the heart of the Government’s Digital Service (GDS) in the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology.

Geospatial data policy is at the heart of the Government Digital Service (GDS) and these are both critical leadership roles in the geospatial team working alongside the strategy and sponsorship functions to deliver on geospatial data contracts and programmes on behalf of GDS for the whole of the public sector. The job descriptions that follow here give thorough details of each role – but if you are an open and approachable leader who brings the required experience and enjoy working collaboratively and in partnership with experts to deliver excellence in public sector delivery, then I’d love you to join our team.

Job description

Deputy Director Data Assets & Contracts

As the Deputy Director Data Assets & Contracts you will manage contracts worth over £1bn on behalf of the whole public sector – notably the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA), National Underground Asset Register (NUAR), Aerial Photography GB (APGB) and Postcode Address File (PAF) Public Sector Licence. 

You will oversee

• The operational delivery of the PSGA - a contract with Ordnance Survey that provides trusted national mapping data to the entire public sector, ensuring it meets user needs, realises its intended benefits, and evolves in line with changing government priorities.
• The transition of NUAR from the build to operational phase, ensuring realisation of its benefits, and advising Ministers on additional opportunities through wider access. It includes managing the closure of the Major Projects Portfolio programme, providing strategic oversight of the geospatial contract portfolio to maximise value and mitigate risks, and maintaining supplier performance.
• Collaboration with policy, finance, and commercial teams is essential to align delivery with government priorities. Subject to the Spending Review, the role may also involve overseeing new contracting related to subsurface data.

The successful candidate will be a confident, collaborative leader experienced in managing complex contracts, leading a multidisciplinary team, and ensuring effective contract management, assurance, and accountability of delivery partners.

Key Responsibilities:

As Deputy Director Data Assets & Contracts, your main responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Lead a multidisciplinary team within the Geospatial portfolio, fostering a positive, inclusive culture and enhancing capability across the division.
• Provide operational leadership for the delivery of the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA), ensuring value for money, high-quality services, and alignment with user needs and policy objectives.
• Oversee the management of the Aerial Photography for Great Britain (APGB) programme and the Public Sector Licence for the Postcode Address File (PAF), ensuring effective delivery and robust supplier performance.
• Lead the innovative NUAR programme, recognised with multiple awards, to:

          -  Achieve the projected £461 million annual benefits through the effective operation of the service by Ordnance Survey and the development of necessary                  secondary legislation.

          - Collect evidence to advise Ministers on the potential expansion of access to NUAR to realise additional benefits. 

• Identify, assess, and mitigate delivery risks within the geospatial portfolio, driving continuous improvement and ensuring contracts support overarching government objectives.

Deputy Director for Geospatial Data Programmes

As Deputy Director for Geospatial Data Programmes within the Government Digital Service (GDS), you will lead the UK's strategic initiatives to enhance the geospatial data infrastructure. You will oversee programmes related to earth observation data, address data interoperability, and subsurface datasets, ensuring effective procurement and utilisation across the public sector. You will collaborate with government departments, industry, and research partners to develop policies that maximise the value of location data, supporting sectors such as environmental monitoring, infrastructure, public safety, and economic growth.

Your leadership will drive innovation, streamline programme delivery, and foster a collaborative, high-performing team. You will shape national geospatial policy, oversee large-scale procurement strategies, and ensure operational excellence, contributing to the modernisation of government data infrastructure and advancing the UK’s position as a leader in geospatial innovation. Your strategic vision will support government priorities, optimise public services, and align with broader digital transformation objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

As Deputy Director, Geospatial Data Programmes, your main responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Lead and deliver high-profile geospatial data programmes, including remote sensing (earth observation), subsurface, and addressing Unique Property Reference Number - (UPRN), aligned with the Government’s Digital Blueprint.
• Oversee the strategic procurement and utilisation of earth observation data, driving its adoption across government and supporting AI integration.
• Promote the uptake and interoperability of UPRNs across the public sector, improving data consistency and operational efficiency.
• Enhance access to subsurface data, notably from the British Geological Survey (BGS), underpinning government missions related to land use, risk management, and infrastructure development.
• Develop and oversee policies that optimise the procurement and licensing of geospatial data, ensuring data accessibility, reusability, and compliance with government standards.
• Manage a multidisciplinary team of approximately 20 policy, technical, and specialised roles, fostering a collaborative and inclusive team culture.
• Act as the ‘customer’ in complex procurement processes, working closely with commercial and legal teams to design requirements, monitor supplier performance, manage risks, and ensure programme benefits are realised.
• Contribute to the broader Data Group strategy, aligning geospatial initiatives with wider government digital and data objectives.
• Maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including government departments, data providers, and international partners.

Person specification

Within your CV and Statement of Suitability, it is important that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following:

Essential criteria:

• Leadership – A strong track record in managing multidisciplinary teams at a senior level. Ability to build an inclusive, high-performing culture that drives excellence and collaboration.
• Communicating and Influencing – Communicating effectively with data users across the public sector to represent them as an intelligent customer. Influencing external partners, stakeholders and customers successfully to secure mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Seeing the Bigger Picture – Shaping your work to deliver on the Government’s wider data agenda. Developing in-depth insights into public sector geospatial data and ensuring their impact is properly evaluated.
• Operational Contract Management - experience overseeing the day-to-day delivery of complex, high-value public sector contracts. Proven ability to lead teams in monitoring supplier performance, managing risks, ensuring benefits realisation, and maintaining delivery assurance.

Specialist / desirable skills

• Knowledge of government procurement approaches
• Budgetary oversight and/or accountability

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions