Head of Delivery Management (GOV.UK App - Products and Services) - GDS - G6

Location

Bristol, London, Manchester

About the job

Job summary

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre of government. We are responsible for setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital government.

Our priorities are to drive a modern digital government, by:

1. joining up public sector services
2. harnessing the power of AI for the public good
3. strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure
4. elevating leadership and investing in talent
5. funding for outcomes and procuring for growth and innovation
6. committing to transparency and driving accountability

We are home to the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (I.AI), the world-leading GOV.UK and at the forefront of coordinating the UK’s geospatial strategy and activity. We lead the Government Digital and Data function and champion the work of digital teams across government.

We’re part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and employ more than 1,000 people all over the UK, with hubs in Manchester, London and Bristol.

The Government Digital Service is where talent translates into impact. From your first day, you’ll be working with some of the world’s most highly-skilled digital professionals, all contributing their knowledge to make change on a national scale.

The Government Digital Service (GDS), part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), exists to help government create brilliant public services that empower people in the UK. We work at the very centre of government to drive digital transformation, focused on users in line with the blueprint for modern digital government.

The Products & Services Directorate (P&S) within GDS is responsible for the GOV.UK app, as well as common capabilities, products and tools for others to use and create great public services that are accessible, inclusive and easy to use:

• 
  
  • GOV.UK app: building a personalised and proactive relationship with users, making it easier to interact with government 
  • GOV.UK AI: maximising opportunities of current technological advances to develop citizen facing AI experiences
  • GOV.UK Mailbox, GOV.UK Pay, GOV.UK Notify, GOV.UK Forms and Emergency Alerts: building services once, to be used across government, local authorities and police forces

Join us for rewarding work that makes a difference across the UK. You'll solve some of the nation’s highest-priority digital challenges, helping millions of people access services they need.

Job description

As Head of Delivery for the GOV.UK app, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the integrated and assured delivery of a complex range of product streams and capabilities. This portfolio includes the GOV.UK app, AI, communications and payments at national scale. 

We seek a passionate Head of Delivery who thrives in fast-paced environments and possesses expert knowledge of Agile and other methodologies to enable national scale delivery at pace.

You will have the skills and experience to enable the strategic delivery of a multi-channel citizen experience ensuring portfolio performance, risk, matrix deliveries, cost and time constraints are considered and delivered against, alongside expertise in operational delivery. You will oversee program-level analysis to escalate, report, and communicate plans and changes to key stakeholders.

As a Head of Delivery Management you’ll:

• manage a complex roadmap and backlog for nation scale products
• manage dependencies across a range of areas including Legal, Data Protection and Information Security, as well as across GDS, and with other government departments, including feeding into other programmes and portfolios
• confidently build strong relationships with key stakeholders across GDS and other government departments
• build credibility and confidence with senior stakeholders through clear communications and updates
• demonstrate in-depth knowledge of app development, Agile and other methodologies
• remove blockers and manage risks, commercials, budgets and people, acting as the initial escalation point for the programme
• support the Deputy Directors by overseeing the delivery of their vision for the programme
• lead on developing and implementing delivery methods that combine both permanent civil servants and other people and resources seamlessly, and to best effect

Person specification

For this role, you must demonstrate significant experience in:

• delivery of a public facing product / programme at national scale
• delivery of multiple streams within a product portfolio, minimising risk and optimising for success
• developing and leading high-performing teams through the full product life cycle, identifying and mitigating risks across all stages
• solving and unblocking issues between teams or departments at the highest level
• superpower levels of attention to detail
• managing stakeholder expectations and moderating discussions about high risk and complexity, even within constrained timescales
• It would be desirable if you have recent experience of leading app development and/or Ai programmes of work