About the job

Job summary

Leading a service that reaches over 17,500 thousand Civil Servants; and you will support the digital transformation of three government departments (we also provide IT services to the Department for Business and Trade) and many smaller agencies.

To be digital is to start and end with people. You will work across a team of exceptionally dedicated staff based across 6 locations and lead them as a cohesive unit. You will help us shape a user-centred mindset within all colleagues, customers, and stakeholders. You will empower your staff to be their best, and in doing so ensure they deliver the best outcomes. In turn we will support your own professional and academic growth. We will encourage you to improve your skills and gain further qualifications, and we will work with industry leaders to gain valuable insights, share knowledge, and build relationships. 

You will be working in a team that delivers critical services to our customers, from providing core IT services to building world-class citizen services (like the Energy Bills Saving Schemes). We ensure governance and delivery assurance for all digital activities and support the department in managing its data. Additionally, we provide data protection and records management compliance services, and are currently integrating AI into our day-to-day tools. Our team provides support, advice, and training to all staff, fostering broader digital learning. We lead our departments in finding innovative ways of using our digital and data resources to transform the way we solve problems and improve the ways we work. 

Job description

The Integrated Corporate Services (ICS), launched in July 2023, is a new shared corporate function providing HR, Finance, Digital, Commercial, Security and Estates services across the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT)  

As the Head of Information Compliance & Services (Data Protection and Records Management) and Data Protection Officer (DPO) for Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), you will have responsibility for the statutory data protection and records management services. 

You will also have responsibility for the Departmental Records Officer (DRO) for DESNZ and DSIT and the design and technical implementation of new records management transformation upgrades/services for both departments.

As a leader you will provide technical direction for the development and delivery of government services. This includes responsibility for setting the vision and direction of data protection and records management with Integrated Corporate Services.

The role offers the opportunity to:

• Help design and shape the data protection programme of work with colleagues across two Departments while championing new ways of working, instilling a culture across staff at all levels and building an understanding of data protection across the organisations.
• Drive the strategic information and records management policy on digital information and the digital corporate record.
• Lead a busy team in fulfilling the ambition to drive the move towards digital information review and preservation of records or deletion (where necessary). You will also lead the identification of opportunities for and incorporation of modern technology and new ways of working into information policies, processes and guidance.

Key Responsibilities :

Data Protection Officer

• You will be the Data Protection Officer providing advice and guidance on data protection issues for DESNZ and DSIT and making decisions on breaches and whether to report them to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
• You will be responsible for DESNZ and DSIT’s compliance with the legislation and the culture within the organisations with regards to data protection.
• You will be the primary point of contact to the DESNZ and DSIT Permanent Secretaries.
• Responsibility for the data protection risks and issues for DESNZ and DSIT and the supporting action/development plans.
• Lead on shaping how each of these legal instruments will be implemented into UK law, including the legal gateways relied upon by the ICS family to identify the most critical activities and likely risks.
• Lead on generating a common interpretation of emerging cross-government guidance to provide ICS, DSIT & DESNZ and Arm’s Length Bodies specific interpretations to cultivate a strong approach towards achieving compliance.

Departmental Records Officer (DRO) & Records Management Service

• Responsible for the DRO for DESNZ and DSIT and the departments compliance with Public Records legislation.
• Supported by the DRO, design and lead the Departments transformation journey onto new digital records management solutions and set the direction for the transition from the legacy corporate paper records and onto the new digital solution. Identify opportunities from Digital’s information management technology portfolio and collaborate across ICS, DESNZ & DSIT to realise them.
• Work closely with the Digital team and others to ensure that DESNZ and DSIT’s digital information assets are appropriately managed in line with legal requirements and user needs.
• Determine and set the information and records management policy that underpins the current application and new solution, feeding into and driving future digital information management technology to ensure that these support user behaviours.
• Contribute to the strategic direction for the use of technology in information management and collaborative working that will deliver new and effective business capabilities and ensure compliance with information legislation.
• Ensure that digital information and record keeping across DESNZ and DSIT  and is consistent with information management handling regimes and information lifecycle.

Management of Resources

• You will have line management of 2 direct reports and oversight of 13  other staff.

Person specification

Skills, experience and qualifications (Essential)

Essential Criteria

• You will have an in-depth knowledge of UK data protection legislation including, but not limited to, data subject rights and the data protection obligations placed on organisations.
• Previous experience of advising on data protection matters and successful management of requests for personal data are essential, although these needn’t have been in a government setting.
• Previous experience of working with Microsoft systems, in particular the lifecycle and retention elements of digital documents
• Experience in digital transformation delivery.
• Effective leadership, interpersonal and communication skills and experience of building, influencing and maintaining strategic partnerships with multiple stakeholders and leading a team.
• Generalist project and programme management skills and understand the importance of collaboration and relationship building in achieving successful delivery outcomes.

 

Desirable

• Holds or is willing to study for a knowledge, information management or records management professional qualification.
• Holds or is willing to study for a data protection qualification.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £75,000, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £20,250 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

How to apply

To apply for this post please follow the instructions on the CS Jobs website by no later than 23:55 on Monday 8th July 2024. As part of the application process you are asked to complete the following:

1. A CV setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role, relevant achievements in recent posts, together with reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
2. A Statement of Suitability (no more than 1000 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.
3. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to undertake one assessment as part of this recruitment prior to a final interview panel:
   • A staff engagement exercise: a structured exercise which involves shortlisted candidates facilitating a discussion with a selection of staff from the Department on a given topic.
   • These assessments will not result in a “pass” or “fail” decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.
4. Shortlisted candidates may have the opportunity to speak to the vacancy holder, Karl Hoods, CBE Group Chief Digital and Information Officer for Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and Department for Science, Innovation & Technology prior to the final interview. This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role, and is not part of the assessment process.
5. Final Interview which will include a presentation exercise.

For further information on the application process and an overview on what to expect, please visit the Civil Service Careers website.

 

Overview of the Process

Government Recruitment Service will acknowledge your application and advise you of the outcome of the sift meeting. Depending on the number of applications received there may be a second stage sift.

Applications will be sifted to select those demonstrating the best fit with the post against the criteria set out in the person specification. Please ensure you keep this in mind when writing your CV and supporting statement.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

Arrangements for interview

The final selection panel interviews will be held on 1st August 2024. 

If candidates are required to prepare a presentation for their interview, they will be given at least one week’s notice of the subject.

Expenses incurred by candidates during the recruitment process will not be reimbursed by the Department except in exceptional circumstances and only when agreed in advance.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.