About the job

Job summary

GDS exists to help government make brilliant public services that empower people in the UK. We work at the very centre of government to drive digital transformation, focused on users. We build and maintain common platforms, products and tools for others to use and create great public services that are accessible, inclusive and easy to use. We also work with departments to identify patterns, share learning and create change to make government more efficient.

Our teams are organised around delivering on our strategy. These are:

• making it easier for people to find what they are looking for on GOV.UK
• building common service platforms to make it simpler and cheaper to build quality digital services
• promoting agile, user-centred design practices both in the UK and across the world

GOV.UK

GOV.UK makes it simple for everyone to interact with the government. Every day, we support millions of people to complete routine tasks to life-changing actions, from registering a death to paying their taxes. For a decade, we have been the authoritative, accessible, and accurate home of the UK government online. But we want to go further. The ambitious GOV.UK Strategy has growth at its heart. We want to reach more people, in the places and ways they expect, to ensure everyone who needs to can access government services and support.

The Head of Strategy role sits within a newly formed deputy directorate with responsibility for strategy, data insights and analytics, and programme management. This group is intended to set GOV.UK's long-term direction, monitor and evaluate its progress, and drive data-driven decision-making across the programme, in a virtuous cycle of continuous improvement. The Head of Strategy will lead a team of c.7 strategy, evaluation, comms and engagement professionals.

Find out more about our work at:

• Inside GOV.UK blog 
• GDS blog 

Job description

As the Head of Strategy, GOV.UK, you will: 

• work with the Senior Leadership Team to determine GOV.UK's strategy
• communicate and align the strategy with stakeholders, developing a compelling narrative and supporting materials; inspire and motivate others to embrace and execute the strategy
• translate the strategy into secure long-term funding for GOV.UK, via business case development and Spending Review
• develop the programme's benefits model and evaluation strategy, embedding tracking and monitoring within the programme
• monitor and measure the progress and performance of the strategy via key metrics and recommend adjustments as needed, working with the Head of Data
• develop strategic user insights for GOV.UK - to inform strategy development, working with the Heads of Data and User Research
• scan the external environment and anticipate the emerging trends, technologies, and user needs that can impact the strategy; foster a culture of innovation and creativity
• identify and monitor strategic risks, as well as opportunities, recommending solutions and mitigations as required
• manage and drive engagement with priority stakeholders to ensure the programme fully understands stakeholder needs and to enable delivery against the strategy in partnership with other government departments
• oversee the programme’s external communications, supported by our communications lead and working closely with the communications teams in GDS and Cabinet Office
• lead a refresh of GOV.UK's brand in line with wider strategy, and oversee implementation and ongoing maintenance and enforcement of the brand
• lead a team of strategy and engagement professionals, developing and supporting staff to be the best they can be and to achieve objectives
• cct as a valued and integral member of the GOV.UK 'Heads' group, the senior management team responsible for leading the GOV.UK programme as a whole
• shape the formation of a new Deputy Directorate within GOV.UK with responsibility for strategy, data insights and programme management
• deputise for the Deputy Director for Strategy and Programme Delivery as required

Person specification

We’re interested in people who:

• have experience leading strategy teams to develop and maintain strategy, and influence planning and delivery at scale
• communicate persuasively – in person, in writing and tailored to the audience – with teams, and senior stakeholders, both internal and externally
• demonstrate a track record of growing, guiding and developing teams and individuals in a culture of continuous improvement
• demonstrate analytical rigour, pulling together strong evidence and testing assumptions with users, delivery partners and stakeholders
• have experience developing compelling business case to successfully secure project funding
• are able to operate in an ambiguous and changing environment, identifying what's important and continuing to drive delivery
• are able to lead without authority, influencing and motivating peers and stakeholders to deliver outcomes and align plans
• have excellent facilitation skills; able to plan, facilitate and steer processes to produce outcomes
• have experience setting communications and stakeholder engagement strategies and overseeing their implementation
• have experience of leading brand governance, brand research and/or brand development, brand building or refreshing a brand

Benefits

The benefits of working at GDS

There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:

• flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
• a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
• an extra day off for The King’s birthday
• an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
• career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
• paid volunteering leave
• a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
• advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
• death in service benefits
• cycle to work scheme and facilities
• access to children's holiday play schemes across different locations in central London
• access to an employee discounts scheme
• 10 learning days per year
• volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
• access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning

GDS offers hybrid working for all employees. This means that everyone does some working from home and also spends some time in their local office. You’ll agree to your hybrid working arrangement with your line manager in line with your preferences and business needs.

Any move to Government Digital Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Things you need to know

Selection process details

The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:

• a simple application screening process - We only ask for a CV. You will also need to answer two application questions based on the person specification
• a 60 minute video interview. As part of the interview process there will be a time-bound written test to assess your ability to understand and rework unfamiliar material, and a 60 minute in-person interview

Whilst we value the use of AI technology to enhance our daily work, we also value the personal touch and urge applicants to write cover letters without the use of AI to emphasise their own unique experiences.

Depending on how many applications we get, there might also be an extra stage before the video interview, for example a phone interview or a technical exercise.

In the event we receive a high number of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criteria which is:

• Tell us about a time when you developed a new strategic direction, e.g. for a product or programme. What approach did you take? And how did you bring people along with you?

In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. We’ll be assessing your technical abilities, skills, experience and behaviours that are relevant to this role.

For this role we’ll be assessing you against the following Civil Service Behaviours:

• Seeing the bigger picture
• Communicating and influencing
• Leadership
• Making effective decisions

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

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

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.