Chief Digital Officer – Employee Experience
| Posting date: | 09 September 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £81,000 to £117,800 per year |
| Additional salary information: | The expectation is that external new starters will be appointed at the bottom of the pay band. |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 05 October 2025 |
| Location: | Darlington |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 426852/4 |
Summary
Within DDaT’s matrix management structure, the Chief Digital Officer (Employee Experience) has responsibility both for the Business Operations job family in DDaT, and DDaT’s Employee Experience Portfolio which encompasses FutureDBT transformation. In total this will include circa 40 people in your responsibility.
The role will also be part of DDaT’s senior management team (SMT), providing strategic leadership to the DDaT function and representing both the Employee Experience portfolio and the Business Operations job family in strategic cross-functional discussion, as well as taking corporate responsibility for collective leadership. There is an expectation that this position will take a leading role in supporting DBT’s Partner Organisations DDaT strategies.
Professional leadership
This role is very much about leading and delivering through others. The Business Operations job family includes portfolio management, knowledge management, commercial, finance, policy & strategy, capability, workforce planning, assurance, reporting and governance including compliance with GDS service standards and spend controls. We both embed as members of multidisciplinary teams and work as part of DDaT’s specialist teams where required.
- Workforce planning and capability help us to recruit, retain and encourage our specialist DDaT workforce through the DDaT capability framework, specialist learning & development and apprenticeships.
- Commercial and finance work closely with DDaT and corporate services colleagues to ensure DDaT’s complex financial and commercial arrangements are manage in a timely and cost-effective way.
- Policy and strategy oversee engagement with a complex array of topics across DBT and government, respond to critical commissions, lead business planning and manage the private offices of the DDaT leadership team.
- Knowledge management ensures that DDaT’s record-keeping is best in class to support continuous improvement.
- The Portfolio Management Office support the successful reporting and coordination of the DDaT portfolios, acting as a key liaison point for DDaT leadership to have oversight.
- Assurance, Reporting and Governance provide the expertise to ensure DBT DDaT and DBT’s Partner Organisations are complying with the GDS service standards and spend controls. Also supporting Partner Organisation’s DDaT strategies through support and advice.
Delivery portfolio
The Employee Experience portfolio encompasses the delivery of digital products and services for the use primarily of DBT’s staff. Working in agile multi-disciplinary teams the products and services include:
- The DBT Intranet;
- People Finder internal directory;
- Single Sign-On function (SSO);
- Information Risk Assurance Process workflow software;
- Joiners, Movers, Leavers workflow software;
- Financial Forecasting Tool;
- Ongoing remediation and consolidation of internal tools following the creation of the department.
The portfolio also encompasses being the key partner in the FutureDBT transformation programme to support DBT becoming a simpler, faster, tech-enabled department.
You’ll look to continuously improve our practices and our culture across the portfolio. You’ll empower teams, including the wider portfolio team, to lay the foundations to deliver on an ambitious, long-term business plan for the portfolio; and unblock teams where necessary to allow them to deliver through a range of interventions. Your responsibilities will include supporting the organisation in delivery, developing the capabilities of your team, and representing the department across communities within government and the wider business community. You’ll ensure robust delivery practices are in place, looking to continuously improve our ways of working.
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