Principal Technologist - CDDO - G6

A part of the Cabinet Office, the Central Digital and Data Office leads the Government Digital and Data function for government. We put the right conditions in place to achieve digital and data transformation at scale by working with departments, and other government functions like commercial, project delivery and security professionals.

We are responsible for:

• Delivering the Cross-Government Digital and Data Strategy for 2022 - 2025
• Digital and Data Strategy and Standards, like the Technology Code of Practice, the Service Standard and Open Standards
• Cross-government Government Digital and Data performance and assurance, including Spend Controls
• Government Digital and Data Capability Development, including the Government Digital and Data pay framework

Job description

The Principal Technologists in CDDO’s CTO function exist to make building great technology easier in the UK Public Sector. In this role you can help central and local government, the NHS, Police, as well as 400+ agencies and other bodies. By setting strategies, principles, standards and identifying best practice, as well as supporting the adoption and embedding of these into the public sector, you’ll help your 32,000+ digital and data colleagues in these organisations deliver transformational change.

Our Principal Technologists are currently focussed on Artificial Intelligence, Engineering Excellence, Cloud & Platforms, Technology Management and Digital Workplace, making these easier for organisations of all sizes. They create strategy and identify opportunities for these technologies for the UK Public Sector.   

You will manage and mentor a Lead Technologist aligned to you and your team, who can support you when you need to rapidly deep-dive into a topic to achieve your team’s outcomes.

As Principal Technologist you will be leading a team including lead technologists, engagement leads and a delivery manager to:

• Set a 10-year intent and strategy for the field you are aligned to, and gain endorsement for this
• Identify and develop existing principles, standards and best practice and promote them, or form and lead a group of technologists from across UK Public Sector to create these
• Work with vendors to maximise their offer to UK Public Sector, and with Government Commercial Function in commercial engagements with vendors
• Build a network of peers across UK Public Sector to regularly engage with
• Promote your work through content written for GOV.UK, speaking engagements and hosting community events
• Help upskill others across UK Public Sector in your specialist area

The above list of job duties is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

These roles have a scale and impact unlike many others: we are routinely involved in commercial engagements worth £billions, respond to pan-Government technology questions from ministers, and provide advice to other international governments.

Please don’t let this sound intimidating; if you could see yourself in this role, we’d like to hear from you.

Person specification

This role requires:

• You must have experience setting a vision and leading digital and data change
• You must have experience designing and building technology and be able to use this to build credibility with others, evaluate proposals and decide an execution approach
• You should have experience engaging with suppliers/vendors both formally and informally
• You should be comfortable presenting to senior stakeholders, both technical (such as CTOs / CDOs across Government) and non-technical (including ministers and permanent secretaries)
• Learning should be embedded in the way you approach your working week, and you should be keen to share your learning with those around you through coaching and mentoring

Technical skills

• You should be at the top skill levels in your Digital & Data specialism, most likely from the Architecture, Data, IT Operations or Software Development groups.
• You should hold relevant industry certifications for your technical specialism.

Benefits

The benefits of working at CDDO

There are many benefits including:

• flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
• a Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• 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

CDDO 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 the Central Digital and Data Office 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