Principal Technology Advisor –eIDAS & Digital Identity

This may be from involvement in trust services in specific contexts, (ie internet banking, secure messaging services or internet of things), or from a wider consideration of PKI related policies and standards.

You may have relevant experience in digital identity and trust services, such as the current state of the art for qualified trust services, or the direction of travel of digital identity services.

You will be focused on helping shape the future of UK digital identity services that respect and uphold the rights of citizens.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the independent regulator of information rights. In a data-driven world, we provide advice, guidance, and support to organisations enabling compliance with their obligations, as well as protecting individuals and their personal data. 

As an employer, we are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives and careers of our people, and we empower you to be curious, impactful, collaborative and respectful. 

Job description

The Technology Department sits within the Regulatory Risk Directorate is the ICO’s centre of technical expertise. The department specialises in new and emerging technologies and their impact on information rights. The Department’s work is high-impact, complex, and at the frontier of advanced technology and policy development. Reporting to the Group Manager of the Identity and Trust team, you will provide expert technical input to the ICO’s work on trust and identity frameworks.

Key responsibilities:

• Increase the ICO’s technical capabilities to ensure legislative requirements for the UK’s eIDAS scheme are met. This includes working with the  ICO’s eIDAS technical advisor to assess conformance assessments for Trust Service Providers applying to the UK scheme and providing post assessment monitoring and supervision.
• Keep up with developments in digital identity and their implications for information rights such as: interoperability and technical standards, fraud and security risks and mitigations, or usability and inclusivity considerations for identity management.
• Maintain up to date knowledge of best practices and industry trends in relation to trust services and digital identity.
• Develop relationships with key stakeholders and represent the ICO in technical discussions, conferences, and meetings with technical bodies and interest group regarding eIDAS and digital identity.
• Build strong relationships within the ICO and translate technical insights into impactful actions.
• Provide in-depth advice on technology projects and support the development of information rights policy generally as required.
• Understand relevant legislation and broader developments that impact information rights

Person specification 

Essential criteria assessed at application stage:

• Substantial experience relevant to the role requirements, as described in the role responsibilities and person specification, and accumulated through any combination of academic or vocational qualifications or experience.
• Good knowledge of cryptographic concepts (hashes, asymmetric cryptography, digital signatures and encryption).
• Up to date knowledge of current trends and practices in system architecture for digital identity or trust services (such as digital signatures, electronic timestamps,
• Ability to apply technical standards or legislative requirements to the development and application of information and communications technologies

Essential criteria assessed during interview:

• Excellent standard of literacy and effective written communication skills for producing reports, documenting research findings, writing letters and meeting notes
• Ability to deal with a demanding workload which may include conflicting demands on time
• Ability to travel to meetings and events in the UK and overseas (possibly outside office hours)
• Excellent analytical and research skills demonstrating an ability to identify emerging technology trends, developments and related issues
• Excellent verbal communication and presentation skills including the ability to explain technical matters to a non- technical audience
• Strong interpersonal skills including the ability to build and maintain good working relationships, both internally and externally
• A strong desire and aptitude to continually develop technical knowledge, skills and abilities as technology evolves

Equality, diversity, and inclusion 

The ICO is committed to promoting and enhancing equality, diversity, and inclusion. We are focused on developing a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and together we are building an inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference. We are championing this through our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Board together with a number of staff networks. Read more about our commitment on our website.  

Candidates with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy will be invited to interview as part of the ICO’s commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme. 

If you are disabled or have an impairment and require an alternative application method, please email the HR team at recruitment@ico.org.uk

Closing Date 

Please submit your CV by 23:59, 19 January 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy before this date should we receive sufficient applications. Please apply as soon as possible to ensure your application is considered.