Deputy Director, Data Strategy

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre of government - setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital government. GDS is responsible for setting the digital strategy for government.

The Blueprint for Modern Digital Government sets out our vision and we are responsible for:

• Setting the digital strategy for government
• Measuring and managing digital performance across government
• Maintaining guidance and tools to support best practice, including the Service Manual
• Driving greater efficiency in digital public services
• Owning product strategy and delivery for government including GOV.UK and its common components, GOV.UK One Login, artificial intelligence (AI) products for use across government, geospatial data, the National Data Library and the National Underground Asset Register
• Leading the Government Digital and Data function and champion the work of digital teams across government

Job description

In the Data Directorate, we are responsible for:

The Data Directorate within the Government Digital Service (GDS) is responsible for developing strategies and innovations to ensure that data is used effectively and efficiently across the public sector. Its work is crucial for achieving important government goals, including the UK’s AI Adoption Plan, the Government’s Missions, the Cyber Security Strategy, and GDS’s Blueprint for Modern Government, which includes plans for the National Data Library and the Plan for Change.

Currently, the UK public sector faces challenges with the quality, accessibility, and sharing of data. The Data Directorate is focused on making significant improvements in these areas. It is also committed to managing security risks by putting in place the right technical and non-technical measures, allowing data to be shared safely and used to drive value, especially in relation to AI.

For 2025/2026, Data Directorate has set six main priorities:

1. A Mission-Led Data Strategy for Government: Creating a clear strategy that supports the government’s main goals.
2. Unlock Data Sharing: Making it easier for different departments and organisations to share data and work together.
3. Data Managed as an Asset: Treating data as a valuable resource and managing it wisely to get the most out of it.
4. Modern Data Capabilities and Platforms: Improving data technology and systems to better meet the needs of the public sector.
5. Right Mindset, Strong Skills, Thriving Community: Encouraging a culture that appreciates data, developing skills within the workforce, and building a supportive community around data use.
6. Evidence Based, Measurable Impact: Focusing on making decisions based on evidence and ensuring that the results of data initiatives can be measured.

By focusing on these priorities, the Data Directorate aims to enhance how data is handled in the UK public sector, ensuring that it meets current needs and is prepared for future challenges within a modern, user-friendly government.

The success of the Data Directorate will be assessed by how effectively it advances the six strategic priorities:

• A Mission Led Data Strategy for Government: We will shift the mindset across the public sector to establish a common vision of the value of data. Our focus will be on leading the development of this shared vision and demonstrating the importance of data in achieving government missions.

• Unlock Data Sharing: Our goal is to improve efficiency, transform services, and drive economic growth within the public sector. We will deliver the National Data Library to enhance the availability, interoperability, and accessibility of key public sector data assets, thereby enabling better services for citizens and fostering economic development.

• Data Managed as an Asset: We will treat data as a highly valuable asset, ensuring it is managed ethically, legally, and securely. This involves improving the quality, accessibility, and interoperability of data through the implementation of robust data standards, tools, and guidance across departments and the wider public sector. We will emphasise data ethics, privacy, and transparency to instill public confidence in the trustworthy use of data and AI.

• Modern Data Capabilities and Platforms: We aim to develop modern data capabilities and platforms that operate across all departments, facilitating proactive actions while reducing unnecessary effort, risk, and costs. We will create a common ecosystem of platforms and APIs to enable secure and efficient data sharing, thereby lowering administrative burdens and enhancing public services. Additionally, we will expand the use of the Digital Economy Act to ensure data sharing benefits the public.

• Right Mindset, Strong Skills, Thriving Community: We will foster the growth of an expert data community at all levels within government. This entails building data skills and capabilities across various functions through communities of practice that share best practices and innovations, as well as engaging strategically with suppliers to learn from the private sector.
• Evidence Based, Measurable Impact: We will focus on quantifying the impact, value, and return on investment of our digital, data, and AI initiatives. This will be achieved through the work of our analysis function, which will support evidence-based decision-making and strategy development.

Our team has large ambitions. We want to improve and transform our public services through effective use of data. A key part of that is our cross-government strategy, our standards and our governance.

Working with the Government Chief Data Officer, the Data Leadership Team, the National Data Library Programme and Chief Data Officers across the public sector you will lead the government's mission to better use its data as part of the National Data Strategy.

You will be responsible for drafting and coordinating the government's data strategy across five priority areas, focusing on:

• Unlocking data sharing
• Ensuring data are managed as assets
• Modernising data platforms and capabilities
• Confirming there is the right mindset, and thriving data community cross-government
• Ensuring data’s impact is evidence based and quantified.

You will ensure departments follow data standards and remove obstacles to using and reusing data effectively in the public sector.

You will lead your team and influence stakeholders across the public sector in data policy, strategy, and governance relating to data to achieve successful outcomes.

In this role, you work closely with Ministers, Special Advisers, Permanent Secretaries, Chief Data Officers and other Digital and Data leaders across the public sector and other senior leaders across the wider system to deliver this high-profile agenda at pace.

The core responsibilities of the post:

• Implement a national data strategy.
• Lead and develop a thriving public sector data community.
• Manage the broad Data Portfolio.
• Knowledge and information management
• Advance data maturity and establish data governance structures to report to senior leaders and ministers.
• Champion data access to improve services and decision-making.
• Support the National Data Library Programme.

Person specification

As a Deputy Director, you have a strong track record in data standards, strategy and governance - supporting data transformation.

Essential skills include:

• Expertise in designing and delivering data policy work
• Deep expertise in the multifaceted nature of managing data as an asset and establishing best practice for use of data to deliver on outcomes for departments
• Adept in connecting missions, policy and department priorities to data strategy
• Understanding and experience of modern data capabilities across culture, people, process, technology
• Experience in ethics, trust, regulation, privacy, and legislation on data
• Leadership in building high-performing, multidisciplinary teams.
• The confidence and credibility to influence senior leadership cross-government.
• The ability to prioritise resources, handle ambiguity, and foster relationships across organisational barriers in a complex stakeholder environment.

Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 17th March 2025