Chief Digital Officer

Base Location: Manchester (Hybrid; 2 days per week) Travel: London office visits roughly once every 2 to 4 weeks Length: 3 Months initial Day rate: £985 p/d Inside IR35 Clearance: BPSS We are seeking an Chief Digital Officer to lead an immediate, high-priority programme updating how digital public services are built, measured, and assured across government. The Leadership Brief

• Service Standards Evolution: Lead the consultation, strategic redesign, and rollout of refreshed digital standards, creating a practical framework that supports both formal assurance gates and broader end-to-end service transformation.
• Cross-Sector Alignment: Build consensus across multiple central departments, local government, and wider public services to ensure adoption and legitimacy across the digital landscape.
• Accessible & Inclusive Design: Ensure future standards embed deep accessibility, digital inclusion, and citizen-centred principles from the outset.
• Team Leadership: Provide strategic direction and strong line management to a team of 15 senior digital, data, accessibility, and technical specialists.
• Bridging Policy & Delivery: Translate overarching digital strategy and policy into fast-paced, pragmatic implementation plans. What We Are Looking For
• Proven Public Sector Experience: Demonstrable track record leading digital transformation or service redesign within UK Central Government, Local Government, or the wider public sector (essential).
• Hands-on Standards Background: First-hand experience with the Service Standard-ideally having led live services through formal service assessments and assurance gates.
• Senior Digital Leadership: Background operating at Deputy Director, Head of Digital, Chief Digital Officer (CDO), or Programme Director level.
• Broad Public Landscape Exposure: Experience working across multiple departments or sectors rather than a single agency silo, with proven credibility influencing diverse senior stakeholders.
• Pragmatic Delivery Focus: A proactive leader who combines strategic policy acumen with the ability to unblock delivery and maintain momentum.