Job summary
The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre of government. We are responsible for setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital government.
Our priorities are to drive a modern digital government, by:
- joining up public sector services
- harnessing the power of AI for the public good
- strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure
- elevating leadership and investing in talent
- funding for outcomes and procuring for growth and innovation
- committing to transparency and driving accountability
We are home to the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (I.AI), the world-leading GOV.UK and at the forefront of coordinating the UK’s geospatial strategy and activity. We lead the Government Digital and Data function and champion the work of digital teams across government.
We’re part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and employ more than 1,000 people all over the UK, with hubs in Manchester, London and Bristol.
The Government Digital Service is where talent translates into impact. From your first day, you’ll be working with some of the world’s most highly-skilled digital professionals, all contributing their knowledge to make change on a national scale.
Join us for rewarding work that makes a difference across the UK. You'll solve some of the nation’s highest-priority digital challenges, helping millions of people access services they need.
This role is in the Office of the Government Chief Technology Officer (OCTO). We published the State of Digital Government report, own the Cloud First Policy, created the AI Playbook.
Job description
The Principal Technologists in GDS’s Office of the Government 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 1,000+ 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 100,000+ 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.
