Job details

We are currently searching for Chief Technology Officers that we will be recruiting for on behalf of the Ministry of Defence for a 9-month initial contract based in Corsham.

Defence has an ambition to put modern digital capability at the heart of how it operates to create a winning advantage. This is driven by an underpinning premise that emerging digital technology together with the effective capture, analysis and use of data will enable transformative military and business performance.

To achieve our ambition requires a bold mindset that challenges the way we operate and to recognise that success requires fundamental change: it will not be achieved by just doing the same things better.

The strategic intent is: To create transformative technical architecture capability, enabling sustainable military and business advantage, that is secure, integrated, easy to use and delivered at scale on fast adoption cycles.

Realising this intent requires focus on five enduring outcomes:

• A capable and cohesive IT function Develop the right skills and work environment. A single function acting together to drive strategy. Responsive Cyber Defence Intelligence-led approach to anticipate and respond to dynamic risks.
• Digitise the Battlespace Deploy new capability to drive information integration, interoperability and operational speed.
• Efficient & Effective IT Services Easy to use, intuitive services and a trusted track record of consistent and reliable delivery.
• Data-led Business Transformation Information as an asset within simplified and automated business processes to drive insight, effectiveness and lower costs. Meeting the needs of the future will require a cohesive and connected function and achieving the big prizes we seek lies in building capability that integrates across existing internal and external boundaries.
• This is truly an exciting time to be part of the Digital and IT (D&IT) Function inside MoD. Breath-taking technology capability, arriving at unprecedented pace, and Defence’s strategic intent to exploit it means that we play a critical role. I am proud to be part of it, and I look forward to helping grow the already impressive contribution D&IT has made to UK Defence. With the current digital transformational change programme underway in Defence, Chief Technlology Officer will be critical to setting the vision for, enabling and embedding game-changing technologies to ensure that the current and future technology opportunities for the Defence Information Environment are head on.

As Chief Technology Officer, you will: 

• Rapidly immerse yourself in the current environments and people to understand our history and current position before working with colleagues from Army, Navy, Air, Space and others to deliver an ambitious vision for the future architecture across Defence.
• You’ll engage a 3000 strong team of technologists to understand current services and co-create and agree pragmatic ambitious steps to implement and govern the new architecture to support new levels of coherence
• Lead and direct task-based teams consisting of Crown Servants & Contracted Technical Support to translate and exploit Government and Defence Technology Policy, alongside assimilating and planning for technology evolution, driving this into effective enterprise change roadmaps for Information and Communications Technology, focusing on beneficial outcomes for the user
• Provide and co-ordinate SME guidance and support to the Design Authority Board (as an ad-hoc member, when required), ensuring that there are planned roadmaps, to assimilate future technologies in Core Architectural Components and Technologies/Tools
• Act as the Technical Authority for the Centres of Expertise, ensuring that appropriate technologies and planned technology evolution is included in the CoE’s service evolution and delivery. This will have particular focus on emerging digital exploitation technologies, e.g. Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Synthetics, Assisted Analytics, Enhanced Reality, Device Meshes and Digital Twins
• Ensure the necessary Digital & Technology Upskilling & Education – using industry and Defence staff development investments, ensure that a programme of education and industry sessions enable Digital Enablement crown servants to gather the skills required in current and future technologies. Support the Defence Digital Academy with technology themed streams of education and awareness
• Work with the security and accreditation policy and process owners across Government & Defence to ensure our policies are fit for purpose, and sufficiently automated and agile, to enable defence to be a competitive force now and in the future
• Work closely with Commercial colleagues, establish a range of supplier engagement activities to change/challenge commercial process and suppliers into releasing and evolving the technology eco-system for Defence. Engage with key suppliers to maintain MOD influence over the supplier’s product development plans

You’ll have:

• Valid and active SC Clearance
• Suitable and varied experience in a combination of Information, Technology, Strategy and Implementation roles, ideally in both private and public sector IT teams
• Global and extensive technical leadership and strategy experience across a broad range of technologies and services, particularly in digital exploitation
• Prior experience of influencing corporate Board-level stakeholders (if not already managing at corporate level).
• Experience in developing / informing / influencing / enabling Information and Data Strategy and Implementation frameworks for large organisation

It would be great to also have:

• APMP, MSP, GKIM 1-3, COBIT v5, TOGAF Practitioner and Agile Scrum Master & Product Owner 
• The following SFIA competencies and DDaT roles:
  • SFIA:  IT Governance (GOVN) L7, Information Systems Co-ordination (ISCO) L6, Enterprise and Business Architecture Development (STPL) L6, Solution Architecture (ARCH) L6, System Design (DESN) L5, SFIA Business Analysis (BUAN) L5 and Information Management (IRMG) L6
  • DDAT: Technical Architect, Business Analyst Product Delivery & Management, Data Architect

If this sounds like you and you would be interested in being added to our pipeline, please click the link to apply.

"In applying for this role you acknowledge the following; this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment, and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different."