Deputy Director for Digital Standards and Inclusive Design

Job summary

The Deputy Director of Digital Standards and Inclusive Design is one of three Deputy Director portfolios within the Government Digital Enablement (GDE) directorate, alongside Digital Devolution and Workforce & Capability. Together, these teams are responsible for improving how public services are designed and delivered, strengthening digital capability across the public sector, and supporting the government's ambitions for digital transformation and devolution.

The role sits at the heart of an increasingly interconnected agenda. Alongside leading work on standards, accessibility and inclusive design, you will work closely with colleagues driving digital devolution, workforce reform, capability development, data sharing, interoperability and digital commercial approaches. Together, these portfolios help create the conditions for more joined-up, effective and user-centred public services across central and local government.

As part of the wider GDS and Digital Transformation landscape, the successful candidate will collaborate with colleagues across policy, service transformation, data, architecture, AI, capability and commercial functions, helping ensure that standards and inclusive design support the delivery of better public services and meaningful real-world outcomes.

This is an opportunity to join a growing and high-profile directorate at a time of significant ambition and change, helping shape work that influences how public services are delivered across the wider public sector.

Job description

As Deputy Director for Digital Standards and Inclusive design your key responsibilities will include:

• Develop and incubate innovative ideas that drive comprehensive service transformation across government, including through evolution of the digital Service Standard, accessibility and inclusive design work
• Identify and seize opportunities to enhance public service delivery from an end to end perspective, including through AI-enabled solutions
• Pilot new concepts to demonstrate effective and efficient public service models
• Develop the means by which we set standards for and measure the quality and accessibility of digital government services
• Monitoring a portfolio of products, service standards, accessibility and transformation initiatives through to delivery
• Oversee the timely responding to parliamentary, NAO reporting and Public Accounts Committee correspondence associated with this portfolio
• Drive up service quality, embedding service and product centred ways of working, to ensure continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with government departments, academia, think tanks, and
  industry partners to generate and test new ideas
• Drive different ways of working across public and private sectors, using innovative procurement and commercial methods to build mutually beneficial partnerships and (build and) access SMEs and scale ups
• Engage with Senior Leaders across DCMS and public sector more widely ensuring service standards and accessibility opportunities are identified and developed
• Identify and prioritise opportunities to create simple, joined-up, and proactive experiences with a focus on driving the delivery of solutions and experiences that transcend departmental boundaries

Person specification

Essential requirements - the successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Able to set a clear strategic direction, build effective partnerships and influence stakeholders at all levels across the public sector, bringing people with them to deliver change.
• Recognised thought leader on service design, service transformation and standards, working openly to share expertise and drive adoption of best practice across government.
• A visible and credible advocate for digital government, championing data-led decision making, experimentation, continuous improvement and modern ways of working.
• Proven ability to build, lead and motivate multidisciplinary teams, fostering an inclusive and high-performing culture across digital, data, accessibility, standards and research disciplines.
• Strong understanding of end-to-end service delivery and user-centred design, with experience of incubating and piloting innovative ideas that improve outcomes within complex organisational environments, including a commitment to accessible and inclusive design.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £86,000, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £24,914 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
• A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

How to apply

To apply for this post please follow the instructions on the CS Jobs website by no later than 23:55 Thursday 8th October 2026. As part of the application process you are asked to complete the following:

1. A CVsetting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role, relevant achievements in recent posts, together with reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
2. A Statement of Suitability (no more than 1000 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference clearly linked to the essential criteria in the person specification.
3. Final Interview

For further information on the application process and an overview on what to expect, please visit the Civil Service Careers website.

Should you encounter any issues with your online application please get in touch with: [email removed]

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