Head of Digital Data & Technology Portfolio Management Office in Edinburgh

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has a clear mission - to grow the economy. Our role is to help businesses invest, grow and export to create jobs and opportunities right across the country. We do this in three ways. Firstly, we help to build a strong, competitive business environment, where consumers are protected and companies rewarded for treating their employees properly. Secondly, we open international markets and ensure resilient supply chains. This can be through Free Trade Agreements, trade facilitation and multilateral agreements. Finally, we work in partnership with businesses every day, providing advice, support and guidance to those looking to start up, invest, export and grow.

The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate develops and operates tools and services to support us in this mission. We are seeking an exceptional leader to help Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) deliver its best work for the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). This new and influential role will establish and lead a high‑performing Portfolio Management Office (PMO) within the Business Operations portfolio, shaping how DDaT plans, governs and demonstrates value while supporting teams to succeed.

Working closely with the DDaT Director, the DDaT Senior Leadership Team and the Head of Strategy, Capability and Engagement, you will provide strategic oversight across finance, commercial management, governance, assurance and reporting. You will help set clear priorities, embed good practice, and create proportionate, enabling processes that support delivery and meet Government Digital Service (GDS) standards.

As this is a newly created role, you will have real scope to design inclusive structures, ways of working and teams that support sustainable delivery at scale. You will lead with empathy and clarity, build trusted relationships across DBT and partner organisations, and act as a constructive, proactive advisor - helping DDaT adapt to change and continuously improve how it delivers outcomes.

• Set the strategic direction for the DDaT PMO, focusing attention on the areas where support and insight will add the greatest value.
• Lead and develop a diverse team, including line management of around 3 direct reports and oversight of a wider portfolio of approximately 20 colleagues, supporting recruitment, wellbeing, learning and performance.
• Foster delivery excellence by ensuring the PMO provides clear, proportionate and supportive services to DDaT teams and wider DBT stakeholders.
• Build strong, inclusive relationships with senior leaders across DDaT, DBT and partner organisations, ensuring shared understanding and alignment of priorities.
• Oversee the management of DDaT’s large budget, promoting strong financial discipline, accurate forecasting and transparency in line with Managing Public Money requirements.
• Lead the DDaT commercial pipeline, ensuring contracts are planned, procured and managed in line with commercial standards, while strengthening commercial capability across the function.
• Ensure workforce, contractor and managed service plans are affordable, sustainable and support long‑term capability building across DDaT.
• Set and maintain an effective DDaT governance framework that supports confident decision‑making and meets DBT and GDS expectations.
• Provide clear, trusted portfolio reporting and assurance, embedding good practice in risk, issue and dependency management and supporting effective Secretariat functions.
• Champion the Government Digital Service functional standards, operating a streamlined and user‑centred assurance approach that helps teams navigate spend controls, service assessments and technical assurance processes.