Head of Portfolio - Digital (Ref: 21099) in Edinburgh

This position is based Nationally.

We’re recruiting a Head of Digital Portfolio to join our warm and collaborative team at Justice Digital, Data and Science. This role aligns against the Head of Portfolio Management role from the Government Digital and Data Framework.

As Head of Portfolio, you will provide authoritative strategic oversight of a complex and high-profile digital portfolio operating within a multi-stakeholder government environment. You will ensure transparency of delivery performance, effective governance and assurance, and robust management of risk and dependencies. Through high-quality portfolio insight, you will enable informed decision-making at senior leadership and Board level.

You will lead and develop a team of digital portfolio managers and contribute to the wider portfolio management community across Justice Digital, Data and Science.

At this role level, you will:

• Provide strategic oversight and governance of digital initiatives across the portfolio, ensuring coherence and alignment to Justice Digital, Data and Science strategy.
• Ensure proportionate, effective and consistently applied governance and assurance controls.
• Oversee portfolio-level risks, interdependencies and systemic issues, addressing or escalating as appropriate.
• Deliver clear, evidence-based insight on portfolio health, trends and future delivery confidence to senior leaders.
• Build and lead a diverse, skilled and motivated team of digital portfolio managers.
• Strengthen portfolio management capability across Justice Digital, Data and Science through coaching, mentoring and professional development.
• Contribute to cross-portfolio collaboration, ensuring a joined-up and transparent approach to change delivery.

You’ll receive a range of excellent benefits when you join our department, including:

• A generous employer pension contribution of 28.97% through the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
• 25 days of annual leave, (increasing to 30 days once you have reached 5 years of service), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday.
• Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working, working part time or compressed hours, designed to support a positive work–life balance.
• Employees are allocated 10% of their working time for personal and professional development.
• A £1,000 per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best-in-class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e-learning platforms.
• Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the digital portfolio, ensuring visibility of delivery progress, risks, dependencies and outcomes.
• Enable senior leaders to make informed decisions through high-quality analysis, performance reporting and forward-looking insight.
• Support the development of outcome-driven roadmaps aligned to organisational and cross-government strategy.
• Maintain a clear view of systemic pressures, trade-offs and delivery confidence across the portfolio.
• Lead the design, implementation and continuous improvement of portfolio governance and assurance frameworks.
• Hold accountability for the integrity and effectiveness of portfolio governance mechanisms.
• Define and monitor portfolio-level performance indicators focused on outcomes, delivery confidence, risk exposure and strategic alignment.
• Lead, develop and motivate a team of digital portfolio managers, setting clear direction and expectations.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with delivery teams, senior stakeholders and wider government partners.

Essential Criteria:

• Demonstrated experience providing strategic oversight of large-scale digital or technology portfolios within complex organisations, influencing strategic direction and improving delivery confidence.
• Expertise in establishing and enhancing portfolio governance frameworks, performance reporting mechanisms and risk management processes, including production of high-quality Board-level insight.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with experience engaging and persuading senior leaders across government to build alignment and consensus.
• Experience leading and developing multidisciplinary specialist teams, fostering inclusion, continuous improvement and professional capability growth.
• Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for BPSS clearance.

We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate based on culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.