Deputy Director Innovation and Assurance in Leeds

The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55% of the government’s office estate. We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers. We are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our team.

Representing the best covenant in the UK – His Majesty’s Government – we are leading significant transformational programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme. We are also delivering cost-effective property services such as asset management, lifecycle replacement and workplace services. Innovation and progress underpin our behaviours. We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self-improvement are encouraged.

Our four core values are at the heart of everything we do. They shape our culture and guide how we work, lead and grow together:

• Striving for excellence – We always aim to deliver great results
• Empowering through respect – We insist on fair treatment for all, always
• Acting with integrity – We consistently do the right thing
• Succeeding together – We rely on each other to achieve success

We are committed to representing the communities we serve by making Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) part of everything we do. Our strong emphasis on EDI is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation, it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces. To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth. We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction.

The Deputy Director for Innovation and Assurance is a senior leadership role within the GPA’s Capital Projects team. You will lead the design and engineering function, set technical standards, and provide expert advice to ensure government buildings are safe, secure, sustainable, and fit for the future. You will lead a multi-disciplinary team that supports delivery across GPA’s portfolio. This includes overseeing technical design assurance, guiding secure space protocols in classified environments, and translating complex engineering and risk requirements into practical, cost-effective solutions.

The role will develop the capability of, and lead the I&A team (c28-30 FTE), in ensuring GPA sets appropriate design standards and undertakes assurance that construction and fit-out/refurbishment of all GPA capital projects meets these standards. You will work closely with senior colleagues across GPA, other government departments (e.g. Cabinet Office, HMRC, DWP), and the UK Intelligence Community to shape safe and secure workplaces that meet both national policy and user needs. Your leadership will be vital in ensuring buildings are compliant, deliverable, and resilient to future risks.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Direction: Provide strategic leadership to the Innovation and Assurance team and Capital Projects Senior Leadership Team, fostering collaboration across the organisation, strategic partners, and key enabling functions such as IT, HR, and Legal.
• Strategic Leadership of Design & Engineering: Provide strategic leadership to GPA’s Design & Engineering team, overseeing a multi-disciplinary function that includes Architecture, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (MEP), Fire Safety, CDM, BIM, and Sustainability. Ensure the team operates as a centre of excellence within GPA’s delivery model.
• Technical Standards and Assurance: Set and implement GPA’s technical design and assurance standards, ensuring they drive innovation, regulatory compliance, and value for money across all projects. Apply these standards proportionately and based on risk across a varied and complex portfolio.
• Portfolio Management: Responsible for setting and managing Portfolio governance, control and assurance processes and systems. This includes governance, assurance, risk, reporting, schedule, change control, CDE management, benefits management, lessons learned and continuous improvement within CP programme of works.
• Project Lifecycle Oversight: Lead design and technical assurance across the full lifecycle of capital projects—from initial concept design through delivery, occupancy, and post-occupancy review—ensuring quality, performance, and client satisfaction at every stage.
• Secure Space Advisory: Act as GPA’s senior technical advisor for secure and classified government spaces. Collaborate closely with national security agencies to ensure full compliance with secure space protocols and operational requirements.
• Continuous Improvement and Assurance: Drive continuous improvement through structured assurance reviews, lessons learned exercises, and feedback from stakeholders. Ensure insights are captured and embedded in future design and delivery.
• Strategic Governance Advisory: Provide expert design and engineering advice to internal governance groups, including GPA’s Operations and Security Committees, to inform strategic decision-making and risk management.
• Cross-Government Representation and Influence: Represent GPA in cross-government technical and construction forums, influencing national policy, promoting best practice, and ensuring GPA’s perspective shapes the future of public sector design standards.
• Project Initiation & Business Case Development: Support project initiation and business case development, ensuring robust alignment with senior stakeholders, Programme Boards, and HMT, and securing approvals in line with governance frameworks and policies.
• Governance, Risk & Compliance: Ensure effective governance, compliance, and risk management, including adherence to procurement, technical, contractual, and health and safety standards throughout the project lifecycle.
• Working Across Government & Stakeholder Engagement: Representing GPA in cross-government technical and construction forums. Building strong relationships with senior leaders across government and externally.
• Sustainability and Lifecycle Planning: Champion sustainability and Greener Government commitments, embedding environmental objectives into project delivery and property management throughout the asset lifecycle.