Head of Legislative Policy in Wilmslow

Full time / Part time Salary: £72,146 - £81,952, with potential for further progression to £92,273 with our pay progression scheme.

Location: Hybrid Contracted to our Wilmslow, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast office. Our Wilmslow office will be relocating to Manchester city centre from 28 September 2026. Once the move takes place your contracted office will be Circle Square, Manchester. Through hybrid working we offer flexible home and office-based working opportunities and there will be times when you will be expected to attend the office to collaborate with colleagues or travel due to business need.

Why work for the ICO?

• Pay progression scheme.
• Hybrid and flexible working options.
• 25 days paid holiday per year, plus privilege and public holidays.
• Flexi leave (up to 26 additional days leave per year).
• Pension (employer contribution around 28.9%).
• Online discount scheme to save money at major supermarkets, retailers, gyms, restaurants, insurance providers and many more.
• Health Cash Plan.
• Fantastic development opportunities to learn and progress.

Job summary: Lead a high‑performing, multi‑disciplinary team shaping the ICO’s response to major government reforms. As the organisation’s expert legislative voice, you’ll steer evidence‑based policy positions, provide trusted advice to government, and ensure the ICO’s remit is protected and strengthened. This is a role for someone who thrives on influence, clarity, and impact, turning complex legislative change into confident, strategic direction.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the independent regulator of information rights. In a data-driven world, we provide advice, guidance, and support to organisations enabling compliance with their obligations, as well as protecting individuals and their personal data.

As an employer, we are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives and careers of our people, and we empower you to be curious, impactful, collaborative and respectful.

Your activities range from identifying emerging issues and understanding the implications of forward-looking policy and legislative proposals, to delivering significant policy responses and impactful policy products whilst leading engagement with key decision makers, influencers and stakeholders in the UK and internationally.

You will lead, develop, and nurture a highly performing, diverse and talented workforce. You will create a culture that motivates staff, promotes innovation, and delivers results.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the team, in partnership with the Director, to provide expert insight and advice on the breadth of the ICO’s legislative framework.
• Lead multi-disciplinary teams to develop key policy positions and advise on the ICO’s view on the impact of proposed legislative changes on people, businesses, government and the ICO.
• Be fully conversant with all relevant legislation and political, social, and legal developments that impact on the ICO’s role and remit.
• Contribute to identifying and assessing emerging social, legislative and economic trends that are likely to have an impact on privacy, data protection and information rights, ensuring the implications for the ICO are identified and effectively communicated.
• Build effective relationships with key stakeholders and influencers in order to drive change and further the ICO’s information rights objectives.
• Lead in developing and presenting relevant policy positions and recommendations to the ICO’s Senior Leadership and Executive Teams and Commissioner’s Management Board as necessary. Brief the Commissioner and senior colleagues in writing and verbally.
• Provide effective leadership to colleagues ensuring that they are clear about expected standards of performance, motivated and developed to provide effective and efficient services in line with the ICO’s values.
• Develop and nurture a high performing, diverse and talented workforce, creating the right environment and culture to enable all to perform, seek, provide and receive feedback and continuously learn and supporting managers to lead their teams.
• Ensure that appropriate and effective mechanisms are in place to produce and monitor key performance indicators to ensure service delivery is in line with agreed standards. Managing assigned financial and other resources.
• Seek continuous improvement in all areas of responsibility especially on excellence in service delivery. Proactively identify and implement changes.
• Manage and lead on projects and initiatives ensuring outcomes are achieved on time and in budget.
• Participate on behalf of the Commissioner/ICO at meetings and events and take part in media activity where senior representation is required.
• Participate in the ICO’s leadership activities, to contribute to corporate initiatives, including business planning and reporting processes.
• Identify opportunities to enhance, and address risks to, the ICO’s reputation and to make recommendations for developing the ICO’s strategic approach.
• Commission and be accountable for external research to inform ICO policy development. Ensure outputs are in line with requirements and delivered on time and within budget.

Person specification

Essential criteria assessed at application stage:

• Substantial experience of leading and managing people (also measured at interview).
• Experience of successfully developing and implementing forward looking and proactive policy and guidance (also measured at interview).
• Significant experience in a representational or negotiating role (also measured at interview).
• Excellent analytical and policy development skills and knowledge of risk and project management processes (also measured at interview).
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills (also measured at interview).

Essential criteria assessed during interview:

• Experience of interpreting and applying complex legislation to particular situations and the ability to engage in debate about these issues.
• Knowledge of the regulatory environment, and the democratic and political framework relevant to the post.
• Understanding of the emerging strategic issues likely to have an impact on future regulation of privacy and data protection.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

The ICO is committed to promoting and enhancing equality, diversity, and inclusion. We are focused on developing a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and together we are building an inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference. We are championing this through our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Board together with a number of staff networks. Read more about our commitment on our website.

Candidates with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy will be invited to interview as part of the ICO’s commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme. As part of the ICO’s commitment to our EDI objectives and creating a workplace that represents the communities and societies we serve, we guarantee an interview to candidates who declare they identify as belonging from an ethnic minority background and who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy.

If you are disabled or have an impairment and require an alternative application method, please email the HR team at recruitment@ico.org.uk.

Closing Date

Please submit your CV and cover letter by 23:59, 15 June. Your cover letter should be no more than 1,000 words and should clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria for the role. We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. To ensure your application is considered, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application, please contact us at recruitment@ico.org.uk.

In the event of a high volume of applications, we may not be able to invite all candidates who meet the minimum criteria to interview. However, we encourage you stay in touch and apply for future roles that match your interests. All candidates who meet the minimum criteria and apply in-line with our guaranteed interview scheme for disabled and ethnic minority applicants will be interviewed.

Please note that post holders for this role will be required to receive security clearance to SC level. This requires the disclosure of spent and unspent convictions. Although convictions will be taken into account, any such information will not necessarily prevent you from obtaining a security clearance.