At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and delivery of innovative digital services for a vital compensation scheme.
- Company: Join the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, making a real difference in people's lives.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of digital transformation in government services and drive impactful change.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in IT infrastructure and experience with user-centred design.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on innovation and user needs.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 100000 £ per year.
Location: Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Based in Benton Park View, moving to Newcastle City Centre in Summer 2026. This is a hybrid role with the expectation of 60% office attendance.
Working Pattern: Full-time, Part-time. External candidates will be expected to start on the band minimum. Existing Civil Servants will be appointed in line with the normal Civil Service pay rules.
Important information about pay: It is expected that from 1 October 2025 the pay for this role will be £90,169. In addition, once the role holder has completed their probationary period (usually 6 months) they will become eligible to receive a pay premium allowance of £6,763 per annum. This pay premium allowance is non-contractual and non-pensionable.
Job summary: Digital Directorate leads on service ownership, service design and the development of technical services for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority. The team is accountable for designing, developing and maintaining an effective service for the payment of compensation to enable IBCA to achieve our mission. Our work encompasses all elements of design from processes and guidance to the technical architecture which underpins the digital elements of our service and the infrastructure for the authority to work from. We work across all areas of IBCA and directly with users to design a service which has users at the heart, is legislatively compliant and technically robust.
Job Description: Reporting to the Director of Digital, the Chief Technical Officer is pivotal in the design and delivery of IBCA’s strategy and service development. The role will be responsible for ensuring the effective technical design and delivery of the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme working alongside the Head of Delivery and Head of Product. The Chief Technical Officer will be leading multiple teams with product, design and technical expertise working alongside operational and data specialists to deliver this incredibly important service in a user centred way, at pace. The Chief Technical Officer will engage with all areas across the organisation and beyond to collaboratively define our technology strategy as part of, and aligned to, the overall service blueprint. They will develop a technical roadmap and collaborate on the service level roadmap ensuring that value is delivered incrementally at every stage, considering user needs alongside technical security and robustness.
Key Responsibilities:
- Technical Architecture and Roadmap Development: Developing and owning an iterative architecture collectively with service design which shows how the service will develop over time. Ensuring value of technical capability development is clearly articulated and working with product to develop a technical roadmap which is part of the wider service roadmap with technical areas appropriately prioritised.
- Technical Leadership: Direct leading of the technical areas of the Digital teams (including architecture, engineers and test engineers) and wider direction setting and leadership across the whole digital team. Development of live service capability for the Digital Service. Ensuring all teams work in alignment to the single service roadmap and balancing technical quality and pace of delivery.
- Digital Leadership: Working with Head of Delivery and Head of Product to jointly assure digital development plans to ensure these are aligned to the roadmap, achievable and clearly communicated.
- Live Service Management: Ensuring that live service elements are included and monitoring and reporting built into development and establishing a robust and comprehensive live service strategy and building the capability to support this.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Working in close collaboration with teams across IBCA and wider stakeholders to ensure shared vision and clarity of plans and build a culture of collective prioritisation which includes technical priorities.
- IT Strategy and Provision: Working with the Head of Delivery to ensure the organisational IT strategy reflects best practice technical approaches and linking into wider Cabinet Office Digital teams as needed to support this.
- Embedding Technical Expertise: Supporting the development of robust engineering and architectural standards across digital teams and actively ensuring these are met by all. Chairing IBCA Technical Design Authority which reports to ExCo. Embedding and ensuring adherence to government service standards across digital teams.
Person specification: It is important that, through your CV and supporting statement, you provide evidence of the professional skills, breadth of experience and personal qualities for this post. You will have the following skills, knowledge, and experience:
- An exceptional and authentic leader, with the ability to build, inspire and engage their teams to deliver results even in times of ambiguity.
- Experience planning, implementing and maintaining IT infrastructure, networks, systems, applications and hardware that meet user needs.
- Experience of leading technical design and delivery of major customer-facing Government digital services, using agile methodologies.
- Strong evidence of building excellent stakeholder relationships, creating a wider ranging network across organisational boundaries that supports collaborative working across teams and enables issues to be surfaced early for effective resolution.
- Successful track record of working with user centred design teams to embed technical thinking into the overarching service blueprint and advocate for an interactive technical solution.
Application process: To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process via the CS Jobs website, outlined below. This should be completed no later than 23:55, Tuesday 2nd September 2025. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.
Chief Technical Officer employer: Infected Blood Compensation Authority
Contact Detail:
Infected Blood Compensation Authority Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Chief Technical Officer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry on LinkedIn or at local meetups. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their mission and values, especially since this role is all about user-centred design. Tailor your answers to show how you align with their goals.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Do mock interviews with friends or use online platforms. This will help you articulate your experience and skills confidently, especially when discussing technical leadership and stakeholder engagement.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we’re always looking for passionate individuals who can contribute to our mission.
We think you need these skills to ace Chief Technical Officer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Craft a Compelling CV: Your CV is your first impression, so make it count! Highlight your career history, key responsibilities, and achievements that align with the Chief Technical Officer role. Don’t forget to explain any gaps in your employment over the last two years.
Nail Your Statement of Suitability: This is your chance to shine! In no more than 1250 words, showcase how your skills and experiences match the essential criteria. Be specific and relate your past roles to the responsibilities outlined in the job description.
Be Authentic: We want to see the real you! Share your leadership style and how you inspire teams, especially in challenging situations. Authenticity goes a long way in making your application stand out.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application via the CS Jobs website before the deadline! It’s the easiest way for us to receive your application and keep track of all submissions.
How to prepare for a job interview at Infected Blood Compensation Authority
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
As a Chief Technical Officer, you need to demonstrate a deep understanding of technical architecture and digital services. Brush up on the latest trends in IT infrastructure and agile methodologies, and be ready to discuss how you've successfully led similar projects in the past.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role requires exceptional leadership abilities. Prepare examples that highlight your experience in building and inspiring teams, especially during challenging times. Think about how you've fostered collaboration across departments and how you can bring that to the Infected Blood Compensation Authority.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Stakeholder engagement is key for this position. Be prepared to discuss how you've built relationships across organisational boundaries. Share specific instances where your communication skills helped resolve issues or align teams towards a common goal.
✨Align with User-Centred Design
The job emphasises user-centred design, so come ready to talk about your experience working with design teams. Highlight how you've integrated technical thinking into service blueprints and advocate for solutions that prioritise user needs while maintaining technical robustness.