Digital Leaders (ICT Level 8)

We are currently recruiting Digital Leaders to provide leadership and strong technical expertise to ensure the delivery of robust digital services by both internal and external teams. These appointments will offer an excellent opportunity for experienced IT professionals to lead and direct the provision and the delivery of digital services within the NICS.

As a member of the senior management team, the successful candidates will contribute to the strategic direction of their organisation and/or departments, providing professional guidance and leadership in the delivery of innovative, high quality, compliant digital services, that enable business areas to deliver real business benefits in a more efficient and effective way.

These roles require close collaboration with senior staff in business areas to understand complex business requirements and translate these into IT solutions and business value propositions. Engagement with third party suppliers and contractual partners is also key for this role to achieve the successful delivery of digital solutions. These are challenging and dynamic roles which require exceptional leaders, capable of delivering high quality, efficient and secure digital solutions to exacting specifications.

The remit of the NICS is diverse, and the following example responsibilities are not meant to be exhaustive but aim to give a good indication of the duties of the roles. The specific duties will vary depending on which posts the successful candidates are allocated to, and the emphasis will vary over time according to business needs.

If successful at interview, candidates will be assigned to a specific post based on business needs.

Responsibilities:

• Contributing to the strategic direction of the organisation and the wider NICS.
• Developing long-term strategic relationships with customers, partners, industry leaders and other government and public sector bodies.
• Leading and overseeing the development and maintenance of digital services to meet customer and business requirements.
• Setting the strategic direction of digital technology within their department.
• Contributing to policy formation and application, assessing the impact of legislation and/or changes required.
• Procuring and managing 3rd party service contracts and systems, including leading on negotiations, overseeing the on-boarding process, managing suppliers, monitoring compliance with Service Level Agreements.
• Managing budgets, engagement with key internal and external stakeholders and developing and maintaining robust relationships.
• Systematic appraisal, evaluation and management of projects and project teams to ensure compliance with best practice, appropriate Government policies and legal requirements and value for money.
• Ensuring appropriate governance structures are in place to effectively manage contractors and/or resources.
• Chairing or participating in Boards, steering groups, forums etc. and co-ordinating accurate, relevant and timely information.
• Supporting the professional development of ICT staff including Learning & Development initiatives, Workforce Planning and Recruitment activities.
• Leading multi-disciplinary teams to deliver against SLAs and the achievement of departmental objectives through greater exploitation of ICT and new or improved IT initiatives.
• Influencing developments within the IT industry at the highest levels.
• Promoting IT Security and embedding a positive cyber security culture within their Department.
• Identifying and implementing appropriate security controls to mitigate risks.
• Ensuring robust business continuity planning and implementation across all digital services, including proactive risk management.
• Communicating the potential impact of emerging practices and technologies on organisations and individuals.
• Compliance with Internal Audit and NI Audit reviews. Monitoring and reporting performance against KPIs.
• Promoting innovation and a culture of continuous improvement. Actively encouraging compliance and inclusivity.

The above lists are not exhaustive but give a good indication of the main duties of the roles. The emphasis on particular duties may vary and develop over time according to business needs.

Skills and Qualifications:

• 5 years' experience of successfully exploiting ICT for the benefit of an organisation(s) OR 7 years' experience of successfully exploiting ICT for the benefit of an organisation(s).
• 2 years' experience of managing a substantial contract involving strategic relationships/partnerships with external IT providers.
• 2 years' experience of successfully developing and delivering a significant IT project or programme which has a medium to long term impact on resources and/or policy and strategy.
• 2 years senior management level experience working in an ICT Operations environment.

Further Information:

NICS Application form only, Vacancy closing date Friday 6th March 2026 at 12 noon. The Northern Ireland Civil Service is an Equal Opportunities Employer. Applications from females, young people (people under the age of 35), people with a disability and people from minority ethnic communities are particularly welcomed for this post. All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit.

Visit the recruitment service website www.nicsrecruitment.org.uk (Please quote reference number: IRC323266)