Head of Digital Capability & Onboarding
Head of Digital Capability & Onboarding

Head of Digital Capability & Onboarding

Bristol Full-Time 54857 - 64857 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
S

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead digital recruitment and onboarding, ensuring a skilled workforce for the future.
  • Company: Join a forward-thinking organisation focused on building a sustainable digital workforce.
  • Benefits: Generous salary, extensive leave, flexible working, and a strong pension contribution.
  • Why this job: Shape the future of digital talent and make a real impact in the Civil Service.
  • Qualifications: Proven leadership experience with a focus on strategy and operations.
  • Other info: Hybrid working options available with opportunities for career progression.

The predicted salary is between 54857 - 64857 £ per year.

Overview

Location: Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham

Salary: £54,857 per annum

The organisation is investing in the digital workforce to meet future challenges by building a more sustainable, skilled, and in-house capability that reduces reliance on external contractors. They have created the Digital & Data Hub, a central team that brings together recruitment, onboarding, workforce planning, and governance to support the growth of a modern digital profession within the agency. They are looking for a senior leader to head up the Hub who will focus on scaling recruitment of digital professionals, embedding consistent onboarding and capability support, and helping the organisation meet ambitious workforce targets in line with government expectations. You will work with colleagues across digital, data, HR, and commercial teams, providing direction, solving delivery challenges, and building processes that support long-term workforce growth. This role requires navigating complexity, influencing at senior levels, and leading a team to deliver tangible outcomes that strengthen internal capability. If you are energized by solving workforce challenges at scale and want to shape the conditions that help digital professionals succeed, they would love to hear from you.

Joining Their Department Comes With Many Benefits

  • Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary.
  • 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King\’s birthday.
  • Flexible working options that support a great work-life balance.

Job Description

The Head of Digital & Data Hub leads the organisation\’s strategic approach to digital recruitment, onboarding, and workforce capability. You will be responsible for designing and running the processes that ensure the organisation can attract, develop, and retain the digital talent it needs while contributing to the government’s wider contractor reduction and efficiency targets. This is a leadership role with both operational and strategic scope, positioned at the heart of the agency’s drive to build a more skilled, sustainable digital workforce.

Key Responsibilities

  • Digital Workforce Growth: Lead end-to-end recruitment campaigns across digital and data professions, ensuring roles are advertised, assessed, and onboarded in a consistent, timely, and inclusive way.
  • Onboarding & Capability Support: Oversee the onboarding journey for all digital professionals, including apprenticeships, and develop mechanisms that support retention, development, and career progression.
  • Contractor Reduction & Efficiency Alignment: Drive activity to convert and reduce external contractor roles where appropriate, aligning to Civil Service and Spring Budget targets for efficiency and workforce sustainability.
  • Governance & Reporting: Ensure the Hub maintains accurate oversight of digital workforce metrics—including headcount, vacancies, contractor usage, and diversity indicators—and reports effectively to organisation and central government stakeholders.
  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Work with HR, finance, commercial, and digital leadership to coordinate workforce activity, unblock delivery risks, and provide senior-level assurance on progress.

Person specification

They’re looking for an experienced leader who thrives at the intersection of strategy, operations, and people. You’ll bring credibility to influence at senior levels and the focus to deliver at pace. Most importantly, you’ll be driven by a desire to create the conditions where digital professionals can succeed and grow within the Civil Service.

You Will Have

  • A clear, practical leadership style focused on delivery, clarity, and collaboration.
  • A commitment to inclusion, development, and building professional communities.
  • Ability to model high standards while supporting others to grow in capability and confidence.

This post is offered on a Fixed Term Appointment (FTA) basis to complete a finite piece of work.

Working Hours, Office Attendance And Travel Requirements

Full-time roles consist of 37 hours per week. They welcome applications for part-time work, with a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week. This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements. For more information on how this works for this role, please contact the Vacancy Holder. Occasional travel to other offices will be required, which may involve overnight stays.

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for this reputable company, please click apply to be redirected to their website to complete your application.

#J-18808-Ljbffr

Head of Digital Capability & Onboarding employer: Smiley & Co, Ltd.

This organisation is an exceptional employer, offering a robust benefits package that includes a generous pension contribution and increasing annual leave, alongside flexible working options to promote a healthy work-life balance. With a strong focus on employee growth and development, the role of Head of Digital Capability & Onboarding provides a unique opportunity to lead transformative initiatives within a supportive and collaborative environment, making a meaningful impact on the digital workforce in the public sector.
S

Contact Detail:

Smiley & Co, Ltd. Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Head of Digital Capability & Onboarding

✨Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry on LinkedIn or at events. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.

✨Tip Number 2

Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Tailor your answers to show how you can help them achieve their goals, especially around digital workforce growth.

✨Tip Number 3

Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how your experience aligns with their needs, particularly in recruitment and onboarding processes. Confidence is key!

✨Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed and shows you’re serious about joining their team.

We think you need these skills to ace Head of Digital Capability & Onboarding

Leadership
Digital Recruitment
Onboarding Processes
Workforce Capability Development
Strategic Planning
Cross-functional Collaboration
Stakeholder Engagement
Data Analysis
Governance
Project Management
Problem-Solving
Inclusivity and Diversity Commitment
Operational Efficiency
Communication Skills

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in digital recruitment and onboarding. We want to see how your skills align with the role, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant achievements!

Showcase Leadership Experience: Since this is a senior role, it’s crucial to demonstrate your leadership capabilities. Share examples of how you've influenced teams and driven successful outcomes in previous positions. We love seeing candidates who can lead with clarity and collaboration!

Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Use clear language and avoid jargon where possible. We appreciate applications that are easy to read and get straight to the heart of your qualifications.

Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it gives you a chance to explore more about what we do and our values.

How to prepare for a job interview at Smiley & Co, Ltd.

✨Know the Digital Landscape

Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in digital recruitment and workforce capability. Understand how the organisation's Digital & Data Hub fits into the broader context of government efficiency targets and contractor reduction. This knowledge will help you demonstrate your strategic thinking during the interview.

✨Showcase Your Leadership Style

Prepare to discuss your leadership approach, especially how you foster collaboration and inclusion within teams. Be ready to share specific examples of how you've successfully led cross-functional teams in the past, as this role requires influencing at senior levels and driving operational success.

✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions

Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills and ability to navigate complex situations. Think of scenarios where you've tackled workforce challenges or improved onboarding processes. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses clearly and effectively.

✨Align with Their Values

Research the organisation's commitment to building a skilled, sustainable digital workforce. Be prepared to discuss how your values align with theirs, particularly regarding inclusion, development, and creating conditions for success. This alignment will show that you're not just a fit for the role but also for the organisation's culture.

Head of Digital Capability & Onboarding
Smiley & Co, Ltd.

Land your dream job quicker with Premium

You’re marked as a top applicant with our partner companies
Individual CV and cover letter feedback including tailoring to specific job roles
Be among the first applications for new jobs with our AI application
1:1 support and career advice from our career coaches
Go Premium

Money-back if you don't land a job in 6-months

S
Similar positions in other companies
UK’s top job board for Gen Z
discover-jobs-cta
Discover now
>