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

Head of Digital Capability & Onboarding

Leeds Full-Time 54857 - 61300 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead digital recruitment and onboarding to build a skilled workforce.
  • Company: Join a forward-thinking organisation focused on digital transformation.
  • Benefits: Generous pension, 25+ days leave, flexible working, and career development.
  • Why this job: Shape the future of digital talent in a dynamic environment.
  • Qualifications: Proven leadership experience in strategy and operations.
  • Other info: Hybrid working options available with occasional travel.

The predicted salary is between 54857 - 61300 £ per year.

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

Salary: £54,857 per annum

Job Summary

The organisation is investing in the digital workforce they need to meet future challenges, building a more sustainable, skilled, and in-house capability that reduces their reliance on external contractors. As part of this work, they’ve 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’re now looking for a senior leader to head up the Hub. This role will focus on scaling up their recruitment of digital professionals, embedding consistent onboarding and capability support, and helping the organisation meet its ambitious workforce targets in line with government expectations.

You’ll work with colleagues across digital, data, HR, and commercial teams, providing direction, solving delivery challenges, and building the processes that support long-term workforce growth. This is a role for someone who can navigate complexity, influence at senior levels, and lead a team to deliver tangible outcomes that strengthen their internal capability.

If you’re energised by solving workforce challenges at scale and want to shape the conditions that help digital professionals succeed, they’d 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.
  • Flexible working options that encourage 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 also contributing to the government\’s wider contractor reduction and efficiency targets.

This is a leadership role with both operational and strategic scope, sitting 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 the organisation and central government stakeholders.
  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely 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 the 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. While they welcome applications from those seeking part-time work, there is 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, 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 (see below for contact details).

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.

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

As a leading organisation in the public sector, we offer an exceptional work environment that prioritises employee well-being and professional growth. With a generous pension contribution of 28.97%, flexible working options, and an increasing annual leave entitlement, we foster a culture that values work-life balance and inclusivity. Join us in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, or Nottingham to make a meaningful impact on the digital workforce while enjoying a supportive atmosphere that encourages collaboration and career progression.
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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 in digital recruitment and onboarding.

✨Tip Number 3

Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how your experience aligns with their needs. Highlight your leadership style and how you can drive digital workforce growth.

✨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 the team.

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

Leadership
Digital Recruitment
Onboarding Processes
Workforce Planning
Stakeholder Engagement
Cross-functional Collaboration
Data Analysis
Governance
Strategic Thinking
Operational Management
Problem-Solving
Inclusivity
Communication Skills
Project Management

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 achievements!

Showcase Your Leadership Style: This role is all about leading a team and influencing at senior levels. Use your application to demonstrate your leadership style and how you've successfully navigated complex challenges in the past. We love a good story!

Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. We appreciate well-structured responses that get straight to the heart of your experience and how it relates to the job. Avoid fluff – we want the good stuff!

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 this exciting opportunity. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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

✨Understand the Digital Landscape

Before your interview, make sure you’re well-versed in the current trends and challenges within the digital workforce. Research the organisation's initiatives and how they align with government expectations. This will help you demonstrate your knowledge and show that you're genuinely interested in the role.

✨Showcase Your Leadership Style

As a senior leader, it’s crucial to articulate your leadership style clearly. Prepare examples of how you've successfully led teams through complex challenges, particularly in recruitment and onboarding. Highlight your commitment to inclusion and professional development, as these are key aspects of the role.

✨Prepare for Cross-Functional Collaboration Questions

Expect questions about how you would work with various departments like HR, finance, and digital teams. Think of specific instances where you’ve collaborated across functions to achieve a common goal. This will showcase your ability to unblock delivery risks and provide assurance at senior levels.

✨Demonstrate Your Strategic Thinking

Be ready to discuss your approach to scaling up recruitment and reducing reliance on contractors. Prepare a few strategic ideas or frameworks that you believe could enhance the organisation's digital capability. This will illustrate your forward-thinking mindset and readiness to contribute to their ambitious workforce targets.

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

    Leeds
    Full-Time
    54857 - 61300 £ / year (est.)

    Application deadline: 2027-09-19

  • S

    Smiley & Co, Ltd.

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