Chief Digital and Data Officer in Manchester

The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has been established to protect and promote the sustainability of English football, for the benefit of fans and the local communities football clubs serve. The IFR will help improve financial sustainability of clubs, ensure resilience across the leagues, and safeguard the heritage of English football. It will operate a licensing regime, set corporate governance standards and monitor, protect, and promote financial resilience. It will also enforce compliance with requirements on financial regulation, club ownership and directors, fan engagement, and heritage protection. The IFR will also have powers to prohibit clubs from joining competitions that are not fair or meritocratic, or that threaten the heritage or sustainability of English football.

About the Role

This role is offered as a job share alongside the existing Chief Digital and Data Officer (CDDO). Current post-holder works Monday to Wednesday. This role will work Wednesday to Friday. Wednesday is a shared working day to ensure continuity, collaboration and joint leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Jointly lead the Digital, Data and Technology function with the CDDO, setting clear strategic direction aligned to organisational priorities. Develop and deliver Digital, Data and Technology strategies that support effective regulation and organisational maturity. Act as a Senior Digital Leader across the organisation, advising executive colleagues on technology-enabled change and risk.
• Digital and Technology Delivery: Oversee all organisational technology, including end-user computing and core IT services, regulatory systems and platforms, CRM and case management systems, data platforms, analytics and reporting. Lead significant Digital and IT transformation programmes, ensuring delivery to time, cost and quality. Manage ongoing change programmes, embedding new systems, processes and ways of working.
• Security, Data Protection and Risk: Provide senior oversight of cyber security, information security and data protection, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and standards. Manage Digital and Technology risk effectively, balancing innovation with regulatory and security requirements.

Essential Requirements

• Leadership and Transformation: Significant experience leading Digital, Data and/or IT functions in a complex organisation. Proven track record of delivering large-scale Digital or IT transformation programmes. Strong people leadership skills, including building teams, developing capability and leading through change.
• Digital, Data and Technology: Broad understanding of modern Digital and IT estates, including enterprise systems, cloud services, data platforms and cyber security. Experience overseeing regulatory, case management or CRM systems is highly desirable.
• Commercial and Financial: Strong commercial awareness, with experience managing large supplier contracts and significant budgets. Ability to secure value for money while maintaining service quality and resilience.
• Programme and Project Management: Demonstrable experience of leading complex programmes and managing interdependencies, risks and delivery at pace.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to operate credibly at senior levels and with external partners.

Desirable Skills: A formal degree level qualification in Digital and or Data Delivery or equivalent. Experience in developing Digital and Data strategies in a similar organisation.

If successful you will join a Non-Departmental Public Body and will be employed as a Public Servant. If you are an existing Civil Servant or a DCMS employee, you will no longer have access to Civil Service benefits including the Civil Service pension.

The terms and conditions of employment include:

• Pension 12% - An employee contribution of 5%, with an employer contribution of 7%.
• Flexible Benefit 8% - Employees can choose to invest 8% of their base salary into their pension or take as cash (post tax).
• Reward - We will have a performance-based reward programme.
• 31.5 days annual leave.
• Flexible and hybrid working - 40% in office attendance.
• Occupational sick pay.
• 9 months paid Maternity Leave and generous paternity and adoption leave.
• A bespoke L&D programme to help you achieve your personal CPD, including paid membership fees.
• Cycle-to-work scheme and much more!

Interested? Click apply and you will be redirected to our careers site to complete your application.