Job summary
This is a critical high impact leadership role within the UK Hydrographic Office’s (UKHO) Technology Senior Leadership Team (SLT), reporting directly to our newly appointed Chief Digital and Technology Officer (CDTO).
It is an exciting time for the UKHO’s Technology Division, with around 250 colleagues working with strategic partners to deliver our digital and organisational strategic objectives. The division plays a central role in delivering the UKHO’s vision for 2034, with a complex technology estate and a strong focus on service, delivery and innovation.
The leadership role will ensure operational excellence, service readiness, continuous improvement and importantly, alignment with our strategic objectives and our vision for 2034.
This role is accountable for delivering high-quality, customer-focused IT services across the UKHO including service desk operations, corporate IT services (1st and 2nd line), incident and problem management, change control, service performance monitoring, contract management and business relationship management. This role requires close engagement with the Executive Leadership Team, senior colleagues within the UKHO and key stakeholders within the Ministry of Defence and external partners. This leadership role will act as a role model to create a high performing, service driven and customer centric division. in addition to role role modelling leadership behaviours and the UKHO’s cultural and organisational values, ‘The UKHO way’.
For further information, please check Senior Technology roles at the UKHO
Hybrid working
This senior leadership role can be worked on a hybrid basis, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, blending a balance between working at the Taunton office at least 3 days a week with working from home.
Job description
* Lead and manage the IT Operations Department, ensuring SLA compliance and service continuity for a technology estate that is highly complex and includes significant proportion of legacy (technical debt).
* Own and oversee incidents and problem management, departmental business continuity & resilience and change management processes.
* Design and deliver service improvement initiatives and performance reporting to enable data driven decisions to achieve service excellence.
* Manage vendor relationships and contracts for IT services.
* Collaborate with stakeholders to align IT services with business needs.
* Lead, coach, and develop the IT Operations team to drive a high performing, continuous improvement, customer centric mindset and culture.
* Own, report and ensure visibility of KPIs and Service Performance.
This role requires DV clearance and SC clearance at the start.
Person specification
1. Highly engaging, service driven and able to build trust and lead at a senior level within a complex and technology driven organisation.
2. Proven operational and service excellence leadership including IT service management.
3. Proven experience of turnaround performance and service delivery and excellence.
4. Experience with service desk tools monitoring platforms and reporting dashboards.
5. ITL V4.
6. Proven ability to see the bigger picture, make effective decisions and drive change and continuous improvement.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Seeing the Big Picture
* Changing and Improving
* Making Effective Decisions
* Leadership
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £76,184, UK Hydrographic Office contributes £22,070 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
At the UK Hydrographic Office, it's very important to us that our people feel valued.
We offer a huge range of benefits such as training and development, well-being support, flexible/ homeworking, a fantastic state of the art building, high spec equipment, and so much more.
See our attached Candidate Information Pack for more details.
Things you need to knowSelection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
How to Apply:
When you click "Apply Now" at the bottom of this page, you will be required to attach your CV and asked for 750 word supporting statement demonstrating the criteria below.
Artificial Intelligence:
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Timeline:
Advert Closes for applications: Friday 12th of December 2025
Shortlisting: week commencing: Monday 15th of December 2025
Interviews - 3 stages to the interview process
Week commencing: Monday 19th of January 2026
1. Fireside chat
2. Colleague Engagement Session
3. Panel interview including 15 minute presentation
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.
Pre-sift Criteria:
* Please read the Civil Service Nationality rules - are you eligible to work in a reserved post?
Sift/Shortlist Criteria:
All applications are processed anonymously. You will be short-listed against the following criteria:
Experience:
* Proven leadership experience in IT service management, operating at a senior level within a complex and technology driven organisation.
* Proven experience of turnaround performance and service delivery.
* Experience with service desk tools monitoring platforms and reporting dashboards
This criteria will be scored against your CV and supporting statement.
Lead criteria will be used in the event of a large volumes of applications and in the event of tie-breaks in scoring. The lead criteria is: Proven leadership experience in IT Service management and operational excellence, operating at senior levels within a complex and technology driven organisation.
Interview Criteria:
You will be interviewed against the following criteria:
Experience:
* Proven leadership experience in IT service management, operating at a senior level within a complex and technology driven organisation.
* Proven experience of turnaround performance and service delivery.
* Experience with service desk tools monitoring platforms and reporting dashboards.
* Achieving a high performing, custom centric, service driven organisation.
* All of these experiences will be expected to be evidenced in the presentation.
Civil Service Behaviours (Grade 6 level):
* Seeing the Big Picture
* Changing and Improving
* Making Effective Decisions
* Leadership
See here for further information: Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours - GOV.UK
Interview Process:
1. A ‘fireside chat’ which is an informal opportunity for candidates to meet with Alex Bowen, CDTO, to ask any questions about the organisation and role. This isn’t scored and the content will not contribute to the overall merit order.
2. Colleague Engagement Session. This will involve a panel of colleagues of varying grades from throughout the organisation (including the Technology Division). This session will be observed and scored.
3. A panel interview comprising the hiring manager, Alex Bowen and 2 members of the UKHO Senior Leadership Team. This will include competency based questions around the success profiles behaviours, described below. You will also be asked to prepare and deliver a 15 minute presentation, the topic for this will be provided following shortlisting.
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.
Onboarding Checks:
In the event you are offered a role with us, you will be required to go through Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which will include Employment and Right to Work Checks. Security Clearance (SC) will need to be obtained prior to the role commencing. You will also need to apply for Developed Vetting (DV) which can be completed while working for us but the offer will remain conditional until DV is gained. Please see our attached Candidate Pack for further details and Terms.
Please note, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship.
Residency Requirements:
DV – reserved
This is a Ministry of Defence reserved post and open to sole UK nationals only. Successful applicants will require Developed Vetting (DV) and therefore need to have resided in the UK for a minimum of 24 consecutive months within the last 10 years.