Wilmslow, North West England, SK9 5AF
Job Summary
Director – Technology, Innovation and Enterprise (Tech Policy / Regulatory Supervision and Cooperation)
Full time / Part time
Salary: £88,403- £101,223, with potential for further progression to £114,042 with our pay progression scheme.
Location: Hybrid
Contracted to our Wilmslow, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast office, however, we offer flexible home and office-based working opportunities. There will be times when you will be expected to attend the office to collaborate with colleagues or travel due to business need. Please note, from Autumn 2026 our head office will relocate from Wilmslow to Manchester city centre.
Why work for the ICO?
* Pay progression scheme.
* Hybrid and flexible working options.
* 25 days paid holiday per year, plus privilege and public holidays.
* Flexi leave (up to 26 additional days leave per year).
* Pension (employer contribution around 28.9%).
* Online discount scheme to save money at major supermarkets, retailers, gyms, restaurants, insurance providers and many more.
* Health Cash Plan.
* Fantastic development opportunities to learn and progress.
Further details can be found on the benefits section of our website .
Job Description
The Director for Technology, Innovation and Enterprise leads the ICO's technology and business-facing directorate. The role spans some of the most contested issues in the digital economy – AI and biometrics, children's privacy, online tracking and digital innovation – areas that shape how people live and how businesses succeed.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is the independent regulator of information rights. In a data-driven world, we provide advice, guidance, and support to organisations enabling compliance with their obligations, as well as protecting individuals and their personal data.
As an employer, we are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives and careers of our people, and we empower you to be curious, impactful, collaborative and respectful.
*Job Description*
You will provide senior leadership to three departments – Technology, Innovation and Enterprise – and act as the ICO's sponsor Director for the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF), forging alignment with Ofcom, the CMA and the FCA on systemic digital issues.
You will have intellectual authority, visible leadership and the ability to deliver at pace, representing the ICO credibly at the highest levels of government, industry and civil society. You will have the opportunity to shape the UK's regulatory approach to emerging technologies for the decade ahead.
*Key Responsibilities:*
* Provide strategic leadership of the Technology, Innovation and Enterprise directorate, ensuring delivery of ICO25 priorities and alignment to corporate objectives.
* Lead and inspire the directorate's three departments (Technology, Innovation and Enterprise), setting vision, allocating resources and ensuring a high-performance culture.
* Oversee delivery of major programmes including online tracking, AI and biometrics, children's privacy, and innovation services, ensuring impact and value for money.
* Ensure structured horizon scanning and anticipatory policy development, positioning the ICO on frontier technologies such as agentic AI, neurotechnology and quantum computing.
* Act as the ICO's sponsor Director for the DRCF, ensuring effective cross-regulatory collaboration and alignment on systemic issues across the digital regulatory landscape.
* Provide authoritative advice and representation to senior government, parliamentary and industry stakeholders, securing trust and influence for the ICO on matters of technological risk and innovation.
* Lead the development of a statutory regulatory sandbox and ensure continuous improvement of the ICO's innovation services portfolio.
* Manage risk across the directorate, ensuring effective governance, robust assurance and timely escalation to the Executive Team.
* Promote professional development, inclusion and wellbeing across the directorate, creating an environment that attracts and retains high-calibre staff.
* Contribute actively to the ICO's Senior Leadership Team, supporting collective decision-making and corporate responsibilities.
* Represent the ICO nationally and internationally, building strategic partnerships and enhancing the organisation's external profile.
* Adapt the directorate's scope and structure as the ICO's operating model evolves, leading organisational change with clarity and confidence.
The Director for Technology, Innovation and Enterprise leads the ICO's technology and business-facing directorate. The role spans some of the most contested issues in the digital economy – AI and biometrics, children's privacy, online tracking and digital innovation – areas that shape how people live and how businesses succeed.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is the independent regulator of information rights. In a data-driven world, we provide advice, guidance, and support to organisations enabling compliance with their obligations, as well as protecting individuals and their personal data.
As an employer, we are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives and careers of our people, and we empower you to be curious, impactful, collaborative and respectful.
*Key Responsibilities:*
* Provide strategic leadership of the Technology, Innovation and Enterprise directorate, ensuring delivery of ICO25 priorities and alignment to corporate objectives.
* Lead and inspire the directorate's three departments (Technology, Innovation and Enterprise), setting vision, allocating resources and ensuring a high-performance culture.
* Oversee delivery of major programmes including online tracking, AI and biometrics, children's privacy, and innovation services, ensuring impact and value for money.
* Ensure structured horizon scanning and anticipatory policy development, positioning the ICO on frontier technologies such as agentic AI, neurotechnology and quantum computing.
* Act as the ICO's sponsor Director for the DRCF, ensuring effective cross-regulatory collaboration and alignment on systemic issues across the digital regulatory landscape.
* Provide authoritative advice and representation to senior government, parliamentary and industry stakeholders, securing trust and influence for the ICO on matters of technological risk and innovation.
* Lead the development of a statutory regulatory sandbox and ensure continuous improvement of the ICO's innovation services portfolio.
* Manage risk across the directorate, ensuring effective governance, robust assurance and timely escalation to the Executive Team.
* Promote professional development, inclusion and wellbeing across the directorate, creating an environment that attracts and retains high-calibre staff.
* Contribute actively to the ICO's Senior Leadership Team, supporting collective decision-making and corporate responsibilities.
* Represent the ICO nationally and internationally, building strategic partnerships and enhancing the organisation's external profile.
* Adapt the directorate's scope and structure as the ICO's operating model evolves, leading organisational change with clarity and confidence.
Person specification
Essential Criteria Assessed At Application Stage:
* Substantial experience relevant to the role requirements, as described in the role responsibilities and person specification, including in engaging with the interaction between information rights and technology and/or innovation and accumulated through any combination of academic or vocational qualifications or experience. (Also assessed at interview).
* Experience of engaging and negotiating with senior external stakeholders. (Also assessed at interview).
* Substantial experience of the management and deployment of resources, including budgets. (Also assessed at interview)
* Inclusive and supportive staff leadership skills. (Also assessed at interview).
* Deep familiarity with the use of technology to process personal data, and the promotion of, and engagement with, innovation. (Also assessed at interview).
Essential Criteria Assessed During Interview:
* Excellent written and verbal communication, negotiation and presentation skills
* Personally effective – excellent organisational skills, ability to prioritise and delegate
* Ability to seek out, manage and influence opportunities for continuous improvement and change
Equality, diversity, and inclusion
The ICO is committed to promoting and enhancing equality, diversity, and inclusion. We are focused on developing a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and together we are building an inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference. We are championing this through our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Board together with a number of staff networks. Read more about our commitment on our website.
Candidates with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy will be invited to interview as part of the ICO's commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme.
As part of the ICO's commitment to our EDI objectives and creating a workplace that represents the communities and societies we serve, we guarantee an interview to candidates who declare they identify as belonging from an ethnic minority background and who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy
If you are disabled or have an impairment and require an alternative application method, please email the HR team at
Alongside your salary of £88,403, Information Commissioner's Office contributes £25,610 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Please visit for full details, including salary and benefits.
Selection process details
Please submit your CV and cover letter detailing your suitability to the role by
23:59, 28 September 2025
We reserve the right to close this vacancy before this date should we receive sufficient applications. Please apply as soon as possible to ensure your application is considered.
In the event of a high volume of applications, we may not be able to invite all candidates who meet the minimum criteria to interview. However, we encourage you stay in touch and apply for future roles that match your interests.
All candidates who meet the minimum criteria and apply in-line with our guaranteed interview scheme for disabled and ethnic minority applicants will be interviewed.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Medical
Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.
Nationality requirements
This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:
* UK nationals
* nationals of the Republic of Ireland
* nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
* nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
* nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
* individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
* Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
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Further information