The Department for Education is recruiting for a new role of director for digital and infrastructure, with a salary of £200,000 on offer.
The role has been created to “drive a step-change in how digital, AI, data and infrastructure capability is used to improve outcomes across the education and care sectors”, the department said.
In a foreword to the job pack for the role, DfE permanent secretary Susan Acland-Hood said the role will have a "bold ambition: to radically transform how digital, data, and AI capability is conceived, valued and applied across the education and care sectors, ensuring that new, innovative approaches are embedded both across the wider sector and DfE".
The DG for digital and infrastructure will lead a “new, highly capable and multi-disciplinary” group bringing together the digital, technology, data, and analysis functions in the department, the advert for the role says.
They will be asked to “embed digital and data into the heart of how the department and the sector deliver outcomes, not as a separate strategy but as a powerful function influencing every major priority”.
The DG will also lead the education estates function, with one of their top priorities to transform the department’s capital strategy to make it more data and digitally enabled.
This responsibility will include delivery of major capital programmes carrying “some of the highest levels of risk and accountability in the department – including life-and-death decisions on safety (e.g. RAAC)”.
The ad says the DG “must exercise exceptional judgement in managing vast surveying and build programmes, making frequent rapid, high-stakes decisions”.
The job advert says the role will have “real national reach and visibility, operating at pace and scale – reshaping how education services are delivered nationwide”.
Acland-Hood said she is "looking for someone who possesses both strategic vision and ability to deliver change at scale; bringing momentum, confidence and focus to complex programmes; and building strong partnerships – both internally and externally".
"Above all, I am looking for a leader who is motivated by impact – someone who is able to combine their digital and data expertise with their drive to improve outcomes for children and young people," she said.
"Whilst you do not need to be an expert on education policy, you need to be curious and committed to rapidly building your understanding of the latest evidence, system, and policy landscape," she added.
The deadline to apply to the role is 11:55 pm on Monday 1 June.