Please read before applying:

To apply for this role you will need to submit a CV and statement of suitability. These need to be merged into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and statement of suitability. There are further details in the Selection Process section further below in this advert.

If you experience technical issues during the application process we have found using a different browser or device in the first instance can be a quick fix.

If those don't work please email scs.recruitment@communities.gov.uk with your application and/or CV before the submission deadline. Any applications received after the deadline may not be considered.

Short Summary

The Elections Directorate is responsible for a challenging and dynamic policy landscape, always in the public eye, covering electoral policy and law. This includes how elections are run, who can participate and how elections and campaigning are regulated.​

Job Description

This is an exciting Deputy Director role jointly heading up the Elections Digital Division. This is a team of enthusiastic and highly skilled digital specialists, geographically dispersed across the UK. Our multidisciplinary in-house digital team is the driving force behind the development and delivery of excellent elections services for users, as well as the day-to-day operational running of those services. We are looking to build our in-house development capability in the coming years.

The division has a portfolio of 7 products and services, including the flagship Register to vote service. Over recent years, we’ve rapidly expanded our portfolio, and electors can now apply online for postal votes, proxy votes and photo identification.​

As well as continuing to develop our existing products and services to better meet user needs, the Digital Division has a big part to play in delivering Government Manifesto commitments and other Ministerial priorities. Lowering the voting age to 16 requires changes to all our elector-facing services, making them the first interaction that many young people will have with the gov.uk estate. We are also seeking to improve registration by use data and links between government services to increase the number of people correctly registered to vote.

Within our programme structure, all the Deputy Directors also act as project directors for individual projects within the programme, taking end to end responsibility for delivery of all aspects of the projects.

Key accountabilities

• Play an active role in the Elections Directorate SCS leadership team, helping to make it a fantastic place to work, developing our people.​

• Lead the Digital Electoral Service (DES) portfolio, made up of 7 services, and ensuring the continued improvement and adoption of digital best practice.​

• Lead the delivery of the digital development required to support the implementation of Government Manifesto commitments, including votes at 16 and improving registration​.

• Develop the Elections Digital Division, building our in-house capacity and capability.

• Act as overall project director for individual projects within the overall Elections change programme​.

• Work closely with colleagues across the department,analytical, legal, finance and commercial to ensure existingservices and new digital development are successfully delivered, offer value for money and consider legal and implementation opportunities and risks, underpinned by sound financial management.

• Represent the department in cross government and stakeholder forums​.

• Use commercial acumen to assess value within externally contracted services, whilst partnering with, challenging and successfully managing external suppliers.​

• Influence at all levels, including Ministerial, with both digital and non-digital colleagues.

Person specification

This role requires a strategic leader who can work at pace with the ability to develop a high performance culture.

You will be responsible for both the existing portfolio and the development required to deliver the Government's priorities for improving elections – all with the end-user in mind. To do so, you will be able to effectively manage multiple senior relationships, across all levels of Government and stakeholders.

You will be comfortable working across digital services and with budgets, able to advise with confidence how to ensure successful delivery.

You will have a strong focus on developing your team to perform at its best, give constructive challenge, and act as a trusted advisor into our policy teams.

Like the rest of MHCLG, we have an ambition to build more digital capabilities in-house, but currently some of our digital services are delivered by third parties. This means you must have commercial awareness, and be confident dealing with third party suppliers, ensuring we get the most out of relationships.

You will report to the Elections Director and be a visible leader within the directorate. Contributing to and shaping an inclusive team culture.

Previous leadership experience in government is not required, but you will be expected to quickly get up to speed with the directorate's high priority agenda.

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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Essential criteria

• Ability to demonstrate confident and empowering leadership, setting strategic direction through political, social and technological ambiguity.

• Experience of managing digital services, implementation and delivery. Championing continuous service design and capable of identifying and overcoming risks.

• Experience of working across policy/digital/analytical boundaries to lead multidisciplinary teams, promoting user-centred methods for service design and policymaking.

• Commercial and budget management skills to provide advice on strategic supplier contractual relationships and annual budgets.

• Experience shaping and leading a diverse and inclusive culture; motivating people to develop and perform to high standards; promoting equality and inclusion and leading people through change.

• Ability to work in partnership and deliver through others, working confidently with a range of experts, as well as across wider Government, industry partners and stakeholders.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working with ministers or equivalent senior stakeholders: securing their confidence and supporting your team to deliver against their priorities.

• The ability to work across government departments to deliver programmes.

How to apply

Please click the Be Applied link to provide the required information and complete your application through the Be Applied website by 23:55 on Sunday 13 July 2025.

You will be asked to enter some personal details, upload your CV and to provide your responses to the role’s advertised essential criteria.​

When prompted to upload your CV, please upload a single document consisting of:

• a CV (including the names of 2 referees and your current remuneration) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities, achievements and your relevant qualifications. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. ​ 

• a statement of suitability explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria provided in the person specification. (max. 2 pages)​ 

Please remember to save these two items in one document. Both items will be assessed to determine sift outcomes.  

Failure to submit both a CV and statement of suitability will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the Essential Criteria. 

Please note that only completed applications through the Be Applied route will be considered and that any further progress updates will be sent through Be Applied. 

The hiring manager, Stuart Ison, would be happy to have informal discussions with candidates who would like further information about the role before submitting an application. If interested, please contact scs.recruitment@communities.gov.uk  

The selection panel will be made up of: 

• Stuart Ison, Director, Elections

• Two additional panellists 

Additionally, the panel will be joined by one of our staff representatives from a pool of volunteers as part of our commitments to diversity and inclusion. 

Selection process and assessments

During sifting, both your CV and Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the role’s Essential Criteria. These Essential Criteria will also be used to form the basis of the panel’s questions in your final interview.

If a role lists Desirable Criteria, these will only be used to determine the merit order of candidates who rank evenly when assessed against the Essential Criteria.

Candidates that are shortlisted may be invited to attend a staff engagement panel.  

At MHCLG we hold staff engagement panels as an integral part of the recruitment process for Senior Civil Servants (SCS) – they are designed to help us build up a rounded picture of each candidate and give us an insight into how you might engage and interact with your team should you be successful. The purpose of the session is to help us assess your engagement and communication skills and is not about testing your subject knowledge or expertise for this particular role. Feedback from the session is passed onto the selection panel for consideration alongside the final interview.

Shortlisted candidates will also be invited to a meeting with Liz Owen, the job-share partner for this role. This is not a formal part of the selection process but an informal chance for candidates to find out more about the role and the organisation.

Shortlisted candidates will also be invited to give a short presentation or complete an exercise at the beginning of their final interview. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates when invited to interview.  

All of the evidence presented as part of the process will be considered in the final assessment. 

Contract

This is a permanent appointment. This role is specifically a job share role on a part-time basis of c. 22-28 hours per week. MHCLG encourages flexible working.

Location 

This role is available in one of the locations listed below. During the application process you will be asked to express a location preference, from the advertised locations. Any offer made will be based on that specific location. ​ 

• Bristol

• Darlington

• London

• Manchester

• Wolverhampton

Salary 

For external appointments, remuneration for this role will be £76,000 pa plus a bonus opportunity depending on performance (within the normal Civil Service pay arrangements) and attractive pension.​

For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and temporary promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If appointed on promotion you would get the higher of 10% uplift or the new minimum for Director.

Future pay awards will normally be made in line with current SCS performance-related pay arrangements.

Reserve List  

In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details in a reserve list for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this.

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Near Miss Offers​ 

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign.

Security Clearance 

All MHCLG colleagues must meet the Baseline Personnel Security Standard. This is a series of basic security checks to confirm identity and employment history.

In addition to the BPSS, the level of security clearance required for this role is Security Check (SC) and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete. For more details of vetting levels and requirements please refer to the Cabinet Office HMG Personnel Security Controls.

Complaints Process 

Please see candidate pack slide 23 for details.