Deputy Director - DDaT Programme Delivery

National Crime Agency (NCA); Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading law enforcement agency in the UK is seeking a Deputy Director for their Digital, Data and Technology Programme Delivery. The role involves managing a significant transformation programme, leading the DDaT team, and ensuring the delivery of critical services that enhance operational capabilities. Ideal candidates will possess proven leadership experience in technology with a focus on collaboration and strategic change, promoting high performance throughout the organisation.

Benefits

Civil Service Pension

Inclusive work environment

Qualifications

• Proven leadership within technology or digital transformation programs.
• Experience in collaborative working and strategic change.
• Understanding of agile and waterfall delivery methods.

Responsibilities

• Lead DDaT Programme Delivery and drive operational outcomes.
• Develop team performance and inspire confidence across NCA.
• Ensure alignment with NCA strategies and manage resources effectively.

Skills

Leadership skills

Agile methodologies

Change management

Stakeholder management

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Deputy Director – DDaT Programme Delivery

Would you like the opportunity to contribute to the fight against serious and organised crime?

Serious and organised crime is one of the gravest threats to the UK's national security. The National Crime Agency sits at the heart of the law enforcement response, protecting the public by disrupting and bringing to justice those serious and organised criminals who pose the highest risk to the UK.

Digital, data and technology is at the heart of everything we do within the NCA, from operations to the enabling services that allow the Agency to protect the public from serious and organised crime.

This is a senior leadership role within the National Crime Agency, responsible for the leadership and management of the DDaT Programme Delivery (DPD) department. The NCA has embarked upon a significant transformation programme across all aspects of its people, estates and ways of working. Digital, data and technology products and services are integral to this transformation journey, which requires DDaT to build, operate and sustain common IT services to support our operational ambitions.

The pace of change within the digital and tech world means we need to be agile and innovative in how we respond to threats while exploiting the opportunities this presents.

The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Directorate is responsible for creating a cutting‑edge technology and information environment that connects, empowers and enhances our officers’ crime fighting capabilities.

We are responsible for defining and delivering our data and technology strategy, policy and architecture, building and sustaining resilient services which are critical to our mission success.

We work closely with our operational teams to help them do their job in the most effective and efficient way, understanding their challenges and combining this with emerging technologies/ techniques to obtain and exploit data in innovative ways to ensure we stay ahead of the criminals who are committing some of the most serious crimes and inflicting harm to our society.

Responsibilities

Corporate Leadership

• Deliver effective business management to support the delivery of DDaT Programme Delivery.
• Lead and develop Agency process and procedure to drive operational outcomes.
• Act as a role model who leads, inspires, motivates, empowers and develops Officers within own team and across the Agency, and achieves high standards for both self and others.
• Inspire, empower, and develop team members while setting high standards, being passionate about diversity and developing people inclusively, strengthening their ability to deliver and enable them to grow in their roles and careers.
• Inspire confidence at the highest level. Regularly step outside own team and actively influences peers, senior leaders and key stakeholders to further NCA aims.
• Create and build constructive and positive partnerships, actively seeking to build collaborative working arrangements within the Agency, Home Office, wider Government and the Law Enforcement community in the UK and abroad.

Professional / Functional Leadership

• Champion delivery and implementation of the Digital, Data and Technology Strategy and DDaT Programme Delivery across the NCA, and provide overall lead and direction.
• Promote an energised culture focussed on collaborative working and strategic change aligned to the NCA Strategy and performance ambitions.
• Lead the delivery towers to provide the technical delivery skills to support all aspects of NCA work where there is an IT component that contributes to the delivery of NCA objectives, driving delivery at pace through agile and waterfall methodologies.
• Prioritise effective allocation of resources across DDaT DPD to ensure optimal delivery of benefits.
• Chair governance boards for taking decisions on DDaT DPD development in response to escalated risks or opportunities.
• Oversee assurance of Business Case decision points and overall DDaT DPD governance and progress.
• Ensure DDaT DPD evolves to reflect changes in strategic directives and business priorities.
• Manage the integration of DDaT DPD outputs and dependencies across the Agency and with external partners.
• Cultivate and manage a range of relationships and key strategic alliances with internal and external stakeholders, including driving high performance from key suppliers
• Regularly review the performance and continuing relevance of projects within DDaT DPD with senior stakeholders based on a clear understanding of cost, risk and contribution to NCA strategic objectives.
• Oversee benefit tracking and realisation over multiple years.
• Ensure alignment of NCA with HMG strategies, policies and standards.
• Ensure DDaT DPD conforms to systems engineering processes, tools and standards as defined by NCA Chief Technology Officer.

Additional Information

We’re committed to providing a positive and inclusive environment where all officers from all backgrounds can succeed and make a real difference in the fight against Serious and Organised Crime. We are proud of our staff‑led Diversity Groups who play an important role in supporting officers whatever their background, and help the organisation to develop and embed our approach to inclusion, making sure that we set ourselves up for success.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We offer an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the role and are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments as part of your application so that you can perform at your full potential and throughout your career with the NCA.

The roles are expected to be based in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Calder, Leicester, London* or Warrington.

Please ensure you are only selecting locations you are willing to work in as you may be offered a post in any of your location preferences.

For roles based in London, your contractual place of work will be Stratford. While the Stratford site is expected to become operational from November 2025 – March 2026, you will be required to carry out your contractual duties from Vauxhall or another reasonable location on a temporary basis during the interim period.

Please note that, as Stratford will be your contractual place of work, any subsequent move from a temporary location will not entitle you to payments for travel time or costs under the Relocation and Excess Travel Policy.

Pay principles on Civil Service transfers apply for current civil servants transferring to the NCA at the equivalent grade. Cabinet Office pay policy on promotion applies to current civil servants.

If applying on Secondment and you are the equivalent grade you will remain on your current salary for the duration of your Secondment.

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

There will be an MS Teams virtual open evening event on Tuesday 6th January 2026 from 18:00 to 19:00. If you would like to attend, please email: [e-mail]

If you want to join our mission, and be part of an organisation committed to fairness, can meet our high expectations of integrity and demonstrate inclusive behaviours, then we encourage you to apply for our roles.

For further information on our Inclusion, Diversity and Equality please visit: https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/who-we-are/inclusion-diversity-and-equality

How to Apply

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process through our chosen executive search provider, Global Resourcing, accessed via the following email: [e-mail]

This should be completed no later than 23:55 on Tuesday 13th January 2026.

Please submit your CV details setting out your career history, including key responsibilities and achievements. It is essential that your CV reflects the role you are applying for.

Please ensure you have provided reasons for any employment gaps within the last two years.

Please include a statement of suitability (no more than 1250 words, bahnschrift 11) with detailed evidence of your skills and experience that relate to the Behaviours and criteria on page 13 of the Candidate Information Pack.

In order to monitor the effectiveness of the National Crime Agency’s Diversity & Inclusion strategy, the NCA requires certain personal details about you on submission of your application. Please note that this will be treated in confidence and will not impact your application.

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a diversity monitoring form. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select ‘prefer not to say’. All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be provided to the selection panel. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer.

Contact Information

Should you like to discuss the role in more detail before submitting an application, please contact our chosen executive search provider, Global Resourcing, by emailing [e-mail] or by calling 020 8253 1806.

Should you encounter any issues with your application please get in touch with our recruitment partners at the following email address: [e-mail].