Principal Technologist OCTO - GDS - G6

Manchester Digital; London, Manchester, Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 69,000 - 104,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent government digital agency is seeking experienced individuals to lead digital transformation efforts across the UK public sector. The role involves setting a vision, collaborating with stakeholders, and engaging with technology vendors to enhance service delivery. Ideal candidates will have significant experience in technology design, leadership in digital initiatives, and strong communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences. This role offers a chance to influence change that impacts millions.

Benefits

Engagement with high-profile technology initiatives

Opportunity to impact national digital strategy

Qualifications

• Experience leading digital transformation initiatives.
• Ability to design and build technology, creating credibility.
• Engagement with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Set vision and strategy for the aligned field.
• Develop and promote best practices within public sector.
• Work collaboratively with vendors for public sector benefits.

Skills

Leadership in digital and data change

Technology design and implementation

Effective communication

Engagement with suppliers/vendors

Education

Industry certifications in Digital & Data

Job description

£76,420 - £103,924 (London) / £69,523 - £91,453 (National) Based on capability. Published on 12 September 2025. Deadline 21 September 2025

Location

Bristol, London, Manchester

About the job

Job summary

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre of government. We are responsible for setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital government.

Our priorities are to drive a modern digital government, by:

• joining up public sector services
• harnessing the power of AI for the public good
• strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure
• elevating leadership and investing in talent
• funding for outcomes and procuring for growth and innovation
• committing to transparency and driving accountability

We are home to the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (I.AI), the world-leading GOV.UK and at the forefront of coordinating the UK’s geospatial strategy and activity. We lead the Government Digital and Data function and champion the work of digital teams across government.

We’re part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and employ more than 1,000 people all over the UK, with hubs in Manchester, London and Bristol.

The Government Digital Service is where talent translates into impact. From your first day, you’ll be working with some of the world’s most highly-skilled digital professionals, all contributing their knowledge to make change on a national scale.

Join us for rewarding work that makes a difference across the UK. You'll solve some of the nation’s highest-priority digital challenges, helping millions of people access services they need

Within GDS, you will join the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), a directorate comprising 85 staff and aiming to grow to 140 staff by the end of financial year 2025/26. The directorate is led by David Knott and four Deputy Directors.

The directorate has recently overseen a number of key departmental priorities, ranging from delivering the State of Digital Government Review, to the AI Playbook, to strengthening how Government does digital procurement, and protecting public sector website domains, amongst other priorities.

The Principal Technologists in GDS’s Office of the Government CTO function exist to make building great technology easier in the UK Public Sector. In this role you can help central and local government, the NHS, Police, as well as 1,000+ agencies and other bodies. By setting strategies, principles, standards and identifying best practice, as well as supporting the adoption and embedding of these into the public sector, you’ll help your 100,000+ digital and data colleagues in these organisations deliver transformational change.

In particular we are looking for individuals in the following teams:

• technology management, where you will be focussed on the development of the Legacy IT strategy and implementation across Government
• engineering excellence, where you will work as part of the team making the UK Public Sector an industry leader in Software Engineering and Development
• digital workplace, where we are looking for individuals who have a strong End User Computing background

You may manage and mentor a Lead Technologist aligned to you and your team, who can support you when you need to rapidly deep-dive into a topic to achieve your team’s outcomes.

You will be part of a team including lead technologists, engagement leads and a delivery manager to:

• Set a 10-year intent and strategy for the field you are aligned to, and gain endorsement for this
• Identify and develop existing principles, standards and best practice and promote them, or form and lead a group of technologists from across UK Public Sector to create these
• Work with vendors to maximise their offer to UK Public Sector, and with Government Commercial Function in commercial engagements with vendors
• Build a network of peers across UK Public Sector to regularly engage with
• Promote your work through content written for GOV.UK, speaking engagements and hosting community events
• Help upskill others across UK Public Sector in your specialist area

The above list of job duties is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

These roles have a scale and impact unlike many others: we are routinely involved in commercial engagements worth £billions, respond to pan-Government technology questions from ministers, and provide advice to other international governments.

Person specification

This role requires:

• you must have experience setting a vision and leading digital and data change
• you must have experience designing and building technology and be able to use this to build credibility with others, evaluate proposals and decide an execution approach
• you should have experience engaging with suppliers/vendors both formally and informally
• communication in this role is key: you should be comfortable in creating written content and presenting to senior stakeholders, both technical (such as CTOs / CDOs across Government) and non-technical (including ministers and permanent secretaries)
• learning should be embedded in the way you approach your working week, and you should be keen to share your learning with those around you through coaching and mentoring

Technical skills

• you should be at the top skill levels in your Digital & Data specialism, most likely from the Architecture, Data, IT Operations or Software Development groups.
• you should hold relevant industry certifications for your technical specialism