Maximise the power of data to defend our country and its interests

About us

The first responsibility of Government is to protect its citizens and in a changing world Defence must stay ahead of the evolving threats to our people, interests, and allies.

At a time of unprecedented global challenge, the Integrated Review (IR) sets out the vision for a Global Britain in a more competitive age, by integrating foreign, security, defence and development policies. Through this we will be ready, as one United Kingdom, to counter 21st century threats and seize global opportunities.

The United Kingdom is a problem-solving and burden-sharing nation, as a global leader shaping the future international order, sustaining our strategic advantage through science and technology, and strengthening security at home and overseas.

Defence is central to the integrated approach for achieving this vision of a stronger, more prosperous, and resilient Union, creating new foundations for our prosperity and adapting to a more competitive world.

About the role

This role is responsible and fully accountable for working across Defence and wider with Government and allies to develop a coherent overall view on data demand and its exploitation. It will own the direction and coordination of the data exploitation portfolio across the operational environment, and all business functions that will enable and support Defence outputs such that it is fully optimised and enabled with data capability.

This role will ensure that opportunities to optimise delivery, reduce replication, expose and exploit data exemplars are seized and achieved. The imperative for the role is to ensure demands are optimally enabled, continuously hunt for opportunities to exploit defence data, in all its forms, further and more effectively. The role must create and nurture the operational, business, and external partnerships necessary to deliver continuous operational advantage and business value from Defence data assets whilst ensuring appropriate expertise and capability is available to deliver on this demand.

The Head of Data Exploitation must provide strategic leadership that drives data support and compliance through directed engagement with operational user communities, delivering a range of in progress and emerging data exploitation programmes, projects and activities. The role outcomes are operationally critical, time dependant and a fundamental part of the Data strategy for defence. The Head of Data Exploitation will provide the drive and leadership that will ensure data is exploited at scale and speed.

About you

You'll need to be a strategic leader, able to grasp the complexity and diversity of the MOD with the ability to think strategically with a digital perspective. In particular, you will need a clear track-record of Operational & Business improvement to create measurable benefits. Capable of commanding respect and confidence, you'll be ready to foster positive and mutually beneficial relationships across the MOD, industry and the wider defence world. Ready to engage customers and employees, you will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, along with the ability to negotiate and influence effectively at the highest levels. While knowledge and experience with military operations would be an advantage, experience of harnessing data, analytics and insights at a senior level is more important. Personal resilience and a high level of integrity are both vital.

Benefits

We offer a range of benefits including a generous leave allowance, flexible working options, learning and development tailored to your role, and a Civil Service pension.

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Closing date: 23:55 on Sunday 7 th November 2021