Head of Digital Portfolio

Details
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Reference number

458119

Salary

£69,500
London based – The starting salary for this role at Grade 6 is £69,500 (FTE) per annum. This is non\-negotiable. A non\-consolidated, non\-pensionable Location Allowance of £5,000 (FTE) per annum will apply.

Milton Keynes based – The starting salary for this role at Grade 6 is £69,500 (FTE) per annum. This is non\-negotiable. A non\-consolidated, non\-pensionable Location Allowance of £1,750 (FTE) per annum will apply.

East Kilbride based – The starting salary for this role at Grade 6 is £69,500 (FTE) per annum. This is non\-negotiable.
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28\.97%
GBP

Job grade

Grade 6### Contract type

Permanent### Type of role

Other### Working pattern

Full\-time### Number of jobs available

1
Contents
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• Location


• About the job


• Benefits


• Things you need to know


• Apply and further information

Location
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East Kilbride, London, Milton KeynesAbout the job
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Job summary

The Foreign, Commonwealth \& Development Office pursues our national interests and projects the UK’s role in the world. We promote the interests of British citizens, safeguard the UK’s security, defend our values, reduce poverty and tackle global challenges with our international partners. We employ more than 17,000 staff in 179 countries and territories, across our diplomatic and development offices worldwide, which consists of 282 officially designated Posts. Our UK\-based staff work in King Charles Street, London, Abercrombie House in East Kilbride and in Milton Keynes.

Digital, Technology and Security Directorate (DTaS) is responsible for delivering the Foreign Secretary’s ambition to make the FCDO the most technologically integrated and innovative foreign ministry globally. This means harnessing digital, data, technology, IT security and information management to support the FCDO and UK Government partners on our platform to deliver our diplomatic, development and consular aims. All while keeping our people and information safe, especially from hostile actors.

The work we do is varied – from historical analysis and library services to cyber protection, from information rights to global network management, from supporting staff in using the latest Microsoft toolsets, to creating corporate applications, harnessing AI and much more in line with the FCDO Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Strategy.

The Directorate is made up of a wide range of talented staff and experts including specialist, contractors, home civil servants and diplomats who have served overseas.

Job description

Main Purpose of Job

As Head of Digital Portfolio, the successful candidate will provide strategic leadership and oversight for the FCDO’s digital, data, and technology portfolio. You will be responsible for shaping and maintaining a robust governance framework, ensuring effective prioritisation, resource allocation, and risk management across a complex, high\-value portfolio of products, services and programmes. Leading a team of portfolio professionals, you will foster a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and delivery excellence.

You will work closely with senior stakeholders to ensure investment decisions are evidence\-based, benefits are clearly defined and realised, and the portfolio adapts to changing organisational priorities. Acting as a key advisor to senior leadership, you will provide clear, data\-driven insights and recommendations to inform decision\-making at the highest levels. You will champion best practice in strategic portfolio management, support the development of business cases, and ensure assurance and reporting mechanisms are in place to track progress, manage interdependencies, and deliver successful outcomes.

Roles and Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Shaping and prioritising new demand for inclusion in service groups and the portfolio.


• Establishing and maintaining a clear governance framework and reporting system in line with portfolio best practice.


• Coordinating reporting from Service Groups and analysing performance at the portfolio level for governance review.


• Leading portfolio\-wide quarterly planning to align resources, priorities and delivery across the portfolio.


• Providing secretariat support for senior governance boards and collaborating with project teams to coordinate business cases.


• Advising on best practice assurance processes and maintaining the portfolio delivery map.


• Ensuring robust approaches to benefits management.


• Identifying and tracking portfolio risks, threats, and opportunities, creating plans to manage appropriately.


• Identifying and tracking portfolio risks, threats, and opportunities, creating plans to manage appropriately.


• Communicating and fostering a shared vision and sense of purpose across the portfolio.


• Identifying stakeholder interests and using influence to prioritise engagement.

You will act as Line Manager for an evolving portfolio team.

The FCDO also operates an agile workforce. To facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require.

Candidates who secure a role that is considered specialist/technical, may be required to affiliate to the relevant specialist network, if not already a member.

You may be required to travel in the UK with possible travel abroad, this is likely to be short duration trips several times a year.

Person specification

You must be a British Citizen at the time of application and, if invited to interview, you will need to bring proof of identity (British Passport/Driving Licence etc.) with you.

This role requires you to attainDeveloped Vetting (DV) security clearance.

For more information about this process, click here. Attaining DV will require you to have been resident in the UK for five of the last ten years. At least one year of this must have been a consecutive twelve\-month period. Serving overseas with HM Forces, in some other official capacity as a representative of His Majesty’s Government or having lived overseas as a result of your parents’ or partner’s Government employment counts as UK residency for the purposes of security clearances.

It is essential in your application that you provide evidence and proven examples in each of the following Minimum Criteria, the Behaviours and the Technical question as far as you are able to do so. These responses will be further developed and discussed with those candidates invited for interview.

Essential Criteria

• Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) qualified or Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) qualification or Management of Portfolio’s (MoPs) qualification or Significant, demonstrable experience in managing complex programmes of work or portfolios.


• Experience in managing large\-scale, complex digital and technology projects and programmes and using strategic portfolio management as a tool for organisational change.


• Experience of successful strategic risk management, agile planning cycles, problem solving and the ability to manage multiple interdependencies.


• Strong leadership skills in managing cross\-functional teams with the ability to engage, motivate and coach on best practice processes.


• Ability to adopt proactive approaches, focussing on continuous improvement of self and service, with an appetite to work with others to simplify processes and improve efficiency.


• Capability to systematically identify, analyse, and engage with stakeholders through suitable channels, ensuring that investment proposals are supported and managed.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving


• Leadership


• Communicating and Influencing


• Managing a Quality Service

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Changing and Improving

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Strategic Thinking https://ddat\-capability\-framework.service.gov.uk/role/digital\-portfolio\-manager\#digital\-portfolio\-manager


• Planning – Practitioner Level https://ddat\-capability\-framework.service.gov.uk/skills\#planning

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Strategic Thinking https://ddat\-capability\-framework.service.gov.uk/role/digital\-portfolio\-manager\#digital\-portfolio\-manager

Benefits
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Alongside your salary of £69,500, Foreign, Commonwealth \& Development Office contributes £20,134 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.* A Civil Service Pension.

• 25 days Annual Leave per annum.


• 9 days Public and Privilege holidays per annum.


• Learning and Development tailored to your role.

See the attached candidate pack.Things you need to know
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Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.### Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
This vacancy uses the Success Profiles Framework to assess your Behaviours. We will use the Digital Portfolio Manager and the

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