Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer

Inside IR35

Contract end date - March 2027

Hybrid - 2 days onsite at Surrey County Council

Connect2Surrey are seeking a Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer

Role Purpose

The Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer will:

• Set and lead a bold vision for digital, data and technology, ensuring alignment with the Council's strategic priorities leading collaboration at pace and scale to deliver successful outcomes in the context of Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation
• Provide influential and visible leadership across Surrey's wider public service system, shaping cross-boundary strategies and enabling integrated, citizen-focused services across multiple organisations.
• Champion innovation, emerging technologies and data-driven decision making to transform services, improve outcomes, and strengthen resilience.
• Represent Surrey County Council at regional and national levels, influencing policy and investment and positioning the organisation as a leader in ethical, inclusive and future-facing digital and data practice.

Leadership & Specific Accountabilities

Corporate & Strategic Leadership

• Act as the Council's most senior adviser on digital, data and technology, providing authoritative, independent strategic advice to the Chief Executive, CLT and Members.
• Exercise significant delegated authority in determining technology investment priorities, enterprise architecture, data governance frameworks and organisational risk posture.
• Shape and continually evolve the Council's long-term digital, data and technology strategy, ensuring it enables large-scale transformation, efficiency, resilience and service redesign.
• Lead the Council-wide digital investment portfolio, ensuring coherence, ROI and alignment with corporate objectives.

System-Level Leadership & Cross-Boundary Impact

• Provide strong system leadership across Surrey's public sector ecosystem, influencing and enabling shared strategies, interoperable platforms and integrated delivery models across partners.
• Lead and/or act as Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for major multi-agency digital and data programmes with significant financial, operational and citizen impact.
• Represent Surrey at regional and national digital, data and cyber leadership forums, shaping policy, standards and funding opportunities.

Technology, Innovation & Transformation

• Champion the intelligent, safe and ethical adoption of emerging technologies (including AI and automation), ensuring they drive measurable improvements in outcomes, productivity and service quality.
• Ensure a resilient, modern, scalable and secure digital infrastructure that enables effective service delivery at organisational and system level.
• Drive a design-led, innovation-focused culture using agile methods to accelerate transformation and improve user experience.

Data Strategy, Governance & Capability

• Define and lead an enterprise-wide data strategy, establishing consistent standards, ownership, quality and lifecycle management.
• Oversee development of a modern data platform enabling secure, interoperable data sharing and advanced analytics across multiple organisations.
• Embed strong data ethics, governance and compliance frameworks ensuring lawful, transparent and trustworthy use of data.
• Build organisation-wide data literacy and capability to empower staff at all levels.

Cyber Security & Risk Management

Operational Excellence & People Leadership

External Leadership, Influence & Reputation

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills & Experience

• Significant senior-level experience as a CIO/CTO/CDIO, with proven leadership of a complex, multi-functional Digital, Data and Technology portfolio.
• Demonstrable ability to influence and shape strategy across multiple autonomous organisations with differing priorities and governance structures.
• Exceptional leadership credibility at corporate and political levels, with strong negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Proven ability to lead and motivate a diverse, hybrid workforce and inspire a culture of innovation and high performance.
• Politically astute, with experience operating effectively in a public sector context.
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to secure value from investment, partnerships and sourcing arrangements.
• Extensive understanding of emerging digital and data capabilities, including AI and automation.
• Broad knowledge of infrastructure, cyber security, enterprise architecture and market trends.
• Proven leadership of large-scale digital, data and technology services and major transformation programmes.
• Experience acting as SRO or equivalent for major programmes with multi-organisation reach.
• Track record of shaping and delivering strategy in a system or multi-agency environment.
• Strong experience of working with Members, senior officers and external partners.

Connect2Dorset is a trading style of Dorset & Kent Commercial Services LLP - A joint venture between Dorset Council & Commercial Services Kent Ltd. Connect2Dorset is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business. It positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.