Deputy Director Science & Technology

This role is being advertised alongside another Technical Leadership role (Chief Research Officer) within GCHQ’s Directorate of Research and Engineering (DRE). See ‘to apply’ below for how to apply for one or more of these roles.  

Science, Technology, Research and Innovation (STRI) is vital to GCHQ and the National Security community. Our ability to conduct cutting edge research and pull through innovative technologies and methods is fundamental to our mission. GCHQ has a rich and proud history of world class STRI which has underpinned our mission capability. Technology and target advancement are making this ever more critical, and it is vitally important that we keep up with - and ahead of - the outside world. We are working with a growing range of partners outside GCHQ in a range of different ways to increase the pace and impact of our research.

As DD S&T you will be responsible for the Science and Technology Hub, a team of people focused on scaling the impact of S&T across the Department, and corralling GCHQ’s S&T community. Your focus will be on delivering strategic National Security benefit by anticipating emerging S&T opportunities and future proofing GCHQ's capability. You will be at the centre of GCHQ’s S&T community and a crucial part of the National Security Chief Science Advisor’s extended team. We are committed to distributed working - the STRI community is already hybrid working and has a presence across the UK.

You will be focused on creating an inclusive environment for your team and the S&T community to succeed. You will be at the forefront of directing and supporting this transformation, including leading on the S&T element of GCHQ 2025. Given the nature of the work you will need to be comfortable with the ambiguity of the evolving technical landscape and able to make the connections between technical details and national strategy. Examples of current S&T fields of particular interest include: AI, Data Science, video, speech text processing/analytics, behavioural science.

Responsibilities of the role include:

•Creating an environment that through being inclusive, welcoming and representative of the society we serve, delivers impact.

•Being an active member of the leadership teams in DRE and the CSA Office. It is also really important you work closely with GCHQ’s Senior Tech community.

•Accountability for the Science & Technology Hub (STH)

•Accountability for the Research Skill, framework, assessment and transformation.

•Leading the GCHQ STRI communities (including peer lead for the Senior STRI community).

•Setting and delivering STRI strategic direction on behalf of the S&T Board and GCHQ Board.

•On behalf of Director General Technology, shape and run the S&T Board

•Overseeing the OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), STRI Portfolio and strategic balance of investment in STRI to reflect GCHQ and the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) needs.

•Lead the coordination of GCHQ’s S&T strategic input into wider government S&T topics for Strategic Advantage.

•Lead GCHQ’s Intellectual Property strategy.

•Maintaining senior relationships across GCHQ, CSA, UKIC, 5Eyes and growing partnerships with Industry and Academia to deliver against core mission challenges.

•Ensuring the STRI community is well represented within GCHQ and empowered to generate greatest value, and act as an advocate for STRI within the wider technical community including national and international partners.
This is an exciting role with opportunity to have impact at scale. At a time of significant transformation and volatility, your personal leadership skills and experience will be tested on a regular basis but you will be part of a supportive and inclusive team.

Requirements for the role:

You will need to show a proven track record or show the potential to:  

•Exemplify GCHQ Values and inclusive, supportive leadership. Passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion.

•Lead at scale and through influence, demonstrate collaborative working through peer group teams.

•Set direction and take difficult decisions. Communicate this in a manner that promotes optimism and co-operation.

•Passion and curiosity for S&T and understanding of how it fits in a complex mission environment. Ability to apply that to inform decision making and clear communications.

•Be willing to question constructively at all levels and make the difficult choices needed to meet future demands.

•Build collaborative relationships and improve existing ones, both within Government and with international, academic and industry partners. Able to build close partnerships with policy makers.

•Maintain technical credibly, including by spending 20% time doing hands on technical work.

Essential skills & experience:

•EDI - a track record of delivering EDI impact

•Research/Technology skills- This role requires a mix of both deep technical credibility and strategic leadership. You will be an experienced strategic leader and a thought leader within your technical profession. You will inspire a technical workforce to embrace the fast-paced change in STRI – anticipating and setting technical direction. It is essential that you can that you can demonstrate a track-record of deep technical understanding and application. You will have experience of delivering research with wide and enduring impact. Appropriate qualifications include Fellowship of professional bodies such as BCS, IET

•Knowledge & Understanding of S&T – experience working in science at a strategic level
 
SCS1 Skills & Competencies:

This role is particularly focused on the following competencies:  
•Seeing the Big Picture (essential)
•Changing and Improving (essential)
•Making Effective Decisions
•Leadership
•Working together (essential)

We also expect all of our senior leaders to demonstrate a commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Working for GCHQ
 
Diversity and inclusion are critical to our partnership and mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodiverse conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce.  

The post will involve high and low side work and will be based from either Manchester or Cheltenham with lots of opportunity for home/low side working. The role involves UK and overseas travel. It will lead multi-site teams in Cheltenham, Manchester, London and overseas.

To apply
 
Applicants should include:  
 
•Personal statement - max one A4 side, setting out why you want the role and what you would bring
•Short CV - max two A4 sides, including technical skills, career history

If you wish to apply for more than one of the roles being advertised concurrently (DD S&T, Chief Research Officer) you only need to send one CV but include a personal statement for each role.


Selection process and timetable

The expected timetable is below, but is subject to change:

Applications close - 23:00 on Friday 28th January 2022
Interview - w/c 14th February 2022