Chief Data Officer, Assistant Director

• Details
• Reference number
• 475925
• Salary
• £86,000 - £117,800
• £86,000 - £117,800 London, Durham, Lytham, Glasgow
• A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

• Job grade
• SCS Pay Band 1
• NS&I Pay Band 2
• Contract type
• Permanent
• Business area
• NS&I - Retail
• Type of role
• Architecture and Data
• Working pattern
• Full-time
• Number of jobs available
• 1
• Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Can be based at any one of our four offices in the UK. These are London (SE1 9HA), Durham (DH1 1SL), Lytham (FY8 4TS) or Glasgow (G2 8JX)

In late summer 2026 our Lytham office will be moving to Preston (PR4 1TE)

About the job

Job summary

Every day, NS&I safeguards the savings of 25 million people across the UK and behind every product, every decision and every pound protected, sits data.

We're looking for a Chief Data Officer to take single, accountable ownership of our data to help set the strategy, build governance and turn a complex, multi-supplier landscape into a genuine competitive and public service advantage.

This is a rare opportunity to shape data strategy at board level, sit at the heart of a major transformation programme which includes our banking engine migration and you’ll leave a lasting mark on how a national financial institution uses data to serve its customers and deliver public value.

A small company with a big reach, we offer a range of benefits including flexible working, a 9-day fortnight scheme, a performance-related variable pay bonus, a generous pension scheme and great opportunities for development. We care for colleagues, respect one another, invest in our people and manage talent effectively.

We are currently working in a hybrid way with colleagues expected to work at their chosen office location for 40% of their working month.

• You'll call the shots on data: As NS&I's owner for data, you'll set the vision and strategy, one that doesn't just work for us, but plugs straight into the wider government data agenda.
• You'll have a seat at the top table: Sit side by side with the executive team as a key decision maker in NS&I's transformation story, with real influence over our banking engine migration and data readiness.
• You'll build a data obsessed culture: From governance and risk to skills and community, you'll turn NS&I into an organisation where everyone gets data and gets excited about using it well.

Job description

In this role, you will:

• Define and lead NS&I's data vision and strategy, working with suppliers and the wider business to bring it to life.
• Design and own NS&I's enterprise data control framework, embedding governance across the organisation and its suppliers.
• Partner with the Chief Technology Officer to determine the data and data technology NS&I needs and how to deliver it.
• Own data risk end to end: quality, security, ethics and compliance, working closely with Security colleagues.
• Grow data skills and literacy across NS&I, creating a thriving, connected data community.
• Play a central role in NS&I’s transformation, providing data leadership, readiness assurance and decision-making support for the banking engine migration and future enterprise architecture.
• Embed clear data requirements into supplier contracts, governance and assurance so data quality, integrity and accountability are managed consistently across the enterprise.

Person specification

• A proven data leader: You’ve led data at senior level, ideally in financial services or the public sector and know how to deliver impact in a regulated, high stakes environment.
• Governance: You've got real, hands on experience managing data governance, transformation and tooling across multi-supplier landscapes and you enjoy untangling that complexity rather than being daunted by it.
• A confident communicator and influencer: Boardrooms don't faze you. You can walk into an exec meeting and talk data risk, strategy and ROI with clarity and conviction, bringing senior stakeholders with you rather than losing them in the detail.
• A change maker: If you've helped steer an organisation through major transformation or change before or can navigate through change, we’re looking for individuals who see disruption as an opportunity to help us grow and thrive.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £86,000, National Savings and Investments contributes £24,914 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible hybrid working options
• 9-day fortnight scheme
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Generous annual leave – starting at 25 days, increasing to 30 days
• Performance-related variable pay bonus
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave

NS&I is a household name with a mission that matters, helping the nation save, backed 100% by HM Treasury. You'll join a supportive, ambitious Government Digital & Data community, with genuine influence over strategy, a seat at the top table, and the scale and complexity to make your expertise count.

Things you need to know

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

To apply, please click the link on this advert and follow the steps to complete the application form.

In your application you will be asked to provide the following:

• An outline of your career history and qualifications with your key responsibilities and achievements.
• A 750-word personal statement outlining how your experience, skills and knowledge meet the essential skills and experience for the role.

We will assess applications on your career history, and personal statement.

In the event we receive a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted first on the Personal Statement. Only those that meet the minimum acceptable score for this criterion will qualify for the full sift and be considered for interview.

If shortlisted, you will be invited to attend a 1 hour and 30 minute panel interview at our London office .

As part of this interview you will be asked to make a 15 minute presentation.

Interviews will take place on W/C Monday 14th of September.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : jobs@nsandi.com
• Email : jobs@nsandi.com

Recruitment team

• Email : jobs@nsandi.com

Further information

The law requires for selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis for fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service recruitment principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact jobs@nsandi.com in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission info@csc.gov.uk