Location
Hybrid working based at any of UKHSA's Core HQs: Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London. You will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, averaged over a month) working at one of these core offices.

Hours
Full Time - standard Civil Service hours

Salary
£70,797 - £85,436 (Grade 6) depending on location:
National: £70,797 - £81,450
Outer London: £72,950 - £83,443
Inner London: £75,104 - £85,436

About the Role
We are seeking a Head of Portfolio (CDO – Digital & Data) to join the Portfolio and Business Partnering team within the Digital and Data directorate, part of the Chief Data Office group. You will lead the portfolio office, ensuring effective governance, reporting, and oversight of all projects and programmes. Your responsibilities include prioritising and allocating resources across the portfolio to optimise delivery of departmental and business strategic objectives aligned with government priorities.

This role aligns with the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework (GDD) as a Digital Portfolio Manager – Head of Portfolio.

Key responsibilities include:
- Leading collaboration with CDO Business Partners and UKHSA business areas to identify, categorise, and manage projects through their full lifecycle from entry into the portfolio to acceptance into business as usual.
- Establishing governance frameworks and coordinating reporting across the portfolio, including performance analysis for governance bodies such as the Portfolio Board.
- Maintaining the portfolio delivery map and critical path to monitor project progress and interdependencies.
- Identifying and monitoring portfolio risks, issues, assumptions, and dependencies.
- Providing leadership with insights to inform resource allocation decisions and optimise return on investment.
- Establishing ownership and responsibility for benefit realisation and regularly reviewing business cases.
- Mapping stakeholder interest and influence to prioritise engagement and delivery.
- Engaging with internal and external stakeholders to provide updates, challenge assumptions, and resolve issues.
- Acting as a visible leader, communicating a shared vision and supporting business areas to make independent decisions.
- Building and leading a diverse, skilled, and motivated team of digital portfolio managers.

Experience
- Extensive experience and detailed knowledge of planning, scheduling, budgeting, risk and issue management, and assurance in complex programme, project, or portfolio environments.
- Expert knowledge and experience establishing and embedding governance and benefits management in multiple complex programmes/projects using both waterfall and agile methods within Digital, Data, and Technology portfolios.
- Proven evidence of portfolio management as a tool for managing organisational change.
- Experience working with product management and service management teams.
- Proven ability to build productive relationships and influence diverse stakeholder groups including technical specialists, delivery teams, senior leaders, and external partners.
- Good analytical skills with experience using digital tools to interpret and analyse complex data into clear, actionable portfolio-level reports and insights.
- Demonstrated persistence and resilience, achieving success despite obstacles or setbacks.

About You
- A visible leader with experience driving performance through collaboration with project or programme teams.
- An advocate for continuous improvement.
- Ability to operate in ambiguous, high-paced environments, navigating shifting priorities and enabling teams to maintain clarity and momentum through strong portfolio oversight (desirable).
- Strong communication and influencing skills with a commitment to inclusion and diversity.
- Ability to lead and motivate a diverse team.

Qualifications
- Qualifications in Portfolio Management Frameworks such as P3M, MSP, MoP, or Prince2, or equivalent experience.
- Good knowledge and experience of business case development, resource management, business change, implementation, and asset allocation.