Director of People Services

Contracted to our Wilmslow, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast office, however, through hybrid working we offer flexible home and office-based working opportunities. There will be times when you will be expected to attend the office to collaborate with colleagues or travel due to business need., The Executive Directorate for Strategy and Resources is responsible for ensuring that our strategy and resources are aligned; allowing our capacity and capability to evolve to deliver strategic objectives, and our culture to develop to support the dynamic delivery of complex regulatory services., Reporting to the Executive Director for Strategy and Resources and collaborating as part of our Senior Leadership Team, the Director of People Services is critical to shaping, influencing, and setting the strategic direction for the ICO’s organisational design, development, capability, and culture - linking strategic outputs to our High Performance Strategy and strategic enduring objectives.
Leading a forward-thinking strategic team, you will ensure all aspects of our workforce capacity, capability, controls and planning support delivery of our strategic objectives as well as ensuring we manage our resources effectively and in full compliance with public sector rules and standards.
This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with strong leadership skills, who is passionate about empowering through information to make a positive impact on people’s lives., + Provide strategic direction and leadership to departments for People Services, ensuring people policies and procedures remain proportionate and fit for purpose and provide the basis for a high performance culture.
+ Ensure short, medium and long term workforce plans provide the ICO with the capacity and capability needed to achieve its strategic objectives and that working culture remains aligned with the organisation’s vision, values and risk appetite.
+ Drive a high performing and inclusive workplace, promoting and embedding the ICO’s values and creating a culture of exceptional behaviours and standards across the organisation.
+ Champion diversity, equality and inclusion across the ICO and secure support of the senior leadership team to delivering improvements across the organisation.
+ Provide strong governance and advice to committees within the directorate’s remit, including Resources, Nominations, Remuneration and Audit & Risk Committees, as required.
+ Lead the relationships with the ICO’s recognised trade unions, ensuring that communications are clear and consultation is conducted in the spirit of enabling the continued development and success of the ICO in conjunction with its employees.
+ Manage strategic relationships, both within and external to the ICO, in particular negotiating and influencing others to achieve desired outcomes.
+ Lead and inspire teams across multiple disciplines, communicating effectively to achieve staff engagement and being a visible and credible leader.
+ Champion the development of staff, encouraging learning and development and identify and take action where capabilities need to be improved.
+ Identify and implement best ways of working to achieve maximum effectiveness and equality of access to our services through benchmarking good practice, listening to staff and consulting service users.
+ Use initiative, be innovative and seek opportunities for strategic change to deliver world class services. Seek, encourage and recognise ideas and have the courage to take risks and change how things are done, challenging the status quo appropriately where required.
+ Support, and where necessary deputise for, the Executive Director of Strategy and Resources, maintaining a strong insight and understanding of the work of other directorates in your area, collaborating and supporting senior colleagues effectively.
+ Act as Information Asset Owner for the Directorate/Service. Provide the Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) with assurance that the information asset is appropriately managed in line with legal requirements including data protection legislation, ICO standards and procedures., Candidates with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy will be invited to interview as part of the ICO’s commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme.
If you have a disability or impairment and have difficulty using our online application system, please email the HR team at recruitment@ico.org.uk who can arrange for you to submit an application via an alternative method.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
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) (opens in a new window)
+ 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 (opens in a new window)

+ CIPD professional qualification or equivalent, degree or work experience demonstrating graduate level ability (application stage).
+ Substantial experience related to the role, including experience of leading people managers, and of delivering services in HR and Workforce Planning disciplines.
+ Experience of leading significant change projects from concept to sign off.
+ Experience of engaging and negotiating with senior external stakeholders.
+ Demonstrable experience of responding to the challenge of improving diversity, equality and inclusion in an organisation.
+ Demonstrable experience of leading discussions with Trade Unions of behalf of an organisation.
+ Knowledge of the regulatory environment and the public sector generally, including the democratic, political and organisational framework.
+ Experience of analysing complex HR and workforce statistical information and producing accurate/intelligent forecasts and plans.
+ Experience of the management and deployment of resources, including budgets (interview stage).
+ Ability to seek out, manage and influence opportunities for continuous improvement and change (interview stage).
Please note that post holders for this role will be required to receive security clearance to SC level. This requires the disclosure of spent and unspent convictions. Although convictions will be taken into account, any such information will not necessarily prevent you from obtaining a security clearance.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the independent regulator of information rights. In a data-driven world, we provide advice, guidance, and support to organisations enabling compliance with their obligations, as well as protecting individuals and their personal data.
As an employer, we are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives and careers of our people, and we empower you to be curious, impactful, collaborative and inclusive., The ICO is committed to promoting and enhancing equality, diversity, and inclusion. We are focused on developing a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and together we are building an inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference. We are championing this through our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Board together with a number of staff networks. Read more about our commitment on our website.

Alongside your salary of £97,243, Information Commissioner's Office contributes £28,171 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Why work for the ICO?
· Pay progression scheme.
· Hybrid and flexible working options.
· 25 days paid holiday per year, plus privilege and public holidays.
· Flexi leave.
· Pension (employer contribution around 28.9%).
· Online discount scheme to save money at major supermarkets, retailers, gyms,
restaurants, insurance providers and many more.
· Health Cash Plan.
· Fantastic development opportunities to learn and progress.
Further details can be found on the benefits section of our website.