Essential Criteria
Strategic Stakeholder Management: Demonstrated ability to build and sustain trusted relationships across organisational boundaries, using personal and professional credibility to influence and gain the confidence of senior stakeholders. Skilled in navigating complex and often challenging stakeholder environments, including managing and influencing senior leaders and individuals with difficult or conflicting priorities, through strong interpersonal, persuasion and negotiation skills.
Programme Management: Proven track record of leading the end-to-end delivery of complex, high value programmes in a large, multifaceted organisation, with a focus on managing interdependencies, navigating risk and driving delivery through effective governance, while engaging constructively in challenging stakeholder environments.
Technology and Productivity Expertise: Demonstrated ability to lead productivity focused programmes that deliver tangible operational benefits, with experience in applying technology to drive productivity improvements in complex organisational settings, with a strong understanding of AI, technology systems architecture, data governance and operational process design, preferably possessing relevant qualifications
Political Judgement: An understanding of the political context and what is required to operate in evolving and ambiguous environments, negotiate and influence key decisions, manage risk and reach sound judgements on a range of strategic and reputational issues.
Strategic Thinking and Analytical Skills: Strong analytical skills and the ability to communicate clearly and compellingly in a complex, politically demanding environment, with an ability to think strategically and respond quickly to complex changing circumstances and high-pressure situations, maintaining integrity and a clear view of overall project priorities. Comfortable making decisions and setting direction without having the full picture and able to refocus as detail emerges.
Communication and Leadership: Excellent communication, interpersonal and presentational skills to inspire people, educate colleagues and influence technological progress and the ability to lead, manage and inspire staff at all levels to give their best and demonstrate expected standards of behaviour and integrity, and to create an inclusive culture.
Desirable Criteria
Some knowledge of the borders and migration system and the operational environment.
Understanding of productivity measurement frameworks and their application in public sector transformation and knowledge/or experience of the product ownership and management.
Qualification/Certifications
The successful candidate will be expected to hold at a minimum at least one qualification in programme and project management. You will also be expected to hold at least one qualification within a technology, data and AI field.
Technology and Digital Leadership:
Chartered IT Professional (CITP)
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Certified Enterprise Architect (e.g., TOGAF)
AWS/GCP/Azure Cloud Certifications
Programme and Change Management:
Managing Successful Programmes (MSP)
PRINCE2 or AgilePM
Lean Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt)
Data and AI:
Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP)
AI/ML Certifications such as those from Coursera, edX, or vendor-specific (e.g., Microsoft AI Engineer).
Public Sector and Policy:
Government Digital and Data Profession Framework (DDaT) alignment with this framework is expected.
Public Policy or Strategic Leadership qualifications such as those from the Civil Service Leadership Academy
Online Application
The Home Office have partnered with the Archer Mac recruitment consultancy to manage this integral campaign.
Please view the application process below to apply online and provide some basic personal information;
1.A CV: setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role, including details where budgets and numbers of people managed, relevant achievements in recent posts, together with reasons for any gaps within the last two years;
2.A Statement of Suitability: (limited to 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.
3.Diversity Monitoring: as part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'. See the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy: 2022 to 2025 (HTML) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) for more information.
4. Please note that Shortlisted Candidates may be subject to Integrity Checks. This may be in addition to other checks carried out.
It is essential that in your written application you give evidence, using examples, of proven experience. These responses will be developed and discussed with candidates invited for interview.
Failure to submit both a CV and Supporting Statement will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.
Please apply via this link no later than 23:55hrs on Sunday 7th June 2026.
Please Note:
Integrity Check
As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, you will also be subject to an additional Integrity Check, as part of the pre-employment process, to determine your suitability to work for Border Force or Immigration Enforcement. For further information on what this involves, please visit our website.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
