Director of Home Office Science & Technology Delivery and Strategy
The Role
As Director of Home Office Science & Technology Delivery and Strategy, you will lead a team of around 110-130 people spread over a range of geographic locations including London, Croydon and the West Midlands.
Working with industry and academia you will build upon and exploit science and technology opportunities for the Home Office. You will be responsible for the delivery of a £30M science and technology program including work undertaken by third parties such as the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).
While top level priorities are driven by Ministers, the role involves prioritising the use of sought-after resources and coordinating the portfolio of scientific work that is commissioned by Home Office Science. You will be accountable for ensuring the portfolio addresses the needs of the business and is complementary to the science and technology portfolio for the Directorate-General for Homeland Security.
You will also be responsible for critical operational functions, including the operation of the National DNA Database and the licensing and Inspection of animal scientific procedures.
You will also play a key role in fostering scientific engagement and collaboration across other government departments and with external and international bodies.
You will be the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the Home Office Biometrics Programme (HOB) – a programme which will deliver a core platform for biometrics matching and identification services for the UK and will support effective international data sharing.
The Key Responsibilities
- Working closely with Directors-General, the Director of Analysis and Insight and Director of Strategy to ensure science and technology is put at the heart of Home Office policy, operations and decision-making.
- Developing the Home Office Research and Innovation strategy to ensure the department can access and exploit the latest science and technology opportunities and ensure the UK’s science and research capabilities are incentivised to focus on solving strategic research and innovation questions that address key Home Office ministerial priorities.
- Strategic Leadership of a team of 110-130 people responsible for key strands of scientific delivery including:
- Overseeing the Forensic Information Databases Service; providing a national 24/7 service that manages the inputs, outputs and data integrity of the forensic information databases (namely the National DNA Database, IDENT1 and the National Footwear Database). Each of these databases identifies links between marks found at scenes of crime with DNA, ten prints or shoe impressions obtained from arrestees (and on occasion other individuals such as vulnerable persons and missing persons).
- Leading the team responsible for licensing, inspection and all policy issues relating to all scientific procedures carried out on animals.
- Leading the team responsible for co-ordinating the commissioning of science and technology across all areas of HO responsibility through third parties including DSTL to ensure the right science and technologies are being asked for, and delivered, to meet the Home Office’s current and future challenges.
- SRO for the Home Office Biometrics (HOB) Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) programme which provides for the continuation, convergence and enhancement of biometric services, as an enduring capability, fundamental to both Home Office (HO) operations and to law enforcement. The Programme is a 10yr programme currently in year 7, £1.2B total in cost with 150 FTE Programme team.
- Co-ordinating the Home Office’s strategic investment case for STARS investment in Spending Reviews and other Fiscal Events.
- Playing a key role in the Department’s long-term strategic thinking, including horizon-scanning work, building relations with think-tanks and academics, and bringing fresh thinking into the Department that challenges the status quo.
- Providing key oversight of the retention and management of casefiles from all investigation work previously undertaken by the Forensic Science Service (FSS), as non-executive Chair of Forensic Archive Ltd (FAL) – a Government-owned company which provides a service to the criminal justice system by enabling access to casefiles and retained items linked to historic cases. Whilst the Home Office’s Permanent Secretary holds ultimate responsibility for the Home Office’s shareholding in FAL, on a day-to-day basis this responsibility is discharged through a skilled sponsor body that you as non-executive Chair will engage with on shareholder matters.