Head of Digital Transformation

Join us to lead the digital transformation of one of the UK’s most important public services!

As Head of Digital Transformation at Companies House, you will be Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for our multi-year modernisation programme, setting the digital and artificial intelligence (AI) strategy that shapes services used by millions of people and businesses across the UK.

Reporting to the Director of Digital and Technology, and working closely with senior leaders and key partners, you will turn a long-term vision into clear, deliverable plans, secure investment, champion user-centred services, and lead innovation across the organisation. You will influence change at scale while keeping governance, security and ethics at the core of everything we build.

This is a rare opportunity to own the digital and AI agenda of a national institution end-to-end - from strategy and investment to delivery and measurable outcomes.

Watch this video to find out more about working in Digital at Companies House

Why choose Companies House?

At Companies House we take a proactive approach to wellbeing by promoting a welcoming culture, healthy work life balance and supporting colleagues to be their best in work because we know people are the key to our success.

Our benefits include:

• Flexible working with no core hours (6am – 8pm flexible options)
• 30 days annual leave
• 8 bank holidays and 1 privilege day
• Enrolment into Civil Service Pension scheme average 28.97%

Find out more about what a great place Companies House is to work

Give yourself the best opportunity to apply!

Join our Outreach team for an informal, drop-in 'find out more' session.

No need to register - just click on the following link to join at the start time, listen, and gain tips to help you apply:

Monday 12th October 2026 at 12.00 - 12.30

It’s a relaxed session with cameras and microphones switched off.

Can’t make the session? Email our Recruitment team on: recruitmentch@companieshouse.gov.uk for a copy of the slides.

Please note:

• Interviews will take place in person at our Cardiff office.
• Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.
• Security Clearance is an essential requirement for this campaign. You'll need to have been in the UK for at least 3 out of the last 5 years to be eligible to apply for SC.

Reporting to the Director of Digital & Technology you will develop, lead and maintain of the organisation's Digital and AI Strategy, ensuring alignment with Companies House strategy and cross-government digital priorities.

You will:

• Lead strategic planning for modernisation across services and technology.
• Establish governance, assurance and ethical frameworks for digital transformation and AI adoption, ensuring compliance with legislation, government policy and recognised best practice.
• Lead stakeholder engagement with senior leaders, stakeholders, and external partners to drive engagement, buy-in, and adoption.
• Work with data, analytics, digital and technology teams to improve organisational capability.

As the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) you will lead the design and delivery of a multi-year modernisation programme, with a focus on the use of AI to drive improvements and deliver outcomes.

Main SRO responsibilities will include:

• Delivery of Modernisation programmes to time, cost and quality expectations.
• Turning long-term vision into clear, deliverable plans.
• Working with senior stakeholders to align priorities and secure investment.

What a day in this role may look likeThis is a varied and strategic leadership role. On any given day, you could be:

• Shaping and maintaining the Companies House Digital and AI Strategy.
• Leading the Digital Modernisation programme, ensuring benefits, risks and outcomes are effectively managed.
• Working with senior leaders to agree priorities, secure investment and drive transformation.
• Overseeing the transition from legacy systems and processes to modern, resilient services.
• Establishing governance and assurance that enables innovation while maintaining public trust.
• Championing user-centred, data-informed decision making and responsible AI adoption.
• Building organisational capability and supporting teams to deliver shared outcomes.
• Using evidence and insights to track progress, measure benefits and inform executive decisions.

Success in this role will mean delivering a clear Digital and AI Strategy, a credible modernisation roadmap, stronger organisational capability, and improved services that create measurable value for businesses, the public and colleagues.

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)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Key Dates (dates are indicative only and could be subject to change)

• Drop in webinar: Monday 12th October 2026 12.00pm - 12.30pm
• Closing date: 25th October 2026
• Sifting: w/c 26th October 2026
• Interviews: 11th November 2026 in person in our Cardiff office

What will the process look like?Stage 1 – SiftAn initial sift of applications will be carried out to create a shortlist. This will be based on the evidence provided for the following Success Profile element: Experience.

In your application form we’d like you to:

Write a CV: tell us about your employment history, including key responsibilities and achievements.

Write a Personal Statement of 1000 words: tell us, using examples, how you meet the Experience criteria from the Person Specification.

We have provided prompts to support you in writing your personal statement. We would suggest you divide the word count equally between the 3 points below.

• Tell us about a significant digital transformation programme you led.
• Describe a time when you developed and implemented a digital strategy that contributed to organisational objectives.
• Outline a time when you influenced senior leaders or stakeholders to support a significant change or strategic decision.

We'd encourage you to use the full word count, and to give us clear examples and evidence of the different elements of the essential minimum criteria.

We’re committed to being diverse and inclusive, so please make your application anonymous by removing all identifying personal information (such as your name and age) from your personal statement.

Please note: In the case of a large number of applications, before conducting a full sift as described above, the panel may conduct a pre-sift assessing all applications against the following Experience criteria: proven leadership of digital transformation programmes delivering measurable organisational change (prompt 1 above).

Once the advert has closed, we will sift applications - this involves reading through them all, please bear with us as this can take some time.

We may raise the score required if we receive a high number of applications.

At sift we may choose to take through the highest performing candidates to the next stage. If after the final stage is completed and roles are unfilled, we will proceed to invite lower scoring candidates to interview.

Stage 2 - InterviewCompanies House uses a blended interview technique, allowing us to find out more about you. We use the Success Profile framework and at interview we will use Success Profiles assessing the Behaviours and Experience listed in the advert.

Successful candidates from the sift stage will be invited to an in-person interview at our Cardiff office.

There will be an activity as part of the interview process. This will be a presentation which will assess the following Experience criterion: significant experience developing and delivering digital strategy. Candidates who are invited to interview will be provided with further details.

The lead criteria to distinguish between tied candidates will be the Behaviour: Seeing the Big Picture.

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

All offers will be made in merit order.

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of recruitment based on fair and open competition with decisions made on the basis of merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.

Security ClearanceSuccessful candidates must pass a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check before they can be appointed.

BPSS is an entry level security check. It uses the Police National Computer (PNC) to make sure a candidate has no convictions. The check returns evidence of any current criminal record and un-spent convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements for Security Check (SC) before they can be appointed.

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

Further information on National Security Vetting

Sponsorship

Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. Companies House holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify. Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship, your application may be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment withdrawn.

Pre-Employment Checking

In line with Government guidance, successfully appointed candidates will need to provide documents for our Right to Work checks.

From June 2026, applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). Your personal details (name, National Insurance number, and date of birth) will be checked against the Civil Service Resourcing Extract IFD.

This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued.

If your details appear on this database, you will not be offered employment unless you can demonstrate exceptional circumstances. Companies House, acting on behalf of the vacancy holder, will inform you if your application is refused for this reason.

Please note: You are not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

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