Description
Thank you for your interest in being our new Director of Enterprise and Innovation. Now is an exciting time to join the Information Commissioner’s Office. The breadth and scope of our work has never been so important, and as such, we want to attract exceptional talent. The role leads our teams responsible for regulating the digital economy's compliance with data protection law. It spans some of the most contested issues in the digital economy: AI and biometrics, children’s privacy, online tracking and digital innovation. It’s a post that requires intellectual authority, visible leadership and the ability to deliver at pace. You will represent the ICO at the highest levels of government, industry and civil society, and have the opportunity to shape the UK’s regulatory approach to emerging technologies for the decade ahead
- Reports to: Executive Director of Regulatory Risk and Innovation
- Salary: Level G2
- Hours: 37hrs per week. Applications from job-share and part-time candidates are welcomed.
Purpose of the post
The Director of Enterprise and Innovation leads the ICO's teams responsible for regulating the digital economy's compliance with data protection law. The role spans some of the most contested issues in the digital economy – AI and biometrics, children’s privacy, online tracking and digital innovation – areas that shape how people live and how businesses succeed.
The postholder will provide senior leadership to two departments - Enterprise and Innovation - and act as the ICO’s sponsor Director for the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF), forging alignment with Ofcom, the CMA and the FCA on systemic digital issues.
The role requires intellectual authority, visible leadership and the ability to deliver at pace, representing the ICO credibly at the highest levels of government, industry and civil society. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape the UK’s regulatory approach to emerging technologies for the decade ahead.
Key responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership of the Enterprise and Innovation directorate, ensuring delivery of the ICO’s strategic priorities and alignment with corporate objectives.
- Lead and inspire the directorate’s two departments (Enterprise and Innovation), setting vision, allocating resources and ensuring a high-performance culture.
- Oversee the delivery of major programmes including leading significant regulatory interventions into the digital economy and oversee delivery of the ICO's suite of innovation services, and innovation services, ensuring impact and value for money.
- Ensure structured horizon scanning and anticipatory policy development, working with our Technology directorate to position the ICO on frontier technologies such as agentic AI, neurotechnology and quantum computing.
- Act as the ICO’s sponsor Director for the DRCF, ensuring effective cross-regulatory collaboration and alignment on systemic issues across the digital regulatory landscape.
- Provide authoritative advice and representation to senior government, parliamentary and industry stakeholders, securing trust and influence for the ICO on matters of technological risk and innovation.
- Ensure continuous improvement of the ICO’s innovation services portfolio.
- Manage risk across the directorate, ensuring effective governance, robust assurance and timely escalation to the Executive Team.
- Promote professional development, inclusion and wellbeing across the directorate, creating an environment that attracts and retains high-calibre staff.
- Contribute actively to the ICO’s Senior Leadership Team, supporting collective decision-making and corporate responsibilities.
- Represent the ICO nationally and internationally, building strategic partnerships and enhancing the organisation’s external profile.
- Adapt the directorate’s scope and structure as the ICO’s operating model evolves, leading organisational change with clarity and confidence
Person specification/Essential Criteria
Education and Qualification
- Educated to degree level or equivalent, or significant (e.g. 3-5 years’) work experience demonstrating graduate-level ability.
Work Experience
- Substantial experience relevant to the role, including engaging with the interaction between information rights and technology and/or innovation.
- Experience of engaging and negotiating with senior external stakeholders, especially within the technology sector.
- Substantial experience of the management and deployment of resources, including budgets.
Knowledge, skills and ability
- Deep familiarity with the use of technology to process personal data, and the promotion of, and engagement with, innovation.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, negotiation and presentation skills.
- Inclusive and supportive staff leadership skills.
- Personally effective – excellent organisational skills, and the ability to prioritise and delegate.
- Ability to seek out, manage and influence opportunities for continuous improvement and change.
Benefits
- Pay progression scheme – a career banding window opens up once per year allowing applications to move up the grade levels.
- Hybrid and flexible working options.
- 25 days paid holiday per year, plus 3 privilege days taken between Christmas and New Year, and public holidays.
- Flexi leave (up to 26 additional days leave per year).
- Pension (employer contribution of around 28.9%).
- Online discount scheme to save money at major supermarkets, retailers, gyms, restaurants, insurance providers and many more.
- Health Cash Plan
Equality, diversity and inclusion
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.
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.
A person is considered to have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 if:
- They have a physical or mental impairment; and
- The impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
This positive action policy provides disabled applicants (which can include neurodiverse people and people with hearing loss and visual impairment) with the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities beyond the initial application stage by offering an interview provided the candidate meets the ‘minimum criteria’ for the job. By ‘minimum criteria’, the applicant must provide us with evidence in their application form which demonstrates that they meet the level of competence required for each essential competency, as well as meeting any of the qualifications, skills or experience defined as essential.
To apply under this scheme, please go to the “Equality and Diversity” section of your online application.
Please note, the Disability Confident Scheme secures an invitation to interview, providing you meet the minimum criteria, but it does not guarantee a job. At the interview, all applicants will be marked solely on merit.If you have a disability or impairment and have difficulty using our online application system, please email lisa.waite@berwickpartners.co.uk who can arrange for you to submit an application via an alternative method.
How to Apply
Closing date for applications: 23:55 Sunday 3rd May 2026
Interviews with Berwick Partners: Friday 8th – Wednesday 20th May 2026
Final Panel Interviews with ICO: Late May 2026
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