Chosen applicant will have oversight of major digital and data programmes

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The Department for Education is hunting for a new chief operating officer and offering a salary of up to £145,000 a year for the right candidate – who must possess digital and data expertise.

Former Boots property chief Mike Green, who joined the DfE in 2012, is the current COO. The COO has responsibility for oversight of the DfE’s £80bn-plus annual budget and runs all core corporate functions, including HR, commercial, governance and risk, and finance. They also lead the Operations and Infrastructure Group.

DfE permanent secretary Susan Acland-Hood said the ideal candidate will be an “inspirational” COO who can lead effectively across a wide range of professions and functions.

“This is a heavyweight director general role that leads on infrastructure across the whole education system, as well as operations for the department, including our capital programmes, digital, data and technology, human resources, finance, commercial, governance, risk, and sustainability,” she said. “Your work here will shape the lives of children and learners, and the experience of those working in our sectors up and down the country – the buildings they teach and learn in, the technology they use, and the budgets that sustain them, as well as the way the DfE is supported and governed to be at its best. If you have the passion to transform lives, and the experience to make good organisations great, I want to hear from you.”

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The successful candidate will also have experience leading in a large corporate role, be confident in their financial and commercial skills, passionate about people and skills development and determined to improve the infrastructure of the education system, Acland-Hood said.

She also highlighted the need for someone who is enthusiastic about data, digital and technology.

The DfE COO job is one of the top 200 most senior jobs in the civil service, according to the applicant-information pack.

Applications for the role must are open until Friday, April 22, with the department anticipating interviews will be held from the end of May.

Interviewers will include civil service commissioner Paul Kernaghan, who will chair the process; Acland-Hood; and Cat Little, DG of public spending at the Treasury and head of the Government Finance Function.

Candidates can be based in London, Manchester, Sheffield, Coventry, Darlington, Nottingham or Bristol.