The UK’s central law enforcement body for pursuing organised and serious crime is currently advertising for a new tech leader to set strategies and manage millions of pounds of investment

The National Crime Agency is seeking to recruit a chief digital and information officer and is offering an annual pay packet in excess of £100,000 for the successful candidate.

The CDIO will sit at the head of a specialist workforce of 330 digital, data and tech staff. The leadership position also comes with responsibility for managing an annual IT budget of £100m, as well as a key role in overseeing “technology elements of transformation programmes”, the job advert indicates.

This work will involve efforts to “negotiate and secure multi-year investment for digital, data and technology and advise on investment priorities to maximise benefits and outcomes”. The new CDIO will also be asked to “set the digital, data and technology sourcing strategy and lead a diverse set of technology suppliers to deliver value and accelerate the delivery of the technology strategy”.

The main aim of these strategies – which the new recruit will be expected to “define and lead” – will be to support the agency in its mission to “protect the public from serious and organised crime,” as well as “to expand and improve the NCA’s use of technology and data”.

The law-enforcement body also wants its new tech leader to “enable the use of innovative approaches, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies whilst ensuring inclusivity, security and ethical practices”.

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The role will be formally based in Stratford and the postholder will need to frequently attend this and other NCA sites in London. But, day to day, the chosen applicant will also have the option to base themselves at Bristol, Birmingham or Warrington.

The expected salary is £100,000 per year, but the advert lists a wider bracket of up to £150,000 – and adds that, beyond that, “there may be some flexibility for exceptional candidates”.

Applications are open until 11:55pm on 25 February and the hiring process is being run by recruitment firm GatenbySanderson.

“This is a pivotal role responsible for shaping and delivering the agency’s digital and data transformation, ensuring our people have the tools, platforms and insight needed to stay ahead of evolving criminal threats,” the advert adds. “You will be responsible for delivering complex digital, data and technology capabilities, driving innovation across analytics, engineering, cyber operations support, cloud transformation, enterprise IT, and core data capabilities. This is a unique and career-defining opportunity for a visionary leader who wants to make a profound impact on national security.”