Guardian Jobs
Assistant Director Digital Innovation and Access, SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Are you an experienced digital leader who wants to make public services easier, fairer and more accessible for everyone?
This is an exciting opportunity to shape how Sheffield City Council uses digital innovation, data and emerging technology to lead and improve services for residents, businesses and staff.
The ICT & Digital Innovation service sits at the heart of Sheffield City Council’s transformation.
What We Do
- Modernise services – Designing digital-first, accessible services centred on user needs.
- Drive transformation – Delivering programmes that improve efficiency and deliver measurable benefits.
- Enable smarter decisions – Using data and insight across the organisation.
- Ensure services are customer-first, data-driven and digitally enabled.
- Support the workforce – Providing modern tools, systems and digital skills.
- Keep services running – Ensuring secure, resilient, 24/7 ICT services.
Key Responsibilities
In this role you will lead how the Council designs, delivers and continuously improves inclusive digital services and adopts emerging technologies:
- Expanding digital self-service and customer access channels
- Driving channel shift and improving user experience
- Leading adoption of AI, automation and emerging technologies
- Ensuring digital inclusion and accessibility for all communities
- Building a strong culture of innovation, engagement and ethical technology use
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
What We’re Looking For
A collaborative and forward-thinking leader with experience of delivering digital transformation and change who can bring people with them, translate digital ambition into practical delivery, and ensure innovation is inclusive, ethical and focused on real user needs.
If you are excited by the opportunity to shape inclusive, accessible and future-focused digital services for Sheffield, we would welcome your application.
For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Ben Marston, Director of ICT and Digital Innovation at Ben.Marston@sheffield.gov.uk.
Selection Process
- Initial assessment activities (via Teams): w/c 10 August 2026
- Final Panel Interviews (in-person): 20 or 21 August 2026
We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.
It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.
Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form. Sometimes, if lots of people apply, we might not be able to interview everyone who qualifies for the Guarantee. In these cases, we’ll interview the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.
If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.
Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on our Sheff news page.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyone and where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills