GatenbySanderson
Chief Information Officer
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Chief Information Officer
Bar Council and Bar Standards Board
Salary: Up to £150,000
Location: London
Working arrangements: Hybrid, with an expectation of three days per week in the office
Closing date: Monday 2 November 2026 at 9am
This job post will be advertised for a minimum period of two weeks on LinkedIn. After this time please apply directly to https://www.gatenbysanderson.com/job/GSe136556/Chief-Information-Officer/ until the closing date of Monday 2 November 2026 at 9am.
As the legal profession evolves, so too must the services, information and technology that support it. This is an opportunity to play a central role in that evolution. The General Council of the Bar consists of two organisations with distinct purposes, together with a central spine of shared services required to sustain them both. This role will serve the whole organisation, helping the Bar Council and Bar Standards Board harness digital innovation and the value of their data to understand changing needs, strengthen services and make better-informed decisions. You will support two distinct purposes: representing and supporting the barristers’ profession, and independent regulation in the public interest.
As Chief Information Officer, you will bring the digital, data and technology leadership to help both organisations look ahead with confidence. With strong senior sponsorship and a place on both leadership teams, you will shape modern services, make trusted data more accessible and turn insight into practical improvements for colleagues and those they serve. It is a role that combines strategic influence with tangible impact, helping both parts of the organisation make the most of new opportunities while providing the secure, reliable services they depend on every day.
About the organisations
The Bar Council represents and supports the barristers’ profession through policy, training and membership services. The Bar Standards Board independently regulates barristers in the public interest. Their purposes are distinct, but both benefit from effective digital services and trusted information.
This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to both organisations. You will shape shared services around their respective needs, supporting their ambitions while respecting the independence of regulation.
About the role
As a member of both senior leadership teams, you will help shape organisational priorities and connect them with the opportunities offered by digital, data and technology. Building trusted relationships across both organisations, you will bring a clear, practical vision and a shared understanding of how to deliver it.
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You will combine strong foundations with an ambitious, achievable programme of improvement. Working closely with colleagues, you will modernise core platforms, simplify processes and lead priorities including a new CRM, making services easier to use and more effective.
Data will be central to your impact. By strengthening its quality, governance and accessibility, you will help colleagues turn information into insight, make confident decisions and free up time for higher-value work. For the Bar Council, this will also mean deepening understanding of what barristers value and helping develop a membership proposition and services that respond to their needs.
Working in partnership with the transformation lead, you will lead the digital, data and technology contribution to the wider change programme. You will work with colleagues to align technology delivery with improvements in processes and ways of working, supporting adoption and translating investment into measurable improvements in efficiency and service quality.
You will lead and nurture a high-performing DDaT team, fostering a supportive culture through coaching, development and clear direction. By empowering colleagues to do their best work, you will strengthen the team’s role as a responsive, enabling partner to both organisations, delivering secure, reliable services and creating opportunities to make the most of digital, data and technology, including AI. You will also build effective supplier relationships and make well-judged investment decisions that deliver value for money.
About you
We are looking for an energetic, collaborative leader who combines a clear sense of direction with the ability to bring people together. You will be comfortable offering constructive challenge, building support for important decisions and turning ambition into results.
You may already be a CIO or be ready for your first appointment at this level. What matters is the strength of your digital, data and technology leadership, the relationships you have built and the measurable outcomes you have personally delivered.
Essential criteria
- Strategic digital, data and technology leadership: A strong track record of leadership across digital, data and technology, shaping and delivering strategies that support organisational ambitions. Experience of translating business needs into clear priorities, balancing service improvement, innovation and secure, reliable operations.
- Data and insight: Experience of improving how an organisation manages and uses its data, strengthening quality, governance and accessibility. Evidence of working with colleagues to turn information into meaningful insight that supports better decisions, more effective services and a clearer understanding of user needs.
- Service and user focus: Experience of understanding the needs of internal colleagues and external users, building trusted partnerships and shaping responsive services around those needs. Evidence of making digital services easier to use and improving the experience of those who rely on them.
- Technology and resilience: Sound judgement across enterprise platforms, architecture and cyber security, with experience of modernising core systems and maintaining secure, reliable services. The ability to balance effective protection with practical access to the tools and information colleagues need.
- Delivery and commercial judgement: Experience of delivering digital, data and technology programmes and projects, working with business colleagues and delivery partners to achieve agreed outcomes. Evidence of managing budgets, suppliers and investment decisions to secure value for money and demonstrable benefits.
- People and stakeholder leadership: Experience of leading, coaching and developing high-performing teams, creating a supportive culture that empowers colleagues and encourages continuous improvement. The ability to build trust with senior stakeholders, communicate clearly, navigate differing priorities and offer constructive challenge with integrity.
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Legal-sector experience is not essential. We welcome candidates from membership organisations and other complex stakeholder environments who can bring relevant experience and fresh perspectives.
How to apply
To arrange an informal, confidential discussion, please contact Sarah Luxford, Partner or Martyn Brereton, Senior Researcher at GatenbySanderson, at BarCouncilCIO@gatenbysanderson.com. To access the candidate pack and apply, please visit click Apply.
Submit a CV and a supporting statement of no more than two pages explaining how you meet the six essential criteria, with examples of your personal contribution and the outcomes achieved. Please submit your application by 9am on Monday 2 November 2026. Full application guidance is available in the candidate pack.
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