Deputy Director for Executive Team, Legislation and Governance

Are you an existing Civil Servant working at senior leadership level, who is ready for a rare and high-impact leadership opportunity at the heart of government?

As Deputy Director for Executive Team, Legislation and Governance, you will provide strategic leadership, oversee governance and legislation, and help shape the direction of one of the UK's largest and most complex departments.

This is an extremely rare opportunity to operate at the heart of government, in a complex and high-profile department. The role will be supporting a new Permanent Secretary, working closely with the Executive Team and Non-Executive Directors to oversee the department and drive delivery against its four key outcome pillars.

As Deputy

Director for Executive Team, you will be central to shaping and delivering priority cross-cutting work, ensuring the department operates effectively at the highest level.

Alongside this, you will lead the Governance and Legislation Division, with responsibility for propriety and ethics. Based at the centre of a busy Private Office and ministerial team, this role demands strong leadership, clear judgement, and the ability to bring people and priorities together in a fast-paced environment.

As Deputy Director for Executive Team, Legislation and Governance, the accountabilities of the postholder and division include:

  • Lead and manage a division of over 30 people.
  • Manage the Permanent Secretary’s Head of Office, with overall accountability for the effectiveness of day-to-day support and the service delivered by the Private Office in enabling the Permanent Secretary to drive departmental outcomes.
  • Support the Permanent Secretary in meeting their obligations as Accounting Officer and overseeing Propriety and Ethics.
  • Act as a sounding board for the Permanent Secretary on the most challenging and sensitive issues they face.
  • Work with senior colleagues to enable the effectiveness and smooth running of the Department.
  • Work closely with ministerial teams to take a leading role in driving forward key priorities across the Department using sound judgement and understanding to add value to the process and substance of decision making across DWP.
  • Work in partnership with the Ministerial Private Offices and the Secretary of States Principal Private Secretary
  • Lead the governance and accountability teams, working with the Strategy Director to ensure an excellent service to the Executive Team and their Committees, and the Departmental Board, providing advice and support to the Permanent Secretary, Lead Non-Executive Director and ministerial teams.
  • Work closely with the National Audit Office (NAO) and Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) and oversee some of the Department’s key assurance processes.
  • Be accountable for recruitment and support of our non-executives to optimise their expertise.
  • Lead the Department’s primary and secondary legislation and oversee the Department’s better regulation framework.
  • Support the DG Parliamentary Champion in their role, coordinating the Parliamentary Steering Group, and lead on parliamentary capability building across the Department.
  • Act as the Department’s Steward for the Independent Case Examiner.
Join the Live Engagement Session on 8th July 2026, 12 noon. This virtual session is an opportunity for you to find out more about the role and what it's like leading DWP Policy Group. Please find link to join within the Civil Service Jobs Advert via 'apply' button. This role is available to existing Civil Servants only and you must sign into your Civil Service Jobs account for more information and to apply. Applications must be submitted before the deadline on Monday 13th July 2026 at 12 noon.
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