
Head of Digital Development
About the job
Salary: £69,563 - £77,056 a year pro rata plus £3,203 car benefit allowance
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Fixed Term (2 years)
We are looking for a visionary leader to take on the role of Head of Digital Development, a position central to shaping the council’s digital future. This is an opportunity to lead the design, development and delivery of digital products and services that enhance our digital presence, transform customer engagement and deliver tangible value for residents and local businesses.
As the strategic lead for digital product development, you will be accountable for setting the vision for use of our new low code platform driving innovation and ensuring alignment with organisational goals to design and deliver our digital transformation programme. You will define and deliver a forward-looking digital roadmap, ensuring that solutions are scalable, user-centred and secure. This includes embedding the highest standards of user experience, accessibility, security and governance across all platforms.
The role carries significant influence across the organisation, requiring close collaboration with senior leaders, elected members, partner organisations and residents. You will represent the council in industry forums and partnerships, contributing to regional and national discussions on digital transformation. At the same time, you will inspire and mobilise high-performing product teams, building a culture of innovation, data-driven decision making and customer focus.
This is a highly visible and complex role, requiring strategic thinking, strong governance and the ability to navigate ambiguity. It is also an opportunity to deliver meaningful change, improving service delivery, enabling innovation and ensuring that digital products play a central role in achieving the council’s ambitions for the future.
Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.
About you
We are seeking an experienced and dynamic digital leader with a proven track record of delivering enterprise-wide digital transformation and leading on low code platform development. You will bring substantial experience in digital product leadership, with the ability to set organisational strategy, anticipate future trends and turn vision into reality. Your expertise will include agile, lean and product-led methodologies, underpinned by a deep understanding of governance, compliance and strategic risk.
Your ability to drive cultural change, champion innovation and lead major transformation programmes will be essential in delivering impact.
The successful candidate will combine technical knowledge with strategic insight, demonstrating expertise across digital, technology and public sector contexts. You will understand the unique challenges of local government and be able to navigate complex, multi-stakeholder environments. Above all, you will be driven by a commitment to creating digital services that improve outcomes for residents, enhance customer experience and deliver value for money.
About us
Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.
The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?
We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough
Application Process
On occasions, we may close a vacancy early due to a very high number of applications being received.
Benefits
We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include:
- From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
- Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
- Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
- Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x salary death in service grant
- Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
- Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
- Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns
- Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
- Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
- Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel
How to apply
We understand that job applications take time and effort, but a high-quality application shows that you are professional with a good attention to detail. The recruiting manager may receive a number of applications for each job advertised so you want yours to stand out!
Our ‘How to apply' page has more tips to help with your application: How to apply
Available documents
Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.Salary range
- £69,563 - £77,056 per year