Job Title: Private Secretary to Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer

Salary: The starting salary is £59,839, which includes allowances totalling £2,928.

The salary is broken down as £56,911 basic salary, which will increase annually until you reach the top of the scale £69,342. Plus, a location allowance of £1,928 and a non-pensionable allowance of £1,000.

Location: The primary Met Location for this role is Victoria Embankment. Travel across the Met Estate, to attend meetings as required by the business, is expected.

“Keep checking Met Careers on a daily basis for new and exciting opportunities being released to join DDaT!”

Policing London is a hugely complex challenge that evolves every day. To make sure the Met is up to the task, we need the right IT and systems across our organisation. As a Private Secretary to Chief Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Officer, you will help to enable us to do our best for the London area. Join us and play your part in making London the safest capital in the world and delivering ‘More Trust, Less Crime and High Standards’.

As a member of the Met, you will also enjoy great benefits including annual leave, civil service pension arrangements, maternity/paternity support, as well as being part of a continuous learning culture.

Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT)

The mission of Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) is to provide the Met with information (and specifically data), communications and technology to help frontline officers and Met staff do their jobs more efficiently, in order to deliver the New Met for London plan. In other words, DDaT is about “passionately delivering trusted technology for precise data driven policing”.

As well as keeping up to speed with developments in technology and making recommendations for new equipment and systems that will help modernise policing, DDaT also comprises the Data Office which:

• Owns and drives the data compliance and analytics agenda.
• Brings together the accountabilities that are currently dispersed across the Met business areas.
• Consolidates and further develops existing Met data and insight services.
• Enables data sharing and collaboration to serve the public and external partners.

DDaT is committed to creating an inclusive working environment. We support hybrid working, and the hiring manager will be happy to discuss arrangements for this role.

Job Purpose

The Private Secretary will be responsible for leading the private office function on behalf of their principal – a member of the Met’s Management Board.

This role is varied, interesting, and demanding. You will act on behalf of your principal, working with the DDaT Senior Leadership Team, and the Private Offices of Management Board members, to resolve the most urgent issues within and beyond the organisation, and manage a small team and office who directly support your principal.

Above all, this is a role that requires outstanding leadership, organisation and stakeholder handling skills.

Key Role Responsibilities

• Overseeing the delivery of your principal’s portfolio, in line with key priorities and MPS strategy.
• Delivering a first-class private office service to your principal, with effective systems, processes and ways of working in place; ensuring excellent use of their time; quality briefings and papers; read-outs of meetings and follow-up activity to drive progress.
• Representing your principal and having the confidence and credibility to intervene and act as a trouble-shooter to resolve issues and tensions.
• Developing and maintaining highly influential and effective working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders at all levels, in line with the Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer (CDDTO) portfolio responsibilities.
• Leading a team of people in the DDaT Private Office, including a Personal Assistant.
• Acting as part of the Private Office Extended Leadership Team.
• Set agenda and provide secretariat support to CDDTO for corporate digital board and DDaT Senior Management meetings.

Additional Information

Vetting Clearance

For this role the Vetting Clearance is Force Clearance Level, Recruitment Vetting (RV), and National Security Vetting (NSV) Level, Counter Terrorism Check (CTC).

Hybrid Working

Hybrid Working available in line with the Metropolitan Police Service hybrid working policy.

Working Pattern

This role will be hybrid (minimum 3 days a week in office). Flexible working options are available.

How to apply

To begin your career at the Met, please click the "apply now" button below. The application process requires a comprehensive CV, a Personal Statement (1000 words maximum), and an online application form. In your Personal Statement, you should explain your interest in the position and illustrate how your skills and experiences make you a suitable candidate. Please note that you should not submit two copies of your CV, and ensure that your documents are saved in either PDF or Word format, clearly labelled as CV and/or Personal Statement.

Completed applications must be submitted by 23:55 on 20th August 2025.

Once received, your application will be reviewed against eligibility criteria, following this, your application will be reviewed by the hiring manager. The application review for this vacancy will commence early September.

Following application review, successful candidates will be invited to interview. Interview dates will commence mid-September.

www.metpolicecareers.co.uk

Requirements for the role:

• Knowledge of and interest of policing or crime and justice issues.
• Understanding of the sensitivities around working in a confidential and political environment.
• Understanding of digital data and technology tools and systems.
• Understanding of commercial and supplier relationships.
• Understanding of the workings of national and local government, and the Mayor's Office for Policing & Crime (MOPAC).
• Awareness of key challenges and issues in law enforcement and policing both in London and nationally.

Essential Criteria:

• Experience of leading a private office for a senior executive office or Minister in a major public sector organisation.
• Ability to operate with tact and diplomacy, with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to gather, analyse and organise complex information from a wide range of sources to inform decision making at pace.
• Exceptional organisational and logistical skills, including the ability to manage competing priorities and take decisions based on incomplete information.
• An ability to work under own initiative and minimal direction.
• An ability to proactively identify risks and opportunities in a complex environment.
• A willingness to work flexibly based on demand and as part of wider Private Office team.
• Ability to thrive under pressure and succeed in fast-paced operational environment.
• Sound judgment and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to build strong working relationships and maintain credibility with a broad range of senior colleagues, peers, stakeholders, and partners on behalf of your principle.

Desirable Criteria:

• Political awareness or experience working within central or local government
• Experience of leading teams through change
• Experience in policing or policing related matters