Newham Recruits Digital Chief with £136k Salary 

Key Points

• The London Borough of Newham is recruiting a Director of Digital, Data and Technology with a six-figure salary of up to £136,000.
• The role focuses on setting the vision and leading delivery of resilient, scalable platforms and services for seamless resident experiences across the borough, serving hundreds of thousands of people.
• Responsibilities include owning the digital strategy and roadmap, strengthening cyber security, disaster recovery, and business continuity.
• The position requires accelerating automation, data, and AI adoption where it adds real value.
• The postholder will lead a high-performing multidisciplinary team, promoting user-centred design and agile delivery throughout the organisation.
• Duties encompass ensuring full value from strategic partners and suppliers, including contract and vendor management in a multi-vendor environment.
• Candidates need strong market awareness, networks, and technical astuteness to assess possibilities in modern platforms, integration, data governance, analytics, and robotics.
• The vacancy aims to improve infrastructure and conceive and deliver transformed digital services.
• The job advert was reported by Public Technology, authored by Sam Trendall.

Newham (East London Times) January 30, 2026 – The London Borough of Newham is advertising a senior technology leadership role with a salary of up to £136,000 to spearhead digital transformation for its residents. This initiative seeks a specialist to enhance infrastructure and deliver innovative digital services to hundreds of thousands of people in the East London borough. The position underscores Newham Council’s commitment to modernising public services amid growing demands for efficient, resident-focused technology.

What Is the Role of Newham’s New Digital Chief?

The role, titled Director of Digital, Data and Technology, carries a remit to

“set the vision and lead the delivery of resilient, scalable platforms and services that enable seamless resident experiences”

for citizens throughout the borough, as detailed in the job advert reported by Sam Trendall of Public Technology. This leadership post is pivotal in an era where local authorities face pressure to digitise services, from housing applications to social care, ensuring accessibility for Newham’s diverse population of over 350,000.​

As per the advert, the successful applicant will

“own our digital strategy and roadmap; strengthen cyber security, disaster recovery and business continuity; and accelerate automation, data and AI adoption where it adds real value”

. These responsibilities reflect broader trends in UK local government, where councils are increasingly leveraging AI for predictive analytics in areas like demand forecasting for services, while bolstering defences against rising cyber threats that have plagued public sector bodies.

The postholder will sit at the head of

“a high-performing multidisciplinary team”,

with responsibility for perpetuating “user-centred design and agile delivery” across the organisation, according to the job posting highlighted by Public Technology. This emphasis on agile methodologies aligns with central government directives, such as the UK Government’s Service Manual, promoting iterative development to meet resident needs swiftly.​

Why Is Newham Offering Such a High Salary?

Newham’s decision to offer a six-figure salary – up to £136,000 – signals the strategic importance of digital leadership in a borough grappling with complex challenges like population growth, inequality, and post-pandemic recovery. East London boroughs, including Newham, have historically underinvested in tech compared to wealthier areas, making this recruitment a bold step towards parity. The salary package, competitive with private sector tech director roles, aims to attract top talent amid a national shortage of public sector digital experts.

The authority is hoping to attract applications from candidates with “strong market awareness and networks”, as well as

“the technical astuteness to judge the art of the possible, from modern platforms and integration to data governance, analytics and robotics”,

the advert states, as reported by Sam Trendall of Public Technology. This requirement highlights Newham’s ambition to integrate cutting-edge technologies, such as robotics process automation (RPA) for administrative tasks and advanced analytics for service optimisation.​

Furthermore, the role demands expertise in

“make sure we’re getting full value from strategic partners and suppliers, including contract and vendor management in a multi-vendor environment”.

In a time of fiscal restraint – with local councils facing a collective £6 billion funding gap by 2025/26, as per recent Local Government Association reports – efficient vendor management is crucial to maximising taxpayer value.

What Challenges Will the Digital Chief Face in Newham?

Newham, one of London’s most deprived boroughs, presents unique hurdles for its incoming digital leader. High population density, multicultural demographics, and issues like housing shortages demand tech solutions that are inclusive and robust. The job’s focus on cyber security and disaster recovery comes amid a surge in attacks on UK councils; for instance, Hackney Council nearby suffered a major ransomware incident in 2023, disrupting services for weeks.

The advert specifies that Newham’s digital, data and tech operation is expected to

“make sure we’re getting full value from strategic partners and suppliers”,

underscoring past criticisms of wasteful contracts in local government. The digital chief will need to navigate procurement rules under the Procurement Act 2023, ensuring compliance while driving innovation.​

Moreover, accelerating “automation, data and AI adoption where it adds real value” requires ethical governance, particularly in a borough with significant vulnerable populations. Issues like data privacy under GDPR and bias in AI decision-making will test the leader’s “technical astuteness”.

How Does This Fit into Newham’s Broader Digital Strategy?

This vacancy emerges as part of Newham Council’s wider push for digital maturity. Historically, the borough has pioneered initiatives like its Digital by Default strategy since 2015, aiming for paperless services. The new director will build on this, embedding “user-centred design and agile delivery” organisation-wide.

The role’s emphasis on “resilient, scalable platforms” addresses legacy IT systems plaguing many councils, often running on outdated software vulnerable to failures. By owning the “digital strategy and roadmap”, the appointee will align tech with corporate priorities, such as the borough’s 2022-2026 Corporate Plan focusing on health, economy, and environment.

Newham’s East London context amplifies the stakes: neighbouring boroughs like Tower Hamlets and Barking & Dagenham are also ramping up digital investments, fostering regional collaboration via forums like the London Digital Coalition.

What Qualifications Are Essential for Applicants?

Prospective candidates must demonstrate “strong market awareness and networks” alongside deep technical knowledge, per the job advert from Public Technology. Experience in modern platforms – think cloud migration to AWS or Azure – integration via APIs, data governance frameworks like DAMA, analytics tools such as Power BI, and robotics like UiPath is implied.​

Leadership of multidisciplinary teams is key, blending developers, designers, and data scientists in agile squads. Vendor management experience in multi-supplier setups is non-negotiable, given Newham’s partnerships with firms like Capgemini or smaller insurtechs.

The advert seeks individuals who can “judge the art of the possible”, blending vision with pragmatism – crucial for a council balancing innovation with budget constraints.

What Is the Current Context for Local Government Digital Recruitment?

Newham’s advert reflects a UK-wide trend: councils are competing fiercely for digital talent as the Government Digital Service pushes the Sector Capability Framework. Salaries for similar roles have risen 20% since 2020, per Public Technology analyses, driven by private sector poaching.

In East London, boroughs face shared pressures from Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park developments and Crossrail’s connectivity boost, heightening service demands. Newham’s £136k offer positions it competitively against national averages for director-level posts (£120k-£150k).

As reported by Sam Trendall of Public Technology, this recruitment is part of efforts to “improve infrastructure, as well as conceiving and delivering transformed digital services for hundreds of thousands of people”. It signals optimism that robust digital leadership can drive efficiencies, potentially saving millions in operational costs.​

Implications for Residents and the Borough

For Newham’s residents – from families in Plaistow to students in Stratford – a strong digital chief promises faster services, like online benefit claims or AI-powered pothole reporting. Enhanced cyber security protects sensitive data, vital in an age of identity theft.

The role’s success could set a benchmark for East London, inspiring neighbouring councils. Yet, challenges persist: digital exclusion affects 10% of UK adults, per Lloyds Bank reports, requiring the chief to champion accessibility.

Ultimately, this hire embodies Newham’s resolve to harness technology for equity. As the borough evolves, the Director of Digital, Data and Technology will be central to delivering a smarter, fairer future.