Government to hire telecoms directors to oversee 5G tests and broadband delivery

Six-figure salaries on offer for three new directors, including a new director for telecoms delivery UK

The government islooking to hire a series of programme directors to cover a slew of telecoms projects expected to reach fruition over the next few years.

These will include a telecoms delivery director, as well as programme directors to lead on the 5G testbeds and trial programme, and the £200m new local full fibre network programme.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is looking for a new director of telecoms delivery UK (TDUK), who will be responsible for setting the overall vision and direction of the government's telecommunications programmes.

The new director will have to ensure that three major projects are successfully delivered - this is that 95 per cent of premises in the UK have access to ‘superfast' broadband by December 2017; clearing the 700MHz spectrum band of existing users by mid-2020 to make it available for mobile broadband use; and leading the £200m new local fibre network programme to incentivise investment in full fibre networks.

DCMS said that it was seeking an individual with an "outstanding record of achieving commercial and strategic objectives" for a role that it sees as critical.

"You will need to have commercial acumen, with experience of successfully negotiating and driving commercial relationships on multi-million pound contracts, combined with strong evidence-based economic and analytical skills," the job advert reads.

"You will need to have the gravitas and resilience to engage with and influence those at the most senior levels, including Ministers and a wide range of other stakeholders," it adds.

The director will be based at 100 Parliament Street in London. The role is a two-year fixed term position with a £125,000 salary per annum.

Meanwhile, as part of the government's £1.1bn investment to explore the future of digital infrastructure in the UK, it is creating a new programme of nationally coordinated 5G testbeds and trials - and it needs a director to oversee this.

To deliver this programme, DCMS said it would be working as closely as possible with industry, investors, regulators and researchers to refine the government's policy as 5G technology emerges and evolves. The programme director will be tasked with managing the programme for a two-year period. DCMS said there was a strong possibility of extension - for the £100,000-a-year role.

Finally, DCMS is looking for a programme director for its local network fibre programme. The idea is for government to work with local-body partners to support commercial investment in ‘full fibre' broadband networks - in other words, broadband that is delivered using only fibre, rather than the most common type of broadband available now which relies on copper cables that were installed decades ago.

"Full fibre networks are future proof, high speed, highly reliable and highly resilient. They enable productivity benefits for businesses and can support future 5G capabilities and a transformation in delivery of public services," DCMS said in the job ad.

The £100,000-a-year role is also for a two-year fixed term period, with a strong possibility that it will be extended.

Computing's IT Leaders Forum 2017 is coming on 24 May 2017.

The theme this year is "Going Digital: Why your most difficult customer is your best friend".

Attendence is free, but strictly limited to IT Leaders. To find out more and to apply for your place, check out the IT Leaders Forum website.