Appointment details

Information Commission Non-Executive Members (7 roles)

Summary

• Organisation: Information Commissioner
• Sponsor department: Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Digital and Technology
• Skills: Change Management, Technology / Digital, Regulation, Transformation
• Number of vacancies: 7
• Time commitment: 30 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £25,000 per annum
• Length of term: An initial period of 3 years
• Application deadline: 11:55pm on 1 August 2025

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   19 June 2025

2. Application deadline

   11:55pm on 1 August 2025

3. Sifting date

   1 October 2025

4. Interviews expected to end on

   17 November 2025

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction from the Minister

Dear Candidate,  

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Non-Executive member of the Information Commission.

As the UK’s data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has an important and wide-ranging mandate. It plays a vital role in creating a trusted regulatory environment that enables personal data to be used safely and confidently, underpinned by the highest standards of data protection and one that is conducive to economic growth which is absolutely central to this government’s agenda.

This is an exciting and transformational time for the ICO as it transitions to a new governance model. The new Information Commission will be established through the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 to replace the ICO, introducing a board structure. This isn’t just about change for the sake of change. It is about ensuring that the regulator has a diversity of skills, experience and perspectives at the top of the organisation to enable it to navigate the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape and successfully deliver on its ambitious agenda.

As a Non-Executive member of the new Information Commission, you will have responsibility for driving forwards this transformation, supporting the Information Commission’s work to drive the responsible use of data across the economy, to build trust and confidence, and to promote economic growth and innovation. This is a fantastic opportunity to help shape the future of an exceptional and forward-thinking organisation and lead alongside others who share a deep commitment to making the new Information Commission a success.

If you believe you have the skills and experience we are seeking, we very much look forward to hearing from you.

The Rt Hon. Peter Kyle MP

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology 

Introduction from the Chair

I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with the Secretary of State in appointing our new Board.

This is an exciting next step in the evolution of the Information Commissioner’s Office, and I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues to deliver our purpose to empower individuals, businesses and organisations through information, as well as ensuring the protection of the data and rights of people of the UK and beyond.

As an independent regulator, I believe the Board has a critical role to play in ensuring that the work we do is proportionate, fair and focussed on achieving impactful outcomes. A strong, diverse and skilled cohort of Non-Executive Board members will enable the Board to effectively challenge and scrutinise the organisation’s work, with a focus on delivering regulatory interventions that improve people’s lives, reduce burdens, promote economic growth and innovation and enable efficient public services.   

John Edwards

Information Commissioner and future chair of the Information Commission

Appointment description

Responsibilities 

Strategic clarity: Enable the Information Commission to be a strategic and successful regulator; setting this vision and ensuring all activities contribute towards it; supporting innovation and growth by promoting public trust in the data protection system; anticipating the impact of new technology as well as economic and political developments. 

Regulatory oversight: Keep the Information Commission at the forefront of regulatory best practice, ensuring that high standards of data protection are implemented effectively in the UK; ensure that it is ahead of emerging risks and opportunities and is in position to take relevant, focused action on a wide range of data protection and transparency matters; providing scrutiny to executive management over the fulfilment of all of the Information Commission’s duties and statutory responsibilities.  

Talent management: Ensure the Information Commission has the right people to deliver current and future needs; value diversity and inclusion in its workforce and demonstrate fair treatment of its employees and stakeholders in all aspects of its activities. 

Performance monitoring: Support and challenge executives to drive performance against agreed goals and targets; monitor and steer performance against key strategic initiatives to enable sound financial management; support the Information Commission in its risk-based approach to enforcement with a focus on the most serious threats to public trust; encourage the ICO to devote resources to supporting and providing regulatory certainty to organisations, while understanding and confronting serious infringements; delivery of operational performance, service, improvements, efficiency and value for money; enabling public and Parliamentary confidence in the work of the Information Commission.  

Organisation description

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the UK’s independent supervisory authority with responsibility for monitoring and enforcing the application of data protection legislation in the UK.

In addition to being responsible for the regulation of personal data protection and privacy and electronic communications legislation, it is empowered to take regulatory action under other legislation, including the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Network and Information System Regulations 2018. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 introduced new requirements on the ICO, including a new strategic framework which requires the regulator to have regard to, inter alia, innovation and competition and strengthened its obligations with regards to economic growth. The Act also introduced new obligations on the ICO to report on performance and increased investigatory powers.

In line with these responsibilities, the ICO has an array of important public-facing functions, including giving advice to members of the public about their information rights and obligations, handling complaints and taking action to enhance the information rights practices of organisations and enforcing the law. Moreover, the ICO plays a crucial role in upholding and developing information rights practices internationally and has a number of international obligations. The ICO’s mandate is not sector-specific, adding breadth and complexity to its various functions and obligations.

The ICO is undergoing an exciting transformation. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 will modernise the ICO’s governance framework to ensure it is fit for purpose, suitable to its role and remit, and relevant to the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. The Act will replace the ICO’s governance model with a “body corporate” structure, called the Information Commission, governed by an independent board made up of non-executive members (including the Chair), alongside executive board members, including a Chief Executive Officer. The new model will spread the responsibilities of the Information Commissioner across a greater number of people, increasing the diversity and resilience of the regulator.

There will be no change in the regulator’s role; all functions that currently rest with the Information Commissioner will continue to sit with the new Information Commission.

Regulation of appointment

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the Commissioner’s website 

Person specification

Essential criteria

• A strategic and analytical mindset with excellent leading, influencing and communication skills, combined with an ability to offer constructive challenges to senior leaders. (lead criteria)

• A track record of successful strategic leadership, with evidence of strategic planning and delivery of high-quality outcomes.

• Demonstrable senior level experience in overseeing significant change and transformation programmes from inception to completion, including the development of clear strategies to aid performance in a fast paced and evolving environment.

• Strong ability and experience to scrutinise financial management, performance and risk management of an organisation. 

• Excellent communication and relationship management skills, and the ability to represent the ICO capably to a wide range of stakeholder groups. 

Please note: If we receive a high volume of applications, the panel will only assess candidates against the lead criteria as indicated above.

Desirable criteria

• Familiarity with the legislation that the ICO oversees, including data protection and freedom of information. 

• An awareness of the wider domestic and international landscape in which the ICO operates. 

• Experience in promoting economic growth and assessing the impact of regulatory intervention on the economy, with an understanding of how data policy contributes to the government’s economic agenda. 

• Senior experience working or consulting in the regulatory landscape, particularly risk-based regimes or establishing new regulatory approaches.

• Experience managing change programmes, or leading fast-moving organisations where innovation is commonplace and markets are constantly adapting.  

• Experience in the creation/establishment of new statutory boards. 

• Acute business and commercial acumen, including an understanding of the challenges facing businesses, from big tech firms to SMEs and other stakeholders, as well as providing insight into the risks and opportunities of data driven innovation and growth. 

• Experience working in large scale international organisations with a tech/digital focus.

• An understanding of security and privacy considerations. 

Application and selection process

How to apply

In order to apply you will need to create an account or sign in.

Once you are logged into your account, click on 'apply for this role' and follow the on-screen instructions To apply, all candidates are required to provide:

• equality information
• information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues
• a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• a supporting statement
• a short professional biography (150 words)

We will ask you to check and confirm your personal details to ensure your application is accurate.

You will also have the opportunity to make a reasonable adjustment request or apply under the disability confident scheme before you submit your application.

Overview of the application process

Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.

The assessment process

1. Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.

2. An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.

3. At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates have best met the criteria, who should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme and you meet all the essential criteria, then you will also be invited for an interview.

4. Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.

5. The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The Panel may invite you to make a brief presentation at the start of the interview and will go on to question you about your skills and experience, including asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post. The Panel will also explore with you any potential conflicts of interest or any other issues arising from your personal and professional history which may impact on an appointment decision.

6. Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.

7. Ministers may choose to meet with candidates before deciding the outcome. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a short time gap between interview and a final appointment decision being made. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.

8. Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application, including whom they may approach for feedback. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Further information about appointments, including tips on applying, can be found on our guidance pages on gov.uk.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

The members of the Advisory Assessment Panel are:

Panel Chair and DSIT Representative:

Jenny Hall, Director for Digital and Data Policy, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Second Panel Member:

John Edwards, Information Commissioner

Independent Panel Member:

Professor Graeme Reid, Professor of Science and Research Policy, University College London

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

• you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

• have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

• your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

• you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

• you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact partnerships@dsit.gov.uk

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve.

We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.

When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people. As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘essential criteria', we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert. When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

• ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
• making adaptations to interview locations;
• allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
• giving additional detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
• allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
• making provision for support animals to attend.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

1. Selflessness

Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.

2. Integrity

Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

3. Objectivity

Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.

4. Accountability

Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.

5. Openness

Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.

6. Honesty

Holders of public office should be truthful.

7. Leadership

Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 

• any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
• any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made; 
• and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or ten years in any one post. 

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.  

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.

Please contact the DSIT public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at partnerships@dsit.gov.uk. They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

How to complain to Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA)

If you are not content with the appointing department’s response you may wish to further complain to the Commissioner at publicappointments@csc.gov.uk.Further information on how the Commissioner handles complaints can be found on the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ website https://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/regulating-appointments/investigating-complaints/

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

Contact details

For queries about your application or the recruitment process, please email partnerships@dsit.gov.uk.

Attachments

• ICO NEMs Candidate Information Pack

• DSIT Privacy Notice