Gov Seek Directors for UK Telecoms Delivery to Oversee 5G and Fibre Rollout

The Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has today put out three new job offers for directors’ to help oversee the implementation of their telecoms, broadband “Local Full Fibre Networks” (FTTH/P) and future 5G mobile strategy for the United Kingdom.

At this point we recommend a quick read of our Budget 2017 report from March, which summarises all of the Government’s recently announced broadband and mobile / telecoms related investment programmes and policies (here).

The most recent focus has been on their on-going Broadband Delivery UK project and its effort to make fixed line “superfast broadband” (24Mbps+) speeds available to 97% of the UK by 2019, as well as a commitment of around £600m towards fostering “full fibre” (FTTP/H) broadband networks and some additional money for future 5G mobile services / trials.

BDUK originally handled most of this but that umbrella organisation is about to lose its CEO, Christopher Townsend, who will be stepping down at the end of this month (here) and that means it’s time for another overhaul.

In keeping with that DCMS has put out a call for an overall director of UK telecoms delivery (£125k salary), as well as a director for their “full fibre” plans (£100k salary) and another for their 5G testbeds and trials (£100k salary). The latter two are 37 hour full-time jobs on a 2 year term “with the strong possibility of extension.”

Director, Telecoms Delivery UK – Job description

* Do you have hands-on experience of delivering against multi-million pound contracts?
* Do you combine strategic leadership with the ability to make things happen?
* Do you want to help make Britain the most digitally connected country in the world?

If so, you may be our new Director for Telecoms Delivery UK (TDUK) – a key member of the senior leadership team of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

As the new Director for TDUK you will be responsible for setting the overall vision and direction for TDUK, ensuring the successful delivery of three major projects – making sure 97% of premises in the UK have access to Superfast Broadband by December 2017; clearing the 700MHz spectrum band of existing users by mid-2020, making it available for mobile broadband use; and leading the £200million new Local Full Fibre Network programme to incentivize investment in full fibre networks.

For this critical role, we are seeking an individual with an outstanding record of achieving commercial and strategic objectives. 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. 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.

The other two positions largely mirror the same spin as above, as well as reiterating some of what they said last year: “We must act now so our digital infrastructure is fit for the future. The Government, along with local-body partners, is supporting commercial investment in “full fibre” broadband networks – the “gold standard” for broadband.”

The closing date for applications is 9am on Monday 22nd May 2017.