Principal Technology Adviser - Identity and Trust

Principal Technology Adviser - Online trust

Full time / Part time

Salary: £57,815- £65,021, with potential for further progression to £73,211 with our pay progression scheme.

Location: Hybrid

Contracted to our Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast office. Through hybrid working we offer flexible home and office-based working opportunities and there will be times when you will be expected to attend the office to collaborate with colleagues or travel due to business need.

Why work for the ICO?

• Pay progression scheme.
• Hybrid and flexible working options.
• 25 days paid holiday per year, plus privilege and public holidays.
• Flexi leave (up to 26 additional days leave per year).
• Pension (employer contribution around 28.9%).
• Online discount scheme to save money at major supermarkets, retailers, gyms, restaurants, insurance providers and many more.
• Health Cash Plan.
• Fantastic development opportunities to learn and progress.

Further details can be found on the benefits section of our website .

Job summary

Shape the future of digital trust. Join the ICO's Technology Department, where cutting-edge technology meets impactful regulation. As a Principal Technology Adviser, you'll help shape how identity, trust and authority are established online, influencing policy and regulatory approaches to areas of public digital infrastructure such as trust services and digital verification services. Whether you're an experienced specialist or an emerging expert with strong technical foundations, this is a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of technology, public policy and innovation.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is the independent regulator of information rights. In a data-driven world, we provide advice, guidance, and support to organisations enabling compliance with their obligations, as well as protecting individuals and their personal data.

As an employer, we are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives and careers of our people, and we empower you to be curious, impactful, collaborative and respectful.

Job description

Successful applicants to this role must have a solid technical understanding of public key infrastructure (PKI), and the cryptographic concepts that underpin online trust, and security and digital identity systems. Experience of working with technical standards, specifications or trust frameworks relating to identity verification, authentication, credential issuance, digital credentials, trust services, or secure data exchange would be advantageous

Applications are welcomed from candidates with familiarity with standards and specifications that underpin the emerging online trust ecosystem such as the ETSI trust services framework, and standards and specifications supporting digital credentials and wallets (ISO 18103 mdoc, Open ID, W3C verifiable credentials and related technologies).

We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate strong analytical capability, curiosity, sound technical judgement, and the potential to develop specialist expertise in online trust. The successful candidate will work alongside experienced colleagues on real-world regulatory, technical and standards-related issues. Structured learning and development will be available to help build practical expertise in trust services, technical standards, conformity assessment and regulatory analysis.

You will enjoy substantial autonomy, often working directly with senior colleagues, including members of the ICO Executive and Senior Leadership Teams. You will contribute to internal briefings, policy development, technical assessments and external engagement with industry, academia, and standards bodies.

The ICO provides flexibility in ways of working, with multiple locations and remote options available. Please visit the ICO careers page for more information.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide technical advice and expertise on technology projects and support the development of information rights policy as required.
• Support the ICO's supervisory functions relating to qualified trust services under UK eIDAS.
• Contribute technical expertise to the ICO's work on digital identity, authentication, trust services, digital credentials and associated technologies.
• Support technical assessments, investigations, research activities and regulatory projects relating to online trust.
• Work alongside experienced colleagues on real assessments of trust service providers and related regulatory and technical evaluations.
• Build strong relationships within the ICO and translate technical insights into practical regulatory and policy outcomes.
• Provide strategic advice through timely, high-quality briefings, analysis and recommendations.
• Monitor developments in online trust and their implications for information rights, including technical standards, interoperability, privacy, security, fraud prevention, usability and inclusion.
• Develop relationships with stakeholders across government, industry, academi