Deputy Director, Gambling and Lotteries

Job summary

We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. This will be hosted virtually by Emma Floyd, and will take place on:

• Monday 3rd August, 15:00

The session will be an opportunity to hear more about the role, the team and wider directorate and the department.

It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have about the application, and the interview and assessment process.

Please register your interest before 09:00 on Monday 3rd August by filling out this form and you will be sent an invitation.

Invites will only be sent after this deadline has passed.

This will take place virtually, via Google Meets.

If you wish to attend the session anonymously, and you are using a google email address to join, please ensure that you have changed how your name appears before joining the call.

Please note that the session will not be recorded.

Application

To Apply, please click the link - Deputy Director, Gambling and Lotteries - Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UK

Job description

As Deputy Director of Gambling & Lotteries within DCMS, you will lead an exceptional team navigating a fast-moving, high-profile sector that balances economic significance with profound social responsibility. You will advise Ministers on complex regulatory issues, shape evidence-based policy in a heavily contested environment, and drive a world-leading consumer protection agenda.

This critical SCS1 role focuses on three core strategic pillars:

• Gambling Policy & Regulatory Reform: Drive ongoing legislative changes and finalise the implementation of the Gambling White Paper. Anticipate future industry trends, risks, and innovations while robustly addressing gambling harms using evidence.
• National Lottery Reform & Stewardship: Oversee the National Lottery framework to maximise its multi-billion pound success and integrity. Bring entrepreneurial, delivery-focused thinking to future reforms, ensuring c.£1.8bn per annum in returns delivers for UK communities.
• Strategic Stakeholder & ALB Governance: Act as the trusted advisor to Ministers and lead DCMS’s relationship with vital partners - including the Gambling Commission, the Horserace Betting Levy Board, the National Lottery operator, industry executives, and gambling harm charities.

As Deputy Director, you will lead a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team of around 30 professionals dedicated to delivering high-impact policy across the high-profile gambling and lotteries sectors. This vibrant team brings together subject matter experts, specialist analysts, and policy professionals who thrive in a fast-paced, politically sensitive environment.

Leading through three team leaders, you will oversee portfolios covering Gambling Policy; Lotteries, Racing, and Arms-Length Bodies (ALBs); and Lottery Reform. You will hold strategic oversight and sponsorship of two key delivery partners: the Gambling Commission and the Horserace Betting Levy Board, working closely with them to ensure robust governance and alignment. Additionally, you will drive our relationship with the operator of the National Lottery, crucially supporting their ambitious mandate to double the funding generated for good causes across the UK.

While we operate as a cohesive national unit, our geographic footprint is strategically evolving. Our Manchester hub is a key growth area, currently hosting approximately 30% of the wider directorate alongside our London hub (60%) and regional offices (10%). We are highly motivated to grow our senior leadership presence outside of London and actively encourage applications from candidates who wish to be based in our Manchester hub.

Person specification

The ideal candidate would have the following key skills and experience, please note that desirable skills will only be used in the event of tied candidates:

Essential Requirements

• Leadership: proven ability to inspire, direct, and develop a high-performing, resilient, multi-disciplinary team to drive forward-thinking policy debates, shape national conversations, and deliver complex regulatory outcomes in a challenging landscape.
• Making Effective Decisions: strong experience in leveraging complex commercial, behavioural, or statistical data and legal/regulatory frameworks to make swift, risk-managed, and evidence-based choices in highly scrutinised, high-stakes, or heavily contested environments.
• Working Together: exceptional capability to build transparent partnerships, constructively challenge senior leaders, and build trust with highly polarised stakeholder groups (such as commercial industry executives, regulators, and public health charities).
• Innovative Delivery & Execution: a proven track record of moving from strategy to concrete execution - whether in the private, third, or public sectors. You foster a culture of innovative thinking, spotting emerging market trends and translating them into tangible services or protections for the public.
• Seeing the Big Picture: proven experience translating macro-level economic, social, and political trends into cohesive strategy, ensuring long-term policy and delivery proactively anticipates market innovations and broader public impacts.

Desirable skills:

• Experience working within a regulated sector or regulatory body.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving