The Home Office has appointed Rob Thompson as its new chief technology officer.
Thompson joined three weeks ago from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), where he led the 700-strong engineering team and the Universal Credit technology team.
The news was announced in a blog post, in which Thompson wrote that his job will be to “provide the strategic direction for engineering, technology and architecture across the Home Office”.
He goes on to explain that he will be ensuring that new systems are well designed and current systems are optimised.
His role will also involve ensuring that the Home Office delivers its systems and services in “a modern, value-creating way that leverages our intellectual and financial capital to create better public services”.
After a 23-year career in the private sector, Thompson says he “fell in love with the civil service at DWP”.
“So my aim is to put some structure and focus into how we develop our technology strategy, our professions and our own people, to become a world class digital business,” he wrote.
“I’ve been encouraged by the spirit and positive outlook of our teams during my first sessions in London, Croydon and Sheffield. There’s a lot of work to do and some major challenges. But I think we’re all ready for it.
“It’s a big business with a very broad portfolio, and it will take me a little time to understand what happens next.
“My starting point is to learn about the Home Office. Over the next few weeks I’ll be out and about, spending time with our teams across the UK to find out more about our issues and what needs to be done.”