The newly-created post will combine the roles of CIO, CTO and CDO to take charge of all of the Cabinet Office's digital and technology services, reporting directly to the permanent secretary Richard Heaton.
The successful candidate will be responsible for core IT for specific business units, common technology services for all users, citizen-facing digital services, and IT services shared with other Whitehall departments.
The CDO will recruit five teams: a 'mini Government Digital Service' for digital engagement in the department, an agile delivery team and an architecture unit working on areas like networks and cloud applications.
They will also need to build a service operations team to ensure continuity for digital and IT services and a business operations team to manage suppliers and cyber security.
The department expects the CDO to "dramatically" reduce dependence on existing legacy systems and contracts, according to the job advert.
The appointee will be paid between £62,000 and £117,800 a year and will sign a two-year contract with potential extensions.
They will need to have built a digital or IT department from scratch, have experience in an agile delivery environment, have moved legacy applications to cloud services and held a post where they reported to board level management.
The deadline for applications is 26 January with final interviews due to be conducted in the week beginning 23 February.
The department is mid-way through an internal technology transformation programme to replace its 'Flex' agreement with Fujitsu, due to expire this month.
Instead of replacing the single provider deal with individual 'Tower' contracts, the Cabinet Office is building internal teams to run its IT in-house, led by the CDO.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons/Smuconlaw.