‘Take all the opportunities you can!’: Five minutes with Natalie Jones, director of digital identity, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
In this sister series to our ‘Five minutes with’ interviews, we share insights from the civil and public service leaders who will speak at our Innovation 2025 conference. Taking place in London on 25 and 26 March, attendees will hear about how their peers are developing new approaches to policymaking and service delivery.
In this interview, Natalie Jones, director of digital identity, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology – who will speak in the session How digital credentials can make it easier to interact with government – tells GGF about her proudest achievements in her career, and the inspiration she gets from Canada’s public service.
What drew you to a career in the civil service?
I love working for the civil service, the breadth of services that we deliver for the public is huge and the work we do has real purpose because we work we do can much such a difference to people’s lives.
What have you achieved in your career that you’re most proud of?
I’ve been so lucky to have worked on a wide range of things in my career, but I’m especially proud of my work on the EU Settlement Scheme and my role as the senior responsible owner of GOV.UK One Login, which is well on its way to replacing over 200 ways to sign in and prove who you are to different government services with a single new one – One Login!
What advice would you give someone starting out in the civil service?
Take all the opportunities you can! Within the civil service there are chances to shadow people, be mentored, work in different teams, take part in learning and development activities and further education. It’s a great place to grow skills and work on policies that improve people’s lives.
Which country’s civil service or which government department or agency are you most inspired by and why?
Canada’s civil service stands out for its efficiency, merit-based approach, and long-term thinking. It delivers strong policies, embraces innovation, and always puts public welfare first. The Canadian Digital Service (CDS) is a great example, it’s similar to the UK’s GDS and offers tools like GC Notify, which helps government teams send reliable messages to users. There’s a lot we can learn from each other in this space, and it’s exciting to see how we are both improving digital services.
What attributes do you most value in people?
I value honesty and empathy. Working on large-scale projects with many government departments and end users relying on our service can be daunting. It’s important for people to be honest about their work and their feelings, and just as important to act with empathy. We work in the open, and we don’t always get things right the first time—but we’re all human.
Do you have any unusual hobbies?
One of my favourite things to do is take a walk in my local area. I’m lucky to live close to the countryside, so I try to get out in nature as much as possible to decompress.
A newer hobby of mine is collecting rocks on my walks and painting them. I’ve enjoyed it so much that I now use them as prizes for our team awards.
Click here to find out more and register for Innovation 2025
About Richard Johnstone
Related Posts
