Life at CDS¶
What working here is actually like.
The short version¶
CDS is a UK consultancy of around 80 people. We simplify complexity to make a positive difference — for our clients, for the people they serve, and for each other. We work with organisations that matter, on problems that matter, with people we genuinely enjoy working with.
That's the short version. The longer one is below.
What we do¶
We work with clients across government, the public sector, and large private organisations — on things like digital transformation, service design, software delivery, and data. The common thread is that the work matters and the problems are usually knotty. We're at our best when we're trusted to challenge what an organisation is doing, not just to deliver what they asked for.
The four phases we move through with most clients — learn, design, implement, optimise — are less of a methodology and more a description of how we think. Listen first. Design with the customer in mind. Deliver well, together. Keep improving.
How we work with each other¶
We're a small enough team that you'll know most people's names within a few months. Big enough that there's always someone with deep experience in whatever you're trying to figure out.
We don't run on traditional line management. Every Consultant has a Client Lead — closest to their work, the person they see day-to-day — and an Advocate — closest to their career, stable across account moves. Between them, we try to make sure nothing important falls through the gap.
We hold ourselves to five values that aren't just for the wall: tenacity, togetherness, integrity, curiosity, and a constructive willingness to challenge. They show up in real decisions. You'll see them tested in the small moments — how someone gives feedback, how a difficult client conversation gets handled, what happens when something goes wrong.
The honest bit¶
The work is interesting. It's also challenging. We don't try to oversell the easy parts or hide the hard parts.
You'll be asked for your view, and expected to back it up. You'll work on real problems with real stakes, often for clients with high expectations. You'll be supported, but also stretched. We hire people who want that.
What's good about being here¶
- Work that matters. Most of what we do has a public benefit at the end of it — citizens served, processes simplified, services made fairer.
- Smart, kind colleagues. People who care about the work and about each other. The kind you'd choose to have a coffee with, not just sit next to.
- A say in how things go. We're small enough that what you think and do shapes what CDS becomes.
- Support without surveillance. Two close support relationships, a wider network around them, and the trust to get on with your job.
- Career direction you own. We'll back what you want to do next — but it's yours to drive.
Come and work with us¶
We're always interested in hearing from people who think they'd add something to CDS — not just people with the right CV. If that sounds like you, get in touch.