He has spent most of his life working in IT, as a programmer, analyst and manager, for a variety of companies, including working as a freelance Project Manager. He now works as a translator and interpreter from Welsh to English and vice versa.[4]
John Dixon was a councillor for fifteen years, twelve years on the Vale of GlamorganBorough Council, and fifteen on the Dinas Powys Community Council. Dixon was national treasurer of Plaid Cymru for five years in the 1970s, and held a range of other posts, including "Director of Organisation and National Chair", a post which he held from 1993 to 1994 and again from 2002 to 2010. He stood down from his position as Chair of Plaid Cymru before his term of office had ended, citing the need to "refocus ...on activities for which I get paid" and less on organisational matters.[3] After Dixon failed to be selected as a Plaid Cymru candidate in the 2011 Welsh Assembly elections, he left the party in April 2011.[5]