About the job

Job summary

Harnessing the ground-breaking power of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Defence AI Centre (DAIC) drives UK Defence's strategic advantage to safeguard UK national interests both at home and abroad.   As part of the DAIC, you’ll be an elite member of a world-class, multi-disciplinary team at the forefront of daring, safe and responsible AI innovations. You’ll support our collaboration with international partners, government agencies, and industry leaders, to shape the future of AI for UK Defence.  

Joining the DAIC is an opportunity to help pioneer ground-breaking AI solutions to real-world problems, directly impacting the security and protection of the UK. You'll be part of a dynamic, encouraging team, contributing to work that's unparalleled in terms of scale and significance. Nowhere is AI innovation more important than Defence – and our team is at the heart of it.

If you can see yourself contributing to the world of Defence digital and technology, the next chapter of your career may be with us!   

Watch our video to find out more about the DAIC.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. 

Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities.  Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions. 

Job description

We are looking for a dynamic individual experienced in service and product delivery or ownership to lead a world-class, cross-organisation team in the development and delivery of AI-centric capabilities to enable the armed forces to secure strategic advantage, at times responding to fast paced demands in support of operations.

You will be responsible for the oversight of multiple products and services, taking a portfolio view and managing end-to-end services.

You will oversee the technical and data enablers required for delivery of AI-centric capabilities at scale and deliver and define the assurance processes for delivering operational AI models in a way that is ambitious, safe, and responsible. 

You will inform and oversee the enabling AI skills and talent workstream, working across Defence organisations to influence civilian and military personnel structures and training.

For further information on the role and responsibilities, please refer to the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework: Service owner - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (ddat-capability-framework.service.gov.uk).

Person specification

Working to the Head of the Defence AI Centre, you will lead a federated organisation focused on the delivery of AI-enabled capabilities from idea to operational capability and putting in place some of the critical enablers for exploiting AI at scale. 

Responsibilities: 

• Leading, motivating, and championing the DAIC AI Capability team consisting of military and civil servant personnel alongside DSTL scientists and engineers and contractors, delivering against the PM’s intent of exploiting AI for strategic advantage, and delivering the Defence AI Strategy.
• Developing and implementing a long-term vision and strategic direction that will enable the DAIC to deliver capability at scale, considering the full operational lifecycle of products and services, and maintaining tight oversight of the financial and performance metrics and forecasts relating to them.
• Engaging with stakeholders across Defence at every level including with Defence leadership and Ministers, providing the connection between multidisciplinary business areas, championing the work of the DAIC, and driving coherence of AI exploitation within Defence and across departmental and international boundaries.
• Working closely with colleagues across Defence Digital, DSTL, DE&S, the Front-Line Commands, and MOD Head Office to provide a coherent demand signal for the data and technical enablers for AI exploitation at scale.
• Supporting the development of talent within the DAIC and managing teams effectively to ensure they are supported and empowered to deliver with excellence at pace and scale.
• Developing and implementing processes and incentives to drive the ambitious, safe, and responsible development and deployment of AI-enabled capabilities and products in line with stated ethical principles and values.
• Managing and prioritising demand for AI-enabled capabilities with rigorous, transparent, and scalable processes, driving coherence with demand for other Defence digital services and capabilities.
• Seeking out best practice from partner organisations, industry, academia, and international allies, driving continuous improvement to AI products and services, managing risk and acting as a point of escalation for the delivery teams.
• Acting as a deputy to the Head of the DAIC and representing senior leadership at events and meetings as required.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £67,820, Ministry of Defence contributes £18,311 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

To apply please complete the CV template provided on the CS Jobs dashboard. You will be assessed against your relevant, skills, knowledge and experience which demonstrates the essential criteria listed within this advert. 

Please find below, a link to our video which gives you helpful tips and guidance on the CS Jobs application process:

Watch: How to apply on CS Jobs: Guide and Tips

All applicants will also need to provide a personal statement (max. 1250 words) and it is essential that this includes evidence of the following essential criteria. Each one will be scored 1-7 and make up part of your overall score to assess your suitability to be invited to interview. 

Essential Criteria:

1. Motivation to work in an organisation at the cutting edge of enabling Defence to harness the potential of Artificial Intelligence.
2. A strong track record of leadership that unites high performing teams, with the flexibility and personal resilience to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances.
3. Experience of product and service delivery and change management in a large or rapidly scaling organisation.
4. Exceptional communication skills with the ability to command credibility to build effective and inspiring collaborative partnerships with stakeholders across the organisation and beyond organisational boundaries.
5. Understanding of change management and agile methodologies, and a track record of continual improvement.
6. Demonstrable experience in innovation management from ideation to pull-through and capability delivery.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the interview process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Bigger Picture
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the interview process:

• Life Cycle Perspective

In addition to the interview, you will be required to present for 10 minutes max. on a topic related to the role. The topic of the presentation will be sent to you at least 24 hours before the interview. 

We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for interviews.

Learn more about these roles, and other opportunities at the DAIC, by joining senior members of the team at our upcoming Candidate Brief.

The Brief is being held on the 12/01/24, from 16:00 to 17:00 GMT, and we would love you to join to discuss this role and much more. To confirm your attendance, please email us at ukstratcomdd-hr-talentacqdel@mod.gov.uk with your name, email address, and the role you're interested in.

If you're considering multiple roles, we're also hosting another Brief on January 8th, from 17:30 to 18:30 GMT. Feel free to attend both these sessions to explore all the available DAIC opportunities that interest you.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk  

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.  

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn. 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.