About the job

Job summary

Harnessing the game-changing 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 a crucial member of a world-class, multi-disciplinary team at the forefront of ambitious, 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 cutting-edge AI solutions to real-world problems, directly impacting the security and protection of the UK. You'll be part of a dynamic, supportive 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.

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

 You will be responsible for delivering AI based products to meet user specifications and supporting wider strategic Defence outcomes. Working closely with all DAIC stakeholders, and to the Deputy Head of AI Capability Development or Technical Lead, you will:

• Lead digital delivery teams as a product manager, including directing the activities of other team members to work closely with key customers to deliver against user specifications
• You will support one or more AI based delivery projects, working closely alongside team members from other digital, data and technology disciplines
• You will contribute to the development of the Product Management community of practice across the Defence AI Centre, Defence Digital and wider Defence, and contribute to best practice and learning across all digital delivery teams
• Act as a representative for numerous events, leading presentations, and engagement events
• Support wider DAIC implementation, with tasks allocated based on personal development and business need.

Person specification

Working to the DAIC Dep Hd AI Capability Development, you will be a dynamic individual who will report on, direct, and champion the breadth of DAIC activity. As a Product Manager in the DAIC, you will define, own and solve problems. This can be an entry-level role for new product managers who have been working in other digital roles, or civil servants with sufficient experience across other competencies.

You can read more about the skills required here:

Product manager - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

You will be a self-starter who is comfortable using ‘Lean Start-Up’ methodology in a new team in Defence.  You will understand the bigger picture and be flexible in your approach to ensure DAIC meets its strategic objectives.  You will have an innovation mindset and be curious about how new technologies can enhance Defence outcomes.  Above all, you will be motivated by the ambitious, safe and responsible use of AI in Defence.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates' capacity.  Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). DBS cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,080, Ministry of Defence contributes £11,632 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.

Application:

To apply, please complete the CV and personal statement template provided on the CS Jobs dashboard. Your statement will be read by the recruiting line manager, so it is essential that your statement includes evidence of the following essential criteria and is no more than 1250 words.

Each of the criteria has been identified by the manager as being important in this role and for that reason each one of the following will be scored to assess your suitability to be invited to interview:

• Demonstrable experience leading delivery teams to successfully deliver digital products to the enterprise
• A track record of collaborative working across and outside an organisation, and with different skills disciplines
• Familiarity with delivering projects using agile delivery methodologies
• Proven leadership, motivation and mentoring of staff
• Experience of data, analytics, ML or AI solutions.

 

Interview & Presentation:

We’ll assess you against these behaviours and technical experience during the interview process:

Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating & Influencing
• Working Together
• Developing Self & Others 

Technical:

• User focus

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

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 12th January, from 16:00 to 17:00 GMT, and we would love you to join to discuss these Product Manager roles 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.

Defence Digital operates an organisation model in which every individual belongs to a Government Profession. The successful applicant will be posted into one of the defined Government Professions on Standard Terms of Reference for the grade. Defence Digital reserves the right to move individuals between roles, within their allocated profession, to meet the needs of the business and in support of agile resourcing.

 Within Defence Digital each profession is led by a Professional Head of Community who will lead professional development and support the Continuous Professional Development path for their group.

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.