Deputy Director AI Frontier Exemplar Customer Experience - GDS - SCS1

Location

Bristol, London, Manchester

About the job

Job summary

The new Government Digital Service (GDS) was announced as a key pillar of DSIT’s work by the Secretary of State earlier this year, as a catalyst for the digital transformation of public services. Public Sector AI Adoption is a core part of the activity GDS will deliver to create an efficient and productive public sector. As outlined in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, AI has enormous promise for the Civil Service and the citizens it serves. It will give us the reach and opportunity to improve lives, drive economic growth and increase productivity. We must harness this by integrating AI safely and securely within the design and delivery of public services.

What’s more, we have a unique opportunity to demonstrate the use of AI in line with public values to promote equity, fairness, and transparency. The public sector can serve as a role model for the responsible use of AI and seek to partner with innovative UK AI companies in the process.

We’re looking for a highly experienced senior programme delivery manager to lead an exciting and high profile programme across government - the AI Exemplars Programme.

This work sits within the Public Sector AI Adoption Unit, a newly established team sitting within GDS to lead on AI adoption across the public sector. The AI Exemplar Programme is a high profile, cross government initiative led by GDS to pilot and scale AI projects within departments.

Job description

This role is a deputy director role, responsible for leading the programme delivery, working closely with the Director, Public Sector AI Adoption, plus senior stakeholders across government (including within Cabinet Office, no 10, DWP, HMRC, DHSC).

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• establishing the process for reporting on delivery, cross government engagement across the portfolio, and regular briefing of ministers and senior officials
• building extensive and trusted relationships across GDS, central government and the wider public sector
• building and leading a small project team to support the AI exemplars programme and establish what is required for GDS regarding future public sector AI adoption
• collaborate with government departments, academia, think tanks and industry partners to generate and test new ideas
• identify and seize opportunities to enhance public service delivery from an end-to-end perspective more widely, and pilot new concepts to demonstrate effective and efficient public service models.

Person specification

You will be a passionate leader with significant experience leading complex programmes across government / multiple organisations or complex teams and have the following experience:

• delivering at pace: have extensive experience of delivery across multiple teams /departments / organisations and have strong project delivery skills
• communicating and influencing: be adept at building relationships and influencing across a complex range of stakeholders at all levels of seniority
• leading through change: be comfortable leading in ambiguous and changing circumstances
• be a strong, visible and vocal leader for digital government, setting the tone, culture and standard for data-driven working, and promoting a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement.
• build, lead and motivate a team of digital, data and research specialists building a progressive and inclusive culture.
• exceptional collaboration and partnership-building, communication and interpersonal skills
• have a good understanding of digital product development and user centred design, some knowledge of AI would be preferable.

Benefits

There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:

• flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
• a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
• an extra day off for the King’s birthday
• an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
• career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
• paid volunteering leave
• a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
• advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
• death in service benefits
• cycle to work scheme and facilities
• access to an employee discounts scheme
• 10 learning days per year
• volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
• access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning

Any move to Government Digital Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk 

Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).