Deputy Director AI Frontier Exemplar Customer Experience - GDS - SCS1

Manchester Digital; Newmarket; On-site; CAD 130,000 - 183,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading government digital service is seeking a Deputy Director to spearhead the AI Exemplars Programme. This role involves extensive leadership, project delivery management, and collaboration with various stakeholders to enhance public service delivery through AI adoption.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading complex programmes across government or multiple organisations.
• Experience in delivery across multiple teams; adept at building relationships.
• Comfortable leading through change in ambiguous circumstances.

Responsibilities

• Lead the AI Exemplars Programme across government.
• Build and lead project teams to support AI adoption.
• Collaborate with government, academia, and industry for new ideas.

Skills

Project delivery skills

Communication

Leadership

Collaboration

Interpersonal skills

Job description

Deputy Director AI Frontier Exemplar Customer Experience - GDS - SCS1

Full-time (Permanent) £81,000 - £117,800, dependent on capability
Published on 26 June 2025 Deadline 6 July 2025

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 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.

This role is a deputy director position, responsible for leading the programme delivery, working closely with the Director, Public Sector AI Adoption, and 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 briefings 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
• Collaborating with government departments, academia, think tanks, and industry partners to generate and test new ideas
• Identifying and seizing opportunities to enhance public service delivery from an end-to-end perspective more widely, and piloting 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: extensive experience of delivery across multiple teams/departments/organisations with strong project delivery skills
• Communicating and influencing: adept at building relationships and influencing across a complex range of stakeholders at all levels of seniority
• Leading through change: comfortable leading in ambiguous and changing circumstances
• Being 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
• Building, leading, and motivating a team of digital, data, and research specialists to foster a progressive and inclusive culture
• Exceptional collaboration, partnership-building, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Good understanding of digital product development and user-centered design; some knowledge of AI would be preferable