AI & Intelligent Automation Technical Lead

UK Export Finance; Greater London; On-site; GBP 61,000 - 71,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency for trade finance is seeking an AI & Intelligent Automation Technical Lead to design and implement impactful AI solutions. This leadership role requires collaboration with multidisciplinary teams to integrate AI capabilities into digital transformation efforts. Candidates should possess graduate-level education in AI, along with skills in AI and machine learning, ethical practices, and stakeholder engagement. The role offers a base salary of £61,250 plus extensive benefits including pension contributions.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Learning and development tailored to your role

Culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

Qualifications

• Experience leading design, development and deployment of AI solutions.
• Knowledge of low-code tools that support AI adoption.
• Understanding of data protection regulations such as GDPR.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end design and implementation of AI solutions.
• Integrate AI capabilities with enterprise platforms.
• Ensure AI solutions are ethical, secure, and compliant.

Skills

AI and Machine Learning

AI Agents and Agent-Based Systems

Data Governance

Cloud-native AI Deployment

Security and Compliance

Technical Leadership

Stakeholder Engagement

Education

Graduate-level education in AI, Data Science or Software Engineering

Tools

Azure AI Services

OpenAI APIs

Copilot Studio

Job description

The Digital, Data and Technology (DDAT) directorate has recently been established in UKEF, drawing together the expertise in digital currently within the organisation to provide representation of digital services, user‑centred design, analytics and technology at the highest levels. The directorate works closely with all areas of the business such as the Business Group, Operations and Strategy and Policy to enable UKEF to use digital as a primary means for managing relationships with a wider range of stakeholders and to develop end‑to‑end services that meet user need and enable business outcomes.

Role Overview

The AI & Intelligent Automation Technical Lead will work closely with the AI Product Lead and a multidisciplinary team, including user‑centred design, technology and delivery professionals, to ensure cohesive and impactful AI solutions. This leadership role requires strategic thinking, technical expertise and stakeholder engagement. It will help embed AI capabilities into UKEF’s digital transformation journey, leading the identification, design and implementation of AI solutions that support strategic objectives, improve operational efficiency and enhance user experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end‑to‑end technical design, development and implementation of AI solutions, including intelligent agents for automation and augmentation.
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to engineers and analysts working on AI and automation initiatives.
• Document AI architectures, models and agent behaviours to ensure transparency, governance and continuous improvement.
• Identify opportunities to apply AI agents (task‑based, conversational, autonomous) to optimise business processes and improve user experiences.
• Evaluate and implement agent orchestration frameworks and multi‑agent systems for complex workflows and adaptive services.
• Integrate AI capabilities with enterprise platforms and services, including low‑code environments, APIs and data pipelines.
• Assess and select appropriate AI models, platforms and tools (e.g. Azure Foundry, OpenAI, Copilot Studio).
• Work closely with stakeholders to translate business needs into AI‑enabled solutions, incorporating agent‑based architectures where appropriate.
• Support the training and upskilling of UKEF staff in AI literacy, responsible use of intelligent systems and adoption of AI‑enabled tools.
• Ensure all AI solutions are ethical, secure and aligned with UKEF’s strategic objectives and regulatory obligations.
• System design: design AI systems and agent‑based architectures that are scalable, secure and aligned with business needs; select and apply appropriate design standards, methods and tools.
• Information security: embed security controls in AI and agent‑based solutions and design with threat mitigation and data protection as core features.
• Agent design and orchestration: define agent roles, goals and interaction protocols, apply orchestration strategies for multi‑agent coordination and task execution.
• Modern standards approach: apply appropriate AI development and deployment standards and promote maintainability and reusability in solution design.
• Communication and stakeholder engagement: translate complex AI and agent concepts into clear, actionable insights for non‑technical audiences and facilitate solution walkthroughs, demos and technical discussions.
• Leadership and mentoring: guide junior engineers and analysts in AI and automation practices and promote continuous learning and capability building across teams.
• Additional duties: other responsibilities may be required according to business needs.

Technical Skills & Experience

• Graduate‑level education or equivalent experience in AI, Data Science or Software Engineering.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• AI and Machine Learning: core principles of supervised, unsupervised and reinforcement learning; model lifecycle management; ethical and responsible AI practices.
• AI Agents and Agent‑Based Systems: understanding of task‑based, conversational and autonomous agents; agent orchestration and coordination in multi‑agent systems.
• Data and Integration: data governance; secure handling of structured and unstructured data; integration of AI solutions with enterprise systems and APIs.
• Cloud and Platform Awareness: familiarity with cloud‑native AI deployment models and platform selection criteria for scalable AI workloads.
• Low‑Code and Automation: knowledge of low‑code tools that support AI adoption; hybrid approaches combining low‑code and custom AI.
• Security and Compliance: information security principles in AI contexts; understanding of data protection regulations such as GDPR.
• Source control of software.
• AI Solution Delivery: experience leading the design, development and deployment of AI solutions in complex environments and translating business problems into AI‑enabled solutions.
• Platform and Tooling Proficiency: experience with Azure AI Services, Azure Foundry, OpenAI APIs, Copilot Studio and similar low‑code AI tools.
• Enterprise Integration: experience integrating AI models and agents with enterprise platforms (e.g. Dynamics 365, SharePoint, CRM) and APIs; ability to deliver hybrid solutions combining low‑code tools with custom AI components.
• Technical Leadership: experience leading multidisciplinary teams in AI or intelligent automation projects; mentoring engineers, analysts or data scientists.
• Ethical and Responsible AI: applying ethical frameworks, data governance and risk mitigation strategies in AI systems.
• Stakeholder Engagement: engaging with senior stakeholders, product owners and delivery teams; communicating complex technical concepts to non‑technical audiences.

Behaviours

• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

Candidate Assessment Process

• Initial technical questions related to technical expertise and essential criteria.
• Presentation on an agreed topic aligned with essential criteria.
• Technical interview assessing expertise across essential criteria.
• Panel interview covering behaviours, technical expertise and presentation.
• Optional second interview focusing on deeper technical acumen.

Security and Vetting

• Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check and meet security requirements before appointment.
• Security levels include a security check and adherence to the Civil Service vetting charter and baseline personnel security standard.

Nationality Requirements

• UK nationals
• Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries with the right to work in the UK
• Nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and their settled or pre‑settled family members
• Nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who have applied for settled or pre‑settled status (EUSS)
• Individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain eligible to apply for EUSS before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals and certain family members with accrued right to work in the Civil Service

Working for the Civil Service

• Recruitment by merit and fair open competition.
• Commitment to diversity, equal opportunities and inclusion.
• Availability of the Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities.
• Redeployment Interview Scheme for civil servants at risk of redundancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

• Commitment to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found.
• Access to the Civil Service People Plan and Diversity & Inclusion Strategy.

Salary and Benefits

• Base salary: £61,250
• UKEF contributes £17,744 towards a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• Flexible working options.
• Culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• Employers’ contribution of 28.97% to the Civil Service pension.