Head of Digital, Data & AI for Emergencies

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; Manchester; On-site; GBP 67,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental department in Manchester seeks a Head of Digital, Data & AI for Emergencies to lead a transformative project aimed at improving emergency resilience through innovative digital solutions. The ideal candidate will have relevant leadership experience, excellent communication skills, and a strong ability to engage with multi-disciplinary stakeholders. This role offers a salary of £66,620 plus additional benefits, including a significant pension contribution.

Benefits

Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension

Flexible working

Childcare Voucher Scheme

Cycle to Work Scheme

Qualifications

• Experience leading complex transformation programmes involving digital tools and data.
• Strong understanding of customer needs and evidence-based solution development.
• Ability to influence and engage diverse stakeholders for successful outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of a digital transformation programme.
• Build collaborative relationships with stakeholders for effective change management.
• Monitor program governance and ensure compliance with ethical standards.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Stakeholder Management

Project Management

Data Governance

AI Implementation

Job description

Do you have strong leadership skills with the ability to lead digital, data & AI transformation, working with a broad range of multi‑disciplinary stakeholders? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for a Head of Digital, Data & AI for Emergencies to join our team at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and we'd love to hear from you!

We are looking for a high‑energy and creative leader to design and deliver a transformation project 2026‑29 that will strengthen MHCLG's approach to emergency resilience through accelerating uptake of digital, data and AI. UK government defines resilience as the ability to anticipate, assess, prevent, mitigate, validate, respond to, and recover and learn from natural hazards, deliberate attacks, geopolitical instability, disease outbreaks, and other disruptive events, civil emergencies or threats to our way of life. This role will focus on identifying and driving forward the most impactful opportunities to strengthen how MHCLG and local partners use digital, data and AI for resilience, ensuring that our systems and processes are efficient, effective, fit for the future.

You will join the Resilience and Recovery Directorate (RED) which supports local partners and MHCLG in planning for, responding to and recovering from emergencies, providing a critical link between central government and local partners supporting communities on the ground. This is an exciting time to work in resilience, with an increasingly complex risk environment and opportunities to drive forward a programme of local resilience reform set out in the UK Resilience Action Plan.

You will work closely with colleagues across RED and MHCLG, the Cabinet Office and other central government departments, England's 38 Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) (multi‑agency partnerships that bring together emergency services, local authorities, the NHS, and others to prepare for, coordinate, and respond to major emergencies and risks in their local area) and more to develop solutions to shared challenges.

You will have the freedom to experiment with new technologies and approaches, and the support to develop your own leadership skills through professional development opportunities.

You will learn how to support emergency response, deploying to do so when needed and contributing to RED's ‘24/7’ monitoring for breaking emergencies.

We are committed to building a diverse team that reflects the communities we serve and encourages innovation through diversity of thought and experience. We welcome applications from candidates from a wide range of sectors – for example, management consulting, public sector transformation, technology/data/AI leadership, emergency management and programme delivery – any setting where you have led complex change involving digital, data and AI with diverse stakeholders and delivered measurable outcomes.

If you are passionate about harnessing digital, data, and AI to make a real difference to communities and national resilience, and bring the skills to do so, we want to hear from you.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of a transformation programme focused on expanding the use of digital tools, modern data practices, and responsible AI by MHCLG's Resilience and Recovery Directorate (RED).
• Diagnose challenges and opportunities across operating model, capabilities, data infrastructure, and AI use cases; develop a business case to secure investment.
• Provide excellent line management for at least 3 staff members and leadership for a digital, data and AI unit, building a high‑performing, user‑centred, iterative delivery culture.
• Task‑manage and influence colleagues across RED and MHCLG to deliver at pace in a matrix environment and build strong collaborative relationships with digital, data, analytical operational specialists to support RED's transformation journey.
• Work with MHCLG's commercial function as needed to source capabilities and manage suppliers to support delivery.
• Establish and maintain strong partnerships with the Cabinet Office, Local Resilience Forums and other stakeholders to enable secure and effective data sharing; convene workshops and build a community of practice to share learning.
• Establish and oversee programme governance, ensuring delivery, risks and interdependencies are managed effectively; define and track benefits and outcomes.
• Monitor and report on progress, outcomes and impact to MHCLG senior leadership, including through MHCLG's Resilience Board; provide clear, evidence‑based updates and recommendations.
• Ensure compliance with data protection, security and ethical standards throughout the programme; champion responsible AI.
• Play your part in emergency response when needed and contribute to RED's 24/7 monitoring for emergencies (approximately 8 weeks ‘on call’ at evenings/weekends per year). Training will be provided and additional compensation is available for any evening/weekend working required.

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.

Stage 2: Interview

• Behaviours: Changing and Improving, Leadership, Communicating and Influencing, Managing a Quality Service, Developing Self and Others

Candidates will be asked to prepare a 5‑minute presentation; further details will be provided on invitation to interview.

Sift and Interview Dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place the week commencing 12th January 2026.

Interviews are envisaged to take place the week commencing 26th January 2026 and are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.

How We Recruit

• Applying
• Sifting
• Interview
• Interview Results & Feedback
• Reserve List
• Near Miss
• Civil Service Grades
• We are a DCS, RIS & GPTWV employer
• Reasonable Adjustments

How to Apply

• Find out everything you need to know before applying here.
• You must review the following information from the MHCLG Career's Site before submitting your application. This step is essential to ensure your eligibility for the role and that your application is completed correctly.
• Security Clearance Requirements
• Civil Service Nationality Requirements
• Right to Work
• Artificial Intelligence
• Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles
• CV Declaration
• Sponsorships
• Salary and Grade
• Existing Civil Servants
• Conflict of Interest
• Location and Flexible Working
• Fixed Term Contracts
• Internal Fraud Database - Internal Fraud Register
• Appeals and Complaints
• Conflict of Interest

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 security check (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

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre‑settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre‑settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
• Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Qualifications

• Proven experience in leading complex transformation programmes which involve digital tools, data, or AI to successful outcomes in multi‑stakeholder environments. You do not need to be a specialist in any or all of these areas, but you will need to be confident in how to work effectively with specialists to get the job done.
• Proven experience in leading project and programme delivery, including commercial, governance and risk management, managing multiple workstreams in an evolving context.
• Ability to understand customer and user needs and develop appropriate, pragmatic, and evidence‑based solutions.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts in clear, accessible language for non‑specialists and to move from agreement to action.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with diverse stakeholders to enable and support change.
• Commitment to open and collaborative ways of working and continuous improvement, including agile delivery and user‑centred design.

Desirable

• Familiarity with modern data and AI practices (e.g., data governance, machine learning operations) and knowledge of data sharing principles, security, and ethical considerations in a public sector context.

Alongside your salary of £66,620, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £19,299 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Childcare Voucher and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.