Head of AI Impact

Job description

Job Title: Head of AI impact

Band: B 6

Salary: £72,771 - £80,776

Location: Liverpool/Birmingham/Norwich/Newport

Contract Type: Permanent/Compressed

Hours: Full time

Closing Date: 22/06/2026

Interview Date(s): W/C 6th July (Subject to change)

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Job Summary

As the Head of AI Impact and Assurance, you will have line management responsibility and advise the organisation on safe, ethical, and highly impactful Artificial Intelligence adoption across the Government Commercial Agency (GCA). 

Aligning closely with the Digital and Data Directorate, you will bridge the gap between innovative AI capabilities and rigorous corporate governance. You will lead the enterprise AI pipeline, ensure robust risk management, and lead multi-functional teams to deliver scalable, customer-centric AI solutions that provide measurable value to the public sector. As part of the fast-paced and newly formed Enterprise Service Innovation team, you will have the opportunity to deliver innovative projects that shape the future of the organisation.

Key Accountabilities: 

• Enterprise AI Governance and Assurance Leadership: Lead the delivery, integration, and operationalisation of the GCA’s AI Governance and Risk Management Framework into Business as Usual (BAU). This involves delivering best-practice, gate-based Responsible AI approaches. You will ensure strict alignment with public-sector expectations, including the UK Government AI Playbook and the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS), translating complex parameters into actionable "Buy, Build, and Enable" toolkits for technical and non-technical teams alike.

• AI Use Case Lifecycle and Pipeline Oversight: Lead the end-to-end lifecycle of AI use case discovery, validation, and transition across the business. You will oversee a robust pipeline of AI initiatives—from executing 'Fast Fail' closure on unviable Proof of Concepts (PoCs) to facilitating rigorous Go/No-Go decision gates for high-profile demonstrators. You will assure that every progressing use case possesses a formally validated value case explicitly proving ROI, technical feasibility, and alignment to the Enterprise Service Innovation (ESI) portfolio.

• Shadow AI Mitigation and Continuous Risk Management: Establish and enforce robust oversight mechanisms to identify, audit, and remediate undocumented or decentralised AI applications (Shadow AI) operating across business units. You will maintain a centralised, real-time registry of all assured AI assets and validate third-party AI vendors against internal assurance standards prior to onboarding.

• Advisory and Engagement: Serve as an AI governance advisor to the GCA Operational Committee (OpCo), senior leadership, and project managers. You will provide expert counsel on emerging AI risks, market trends, and regulatory shifts, ensuring the organisation's assurance posture remains proactive. By presenting validated initiatives via governance, you will demonstrate that proposed investments meet all technical, ethical, and strategic delivery standards.

• Customer-Centric Innovation and Value Delivery: Champion a customer-led approach to AI design and implementation, ensuring digital offerings solve high-value problems for buyers and suppliers. You will drive the use of deep user research and feedback loops to continually improve AI products, ensuring they are relevant, enhance decision-making insight, and tangibly improve GCA customer satisfaction scores.

• Corporate Leadership and Capability Building: Exemplify Civil Service leadership by building and directing multi-functional delivery teams and fostering an inclusive, empowered, and high-trust culture. You will act as an advocate for digital change, establishing a community of internal AI Champions, and ensuring your team understands their direct line of sight to the broader GCA strategy. You will set a compelling vision, driving cross-system collaboration and actively supporting the GCA Inclusion & Diversity strategy.

• Lead and guide team members, manage performance to ensure a high-performing team, and support staff development through regular feedback.

Essential Criteria (to be assessed at application stage):

• Line manager experience / capability,

• Proven experience designing, operationalising, and enforcing governance, risk management, or assurance frameworks (specifically concerning AI, data, or emerging technologies) within a complex enterprise environment.

• Demonstrable track record of leading the end-to-end lifecycle of digital or AI use cases, from initial discovery and technical validation (Proof of Concepts) to executive approval, scaling, or controlled closure.

• Significant experience conducting comprehensive risk assessments (such as algorithmic impact, data privacy, and security) and effectively mitigating risks associated with enterprise and "Shadow" technology.

• Measurable experience driving customer-centric digital innovation, utilising user research, feedback mechanisms, and data analysis to ensure technology initiatives deliver proven Return on Investment (ROI) and tangible value to end-users.

Success Profiles (to be assessed at interview):

Behaviours

• Seeing the Big Picture

• Changing and Improving

• Making Effective Decisions

• Working Together

• Delivering at Pace

Technical

•  AI Governance in UK Public Sector 

• AI Use Case  

Technical will be assessed via a presentation at interview stage.

(A link to the Civil Service Success Profiles Framework is provided below)

Success Profiles Framework

Valuing our people:

• Competitive salary 

• Generous pension scheme

• A discretionary non-contractual performance related bonus 

• Working remotely in addition to working in advertised office location

• Flexi time scheme (available for B1-B6)

• Minimum 25 days annual leave to a maximum service related 30 days excluding bank holidays

Want to make a difference? Find out more about the rewarding work that we do in our candidate pack.

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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

We want to make our recruitment process accessible to everyone, so if there is any way that we can support you, please contact [email protected]

Working flexibly, delivering outcomes

GCA operates a smarter working model that balances flexibility with collaboration. Successful candidates are expected to spend at least 26 days per quarter (approximately 2 days per week, pro-rata) at their contracted office, another GCA site, or off-site for meetings. For the remainder of the time, you may work from home or another suitable location that meets business needs.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.  Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. 

Selection Process

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact [email protected].

Please note that as part of this recruitment process, if you are unsuccessful at the interview stage but are close to the benchmark score you may be considered for and offered a role at a lower pay band within the same job family.

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Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. 

Complaints Procedure

 Our recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles details of which can be found at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-principles/

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact [email protected] in the first instance.

If you remain unsatisfied with the response you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission at [email protected]

Internal candidates should apply using their Workday account. Please use the careers hub for your application.