AI Industry Opportunities Senior Advisor

Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Salford Job Summary At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science \& technology. We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development. We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared. We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back. We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future. Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives. Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do. Our Inclusive Environment We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below. Please note Former DSIT recruitment campaigns are continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the Government’s announcement on the changes to some civil service departments, roles will be subject to the machinery of government moves and will ultimately be in one of the new departments. We will provide more information if you are selected for a role. This work remains of high importance to the civil service, and we thank you for your continued interest. Job Description The UK AI sector is developing rapidly and has the potential to transform productivity, public services, economic growth and national security. Our team helps government understand what's happening across the AI ecosystem, identify the companies and technologies that matter most, and turn those insights into action. As part of our team, you'll work with innovative AI companies, investors, trade bodies and colleagues across government to spot emerging opportunities, build relationships and shape decisions. Our work is varied. One day you could be analysing an emerging trend, the next helping prepare advice for Ministers or supporting engagement with some of the UK's most exciting AI businesses. We're a friendly, supportive team that values curiosity, initiative and learning, and we encourage colleagues to take ownership, test new ideas and develop expertise in areas that interest them. The UK AI sector is developing rapidly and has the potential to transform productivity, public services, economic growth and national security. Our team helps government understand what's happening across the AI ecosystem, identify the companies and technologies that matter most, and turn those insights into action. As part of our team, you'll work with innovative AI companies, investors, trade bodies and colleagues across government to spot emerging opportunities, build relationships and shape decisions. Our work is varied. One day you could be analysing an emerging trend, the next helping prepare advice for Ministers or supporting engagement with some of the UK's most exciting AI businesses. We're a friendly, supportive team that values curiosity, initiative and learning, and we encourage colleagues to take ownership, test new ideas and develop expertise in areas that interest them. Person specification Key Responsibilities * Lead strategic projects that improve the government's understanding of the UK AI sector and identify opportunities to support growth, innovation and wider national priorities. * Build relationships with AI companies, investors, trade bodies and colleagues across government to gather insight, understand challenges and support delivery of shared objectives. * Develop advice and recommendations for Ministers and senior officials, translating complex information into clear options and practical actions. * Spot opportunities and risks, connecting information from different sources to identify where government action, coordination or engagement could have the greatest impact. * Bring people together across organisations and teams to drive progress on shared priorities, overcome barriers and deliver outcomes. * Contribute to the team's development, helping improve ways of working, sharing knowledge and building a collaborative, resilient team culture. The precise portfolio of work will evolve over time, giving opportunities to develop new skills and shape areas of work based on organisational need and individual strengths. Essential Criteria * Excellent stakeholder management and engagement skills, with experience of building productive relationships, influencing others and working collaboratively across organisational boundaries to deliver outcomes. * Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, with the ability to identify opportunities and risks, connect information from multiple sources, and develop practical, evidence-based recommendations. * Experience managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment, demonstrating sound judgement, resilience and the ability to deliver high-quality work to tight deadlines. * Ability to operate effectively in ambiguity, taking ownership of complex or unclear issues, defining problems and making progress where there is no obvious route forward. * Demonstrable initiative and proactive approach, with a track record of spotting opportunities, challenging assumptions, taking action and driving work forward with limited direction. Desirable Criteria * Knowledge and/or experience of AI, technology, innovation or growth sectors. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: * Communicating and Influencing * Seeing the Big Picture * Delivering at Pace Alongside your salary of £44,620, Department for Science, Innovation \& Technology contributes £12,926 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window). The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including: * A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours. * Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%. * A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30. * An extensive range of learning \& professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue. * Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts. 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. 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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience. As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. Please use your personal statement (in no more than 500 words) to describe how your experience demonstrates the essential criteria for this role. We are particularly interested in examples where you have built relationships to achieve outcomes, identified opportunities or solved complex problems, managed competing priorities, operated in ambiguity, and demonstrated initiative to drive work forward. Applications will be sifted on CV and Personal Statement. In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. The interview will consist of behaviour and strength-based questions. To help you to prepare for your interview, for this campaign behaviour questions will be shared in advance of interview if you are successful at sift stage. These questions should be treated as confidential and should not be shared. The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared with you in advance, including any follow-up questions, and other elements listed in the job advert, for example, experience, abilities, strengths and technical skills. The panel will be looking for examples of your own work, experience, and ability so do try and avoid using AI written answers without any human oversight. Sift and interview dates Sift and interview dates to be confirmed. Further Information Former DSIT recruitment campaigns are continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the Government’s announcement on the changes to some civil service departments, roles will be subject to the machinery of government moves and will ultimately be in one of the new departments. We will provide more information if you are selected for a role. This work remains of high importance to the civil service, and we thank you for your continued interest. Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website. Reasonable Adjustment We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions. Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DSIT Candidate Guidance. A DSIT Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available. We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section. If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section. If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out. New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band. A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position. Candidates who meet the minimum benchmark may be placed on a Reserve List for consideration for similar roles, including those at a lower grade. Candidates who narrowly miss the benchmark and are not placed on the Reserve List may still be considered for an offer in a similar role at a lower grade. Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you. Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website. 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). DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify. In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. Feedback Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience. Security Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist 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. Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist 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 This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups * 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. 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). This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job Contact * Name : Madalena Nova * Email : madalena.nova@dsit.gov.uk Recruitment team * Email : dsitresourcing.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk Further information Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance DSITrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk . If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.