Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
AI Industry Opportunities Senior Advisor
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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.
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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
Benefits
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.
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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 DS
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