Chief Artificial Intelligence & Data Officer

Job summary

The MoD Chief Artificial Intelligence and Data Officer (CAIDO) is an exceptionally high profile, complex and critical role for Defence. It operates as the overall Functional leader for AI, Data & Information requiring a strong, highly skilled, experienced and resilient leader. You will lead, cohere and optimise through a federated functional operating model focusing on driving delivery, enabling strategic advantage, and unlocking productivity through the use of AI, Data & Information capabilities. As the CAIDO, you will demonstrate and drive strategic thinking and thought leadership internally and across government, industry, our partners and allies. The role will spearhead and direct the step change in AI thought leadership, cohered via the Defence AI Centre (DAIC) and coordinate the execution of strategic intent for developing and leveraging world leading AI capabilities. You will also drive the continued development of data and information capabilities to underpin optimised military outcomes, departmental effectiveness, and productivity.

In addition, the role includes accountability as the Director for Digital Business Partnering for all non-military operational demand areas of the organisation. As the CAIDO, you will act as the senior leader for AI, Data, and Information capabilities and communities, ensuring that skills and talent pathways are developed. You will ensure Defence can effectively leverage external market and industry resources through the most efficient models. You will also serve as the overall head of communities of practice for AI, Data, and Information capabilities across the Defence Enterprise, as well as with partners, allies, and industry.

Job description

The leadership accountabilities of the post are summarised:

• Direct and Lead across MoD to define and deliver prioritised AI, Digital, Data and Information capabilities, outcomes and effects, achieving authentic role modelling, the right behaviours and establishing a culture for success.
• Chief AI Officer: Accountable for the realisation of AI strategic intent across the MoD, to achieve Defence Investment Plan outcomes. Direct the Defence Artificial Intelligence Centre (DAIC) and overall Functional AI leadership of MoD federated AI function. Accountable for directing and optimising funding, resources and capabilities to achieve growth and acceleration of AI capabilities to deliver advantage and value, including deployment for advantage in military operational settings. Drive enduring across Defence AI governance and coherence aligning to policy and ethics. Drive strategic implementation ensuring all AI enabling capabilities (digital and data readiness) are defined, prioritised, delivered and funded. Optimise the use of pilot methodologies and frontier technologies, driving innovation and achieving scale for maximum effect. Lead Defence in accessing and leveraging expert industry partners and allies to bring cutting edge AI capabilities into operation and are coordinated to ensure the effective scaling and exploitation of AI for maximum impact and effect. Accountable for overall AI portfolio and oversight of investment, coherence and growth. Accountable for setting AI mandatory standards and holding delivery and user exploitation areas to account. Lead the use of AI and automation capabilities to realise measurable Departmental and Military efficiencies, optimised decision support and productivity gains. Direct and lead the required uplift in AI skills across the MoD.
• Chief Data & Information Officer: Define the Data & Information forward strategy to realise SDR ambitions and Defence Investment Plan priorities, governing and cohering this across the Defence Enterprise, partners, allies & industry. Direct the delivery and implementation plan to drive value from the effective and accelerated exploitation of Defence data and appropriate external data. Ensure Data & Information are governed, managed, organised and available for use wherever they need to be analysed, integrated and exploited, delivering on “data as a strategic asset”. Oversee the governance & coherence of Data & Information standards, policies and frameworks. Lead on data & information architecture in close partnership with Defence Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Set the Strategic intent and plan for Data & Information Defence Common Services, Delivery Platforms and Operations to realise Defence’s data exploitation ambitions.
• Director Digital Business Partnering: Direct and lead the digital business partnering resources across the Department of State, National Armaments Director Group, and as required the Defence Nuclear Enterprise. Direct effective engagement to maximise and optimise the development and exploitation of all digital capabilities in support of the Digital Function operating model. Focus resourcing on Defence Investment outcome priorities and priority programmes with leading edge business and digital analysis capabilities. Define, direct and lead the establishment of a new Business Partnership engagement model. Establish a leading-edge capability ensuring strategic digital intent is realised across the Department. Ensure digital capabilities are well understood and effectively delivered to achieve Defence outcomes, supporting accelerated digitisation priorities and their intended effects. Drive and hold users to account for the expansion and use of all digital capabilities across the Department to ensure digital estate optimisation and efficiencies.

Person specification

• Highly respected thought leader and innovator in AI, Data, and Information: Proven expertise operating at the most senior levels across industry and/or government, with a strong track record of setting strategic intent and delivering cutting-edge capabilities across large-scale, complex organisations.
• Experienced leader in fostering agile delivery: Skilled in creating a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability to drive organisational success.
• Expertise in digital programme delivery: Demonstrable leadership in managing complex AI, Data, and Information projects, programmes, and portfolios, ensuring measurable outcomes.
• Proven success in large-scale transformation: Complex transformation with an ability to foster a strong culture of delivery and accountability. Skilled in aligning strategy with transformation, operational delivery, organisational design and processes, translating outcomes into action.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills: Adept at collaborating, influencing, and inspiring confidence at all levels.
• Sound strategic judgement: Skilled in providing strategic advice, constructive challenge, and support to subject matter experts.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £185,000, Ministry of Defence contributes £53,594 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

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

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process accessed via the advertisement listed for this role. This should be completed no later than 23:55 Sunday 29 March 2026 and will involve providing the two documents outlined below via the Civil Service Jobs portal:

• A CV (no more than 2 pages) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
• A Personal Statement(no more than 2 pages) explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role.

Both documents are weighted equally in their scoring, so it's important to consider this when uploading your application. Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information.

To provide an overview of the role and answer any questions, Charles Forte will host an online Town Hall session on Thursday 12th March 2026 14:00pm - 15:00pm. You can access the meeting by clicking here. If you prefer, you may use your initials instead of your full name to maintain confidentiality regarding your interest in the role.

External candidates who join the MOD and are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

For further information about the role and full application process, please refer to the candidate pack attached below. If you wish to receive any material in a different format for accessibility, then please contact People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (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

Open to UK nationals only.

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 theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.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 : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email : People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk

Further information

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 People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

SCS2 Chief Artificial Intelligence and Chief Data Officer - Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 2184kB)