Data & AI Operations Lead

Job summary

Across government, the increasing use of data and artificial intelligence is transforming how organisations operate, make decisions and deliver services. As digital and data portfolios expand, the need for strong operational support, governance and coordination becomes critical to ensuring that programmes run effectively, comply with standards and deliver value. Ofgem plays a vital role in the UK’s energy system, protecting consumers and enabling a more secure, fair and sustainable energy future, and effective operational leadership is essential to supporting this transformation.

Ofgem is on an ambitious transformation journey. Within the Digital, Data and Security Services (DDSS) directorate, we are building a modern data and AI capability, supported by a growing portfolio of digital, data and AI initiatives. Alongside this, the Chief Digital, Data and AI function (CDAIO) requires strong operational coordination to ensure that priorities are planned, governed and delivered effectively.

As a Data and AI Operations Lead, you will play a key role in supporting the effective operation of the CDAIO function. You will provide oversight across financial management, governance, planning and coordination, ensuring that leadership teams have the information, structure and support needed to manage complex initiatives. You will act as a central point of coordination, helping to align activity across teams, support decision-making and ensure compliance with government standards.

This is a broad and high-impact role requiring strong organisational, analytical and stakeholder engagement skills. You will operate across a complex environment, balancing operational detail with strategic awareness, and ensuring that systems and processes enable effective delivery.

Job description

You will be responsible for:

• Leading financial tracking and reporting across CDAIO activities, including budgets, people costs, technology spend and project expenditure.

• Producing accurate forecasts and reports to support senior leadership decision-making and ensure compliance with financial controls.

• Providing governance and administrative support for leadership meetings, boards and cross-government forums, ensuring high-quality documentation and clear tracking of actions and decisions.

• Planning and coordinating CDAIO initiatives, including scheduling key meetings, engagement activities and delivery milestones.

• Developing and maintaining delivery plans that align operational activity with organisational priorities.

• Supporting data literacy and engagement initiatives, helping to build awareness and capability across the organisation.

• Ensuring adherence to Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) standards and government project delivery frameworks.

• Supporting risk management and assurance processes, embedding strong governance practices across AI and data initiatives.

• Acting as a key point of contact for operational queries, facilitating collaboration across teams and stakeholders.

We are looking for:

A proactive, organised and detail-oriented professional who can operate effectively across governance, finance and operational coordination in a complex environment. You will be comfortable working with senior stakeholders, managing competing priorities and ensuring that processes run smoothly and efficiently.

You may come from an operations, PMO, governance or business support background, but you will demonstrate:

• Experience managing budgets and tracking financial information across projects or programmes

• Strong governance and administrative skills, including preparing board materials and maintaining action logs

• Experience planning and coordinating meetings, events and delivery activity

• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills

• Understanding of information management, governance and compliance requirements

Awareness of digital, data and AI concepts, and experience working in a government or regulated environment, would be beneficial.

This is an opportunity to play a central role in enabling Ofgem’s data and AI transformation. You will help ensure that the organisation’s most innovative and strategic initiatives are effectively supported, governed and delivered in a structured, compliant and efficient way.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Experience managing budgets and tracking costs for people, technology, and projects (Lead Criteria).
• Strong governance and administrative skills, including preparing board papers and action logs (Lead Criteria).
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills at senior levels.
• Ability to plan and coordinate meetings, events, and delivery schedules.
• Knowledge of information management standards and compliance requirements.
• Awareness of digital, data, and AI concepts and their application in government.
• Competence in MS 365 tools (Excel, SharePoint, Teams) for reporting and collaboration.

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge of energy sector AI challenges, the transition to net-zero, including regulatory and affordability implications.
• Experience of working in a cloud-first organisation.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £49,452, OFGEM contributes £14,326 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).Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but this is kept under review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), your career history and qualifications.

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential and desirable skills and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the criteria listed in the role profile. In the event of receiving a large number of applications, an initial sift may take place on just the lead criteria indicated in the essential criteria.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by [https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn].

At Ofgem, we expect our staff to carry out their roles with honesty, fairness and openness. They should follow the Civil Service code and be free from any influence or bias. We are committed to making sure interests are recognised, declared and managed appropriately so that we can fulfil our duties as an energy regulator. Our Conflicts of Interest policy outlines the types of interests Ofgem staff must declare before onboarding, and the rules they must follow throughout employment so that we can clearly demonstrate that our decisions are not influenced by private interests.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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

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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.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 : Amber Shankland
• Email : amber.shankland@ofgem.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of these Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website.

Attachments

DDSS Role Profile Data and AI Operations Lead (2B) (FTC) Opens in new window (pdf, 114kB)DDSS Candidate Pack, Data & AI Operations Lead Opens in new window (pdf, 1139kB)Terms and Conditions Opens in new window (pdf, 335kB)