Lead - AI Specialist
Job summary
This is a strategic and hands-on role at the heart of how the organisation identifies, shapes and delivers artificial intelligence opportunities. As a Lead AI Specialist, you will apply professional judgement to assess potential use cases, balancing value, feasibility, risk and constraints to define viable solutions. You will work closely with stakeholders across policy, digital, operational and analytical teams to ensure AI initiatives align with organisational priorities, standards and delivery timelines, while translating complex technical concepts and trade-offs into clear, actionable recommendations for both senior and non-technical audiences.
Job description
You will play a central role in guiding the design and delivery of AI solutions, coordinating activity across projects to ensure priorities, dependencies and resources are effectively managed. Reporting to and working with the Head of Data Science & AI and the team, you will provide day-to-day direction to multidisciplinary teams, supporting capability development through coaching, quality assurance and knowledge sharing. You will review and challenge model design, experimentation approaches and outputs, ensuring that solutions are robust, proportionate and aligned with best practice, while also contributing to the evolution of delivery standards, design patterns and governance frameworks.
Alongside delivery, you will design and oversee structured experimentation to evaluate performance, suitability and risk, while addressing complex technical and ethical issues as they arise. Ultimately, you will ensure that AI solutions deliver tangible operational or decision-support value, in line with organisational objectives, and are implemented in a responsible, well-governed and sustainable way.
Person specification
You are an experienced AI professional with a strong track record of delivering advanced AI and analytical solutions in real-world organisational settings. You bring deep, practical expertise in applied AI methods, including a clear understanding of model selection, evaluation techniques and the risks associated with deploying AI systems. You are confident working with modern approaches such as foundational models, understanding both their capabilities and their limitations, as well as the governance and ethical considerations required for their responsible use. With a solid academic background, or equivalent professional experience, in data science, AI, computer science or a related discipline, you combine technical depth with sound professional judgement.
You are also a capable technical leader, with experience coordinating and supervising the work of others on complex AI initiatives. You are comfortable writing and reviewing production-quality code, particularly in Python, ensuring that solutions meet both technical and organisational requirements. You excel at working through ambiguity, applying structured thinking and professional judgement within policy, ethical and assurance frameworks. Alongside your technical delivery, you are skilled at producing high-quality analysis, clear recommendations and robust risk assessments for senior stakeholders, helping to inform decisions and build confidence in AI-driven approaches.
Benefits
Homes England is an executive non-departmental public body with its own terms and conditions, benefits and pension scheme. We are a government agency working in partnership with the private sector and want to employ and retain great people. In return we offer a range of excellent benefits, some of the key benefits include:Holiday - Homes England offers all staff 33 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 statutory bank holidays.
Working Flexibly - At Homes England we have a strong culture of flexible working and encourage all employees to have a healthy work/life balance. We offer a wide range of potential working patterns, including part time, job share and compressed hours.
Health and Wellbeing - We offer health screening with Nuffield Proactive Health Clinics, a free Employee Assistance Programme which offers confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as well as access to Occupational Health.
Professional Development - At Homes England we are committed to your continued professional and personal development with learning as one of our core values. We pay for one job-related professional membership subscription per year for our employees.
We also offer an excellent range of family friendly benefits, for example, maternity, paternity, shared parental leave.
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
How to apply?
To apply please follow the links to our careers page.
Security
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
Selection process details
For more information on the role, please see the attached Job Description.
Successful applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application and interviews held as soon as practical after the closing date. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in this role and Homes England.
Please note – Homes England has a responsibility to ensure compliance with HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard to address the potential problems of identity fraud, illegal working and deception generally. To ensure compliance we will carry out a pre-employment Personal Identity and Vetting Report through Experian to meet the standard and you will therefore be asked to provide certain information in order that the verification check can be carried out if you are successful in your application.
Homes England are an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer that values and respects the people who work for us. Our aim is to be an employer of choice, enabling everyone to reach their full potential.
Homes England is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal data. For further information please refer to our Privacy Notice which can be viewed here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/homes-england/about/personal-information-charter
Nationality requirements
Open to UK, Commonwealth and European Economic Area (EEA) and certain non EEA nationals. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here.
Working for the Civil Service
Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a guaranteed disability confident interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Further information
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
Name: Recruitment Team
Email: recruitmentinfo@homesengland.gov.uk
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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
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.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
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 :
Recruitment team
Salary range
- £59,631 - £69,548 per year