SCS1 Deputy Director, AI Innovation and Planning

Job summary

DWP is looking to fill AI Innovation & Planning Deputy Director role in Core Digital Services (CDS).

As a collective, CDS is responsible for creating, maintaining, developing and integrating our large shared digital platforms. Our focus is on providing sustainable, reusable solutions that truly put citizens at the heart of what we do.
We’re at the forefront of payment services, data sharing and maintaining and protecting customer information. Alongside this, we’re also accelerating DWP’s responsible AI use and the department’s sustainability strategy, contributing to a future-proofed Civil Service.

Virtual Engagement Session ​
Date: 24th June 2026 Time: 13:00
This virtual session is an opportunity for you to find out more about the role and what it's like leading the Digital Transformation Group. You'll get the opportunity to hear directly from the vacancy holder, Jacqueline Hanson and HR Director, Beverley Morton, who will provide an overview of the role and hold a Q&A session.

Please follow this link to join the Virtual Engagement Session

Job description

• Set the strategic direction for AI and innovation across DWP, defining, delivering and continuously evolving a coherent strategy aligned with departmental transformation and wider government priorities.
• Act as a trusted senior adviser and critical friend to Ministers and executive leadership, providing authoritative, evidence-based insight on emerging technologies, associated risks, and strategic opportunities.
• Establish and oversee governance, standards and assurance frameworks for AI, ensuring innovation is balanced with robust risk management, clear risk appetite, and effective mitigation strategies.
• Drive the responsible, ethical and impactful adoption of AI, embedding best practice and public trust at the heart of deployment across the Department.
• Deliver a central, technology-agnostic innovation function, enabling the systematic identification, testing and scaling of emerging technologies aligned to DWP’s strategic priorities.
• Direct the end-to-end delivery of innovation outputs, including proofs of concept, prototypes and strategic guidance, ensuring clear paths to adoption and scale.
• Ensure innovation activity delivers measurable public value, improved citizen outcomes and operational efficiencies.
• Horizon scan and evaluate new technologies and breakthrough market solutions and innovations that could systematicity future proof DWP operations
  Identify, prioritise and scale high-impact AI opportunities, driving measurable benefits for customers and colleagues.
• Build and sustain a diverse, inclusive and high-performing team across multiple locations, fostering the capability to deliver AI initiatives safely, responsibly and effectively and encompassing research, experimentation, strategy development and delivery.
• Promote a culture of curiosity, experimentation and continuous improvement, both within the team and across the wider Department.
• Manage complex and high-profile stakeholder relationships, including Ministers, No.10, HM Treasury, Cabinet Office and other key partners, providing expert leadership on AI and innovation.
• Represent DWP at senior cross-government forums, shaping the national AI agenda through engagement with DSIT, Cabinet Office and ministerial groups.
• Influence and align senior stakeholders across government, driving collaboration to deliver shared AI and innovation ambitions.
• Build strong relationships with industry, suppliers and cross-government partners, collaborating wherever possible to deliver shared outcomes

Person specification

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their knowledge, experience and skills against the following essential criteria:

• Proven track record of designing and delivering innovative digital solutions and business strategies within large, complex organisational environments, driving measurable transformation outcomes. Highly skilled in structuring and solving complex problems, applying critical thinking to assess emerging concepts, and developing clear, evidence-based recommendations and solutions.
• Extensive experience in developing and embedding corporate governance frameworks that ensure the ethical, responsible, and effective use of AI at scale.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal capabilities, with a demonstrated ability to engage, influence, and challenge senior stakeholders with clarity and confidence.
• Inspirational and results-driven leader, with a strong ability to motivate, align, and empower teams to achieve high-impact outcomes.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £86,000, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £24,914 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, flexible working and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 25 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

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.

1. Application Process

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process outlined below no later than 12 noon on 29th June 2026:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years;​
• Three statements (maximum 500 words each) answering the 3 pre-defined questions (below), explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities, and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification. ​

1. 1. Describe your experience of leading the development and implementation of AI strategy and innovation within a complex organisation. What were the most significant challenges you encountered, how did you address them, and what key lessons did you learn?
   2. How do you identify and prioritise high-value opportunities for your organisation? Please provide examples of where you have successfully scaled initiatives across an organisation, including the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
   3. What has been your most significant leadership challenge in terms of scale and complexity? How did you lead through the challenge and what have you learned.

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say’. All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be provided to the selection panel. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer.

2. Shortlist​

A panel, including the hiring manager, will assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the person specification section of this pack. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.​
The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which a decision is expected to be made, and all shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.

3. Assessment

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a Staff Engagement Exercise in advance of the interview. This assessment will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, it is designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

4. Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the person specification. Full details will be provided prior to the interview.

Your interview will either be a face-to-face or via a video call, this will be confirmed nearer the time. The interview panel will be chaired by Jacqueline Hanson, who will be supported by additional panel members. The final panel interview will be a blended interview, covering behaviours and experience. A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation exploring the candidate’s capability for the role.

Expected Timeline

Assessments - Wednesday 15th July 2026

Interviews - Tuesday 28th July 2026

If selected to interview, you will need to be available both of the days. We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews.

5. Offer and Feedback
Regardless of the outcome, we will notify all candidates as soon as possible. We will offer the opportunity to discuss feedback for all candidates who reached interview.

A reserve list will be held for up to 12 months, which we may use to fill future similar vacancies for candidates who are considered appointable following interview.

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 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

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 : DWP SCS Resourcing Team
• Email : senior.recruitment@dwp.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : senior.recruitment@dwp.gov.uk

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact: senior.recruitment@dwp.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response, you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

Candidate Pack - AI & Innovation Deputy Director Opens in new window (pdf, 503kB)