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The National Centre for AI in Policing represents a significant step forward in how policing in England and Wales will harness technology to meet growing and changing demand. Established through direct government investment, the Centre will accelerate the safe, ethical and operationally effective use of artificial intelligence across policing.

This is a pivotal moment. Policing faces an increasingly complex operating environment, with evolving threats, rising public expectations and sustained operational pressures. In this context, the ability to apply data and AI effectively, and responsibly, will be central to improving outcomes, enhancing frontline capability and maintaining public trust.

The Centre will act as a national hub for innovation, bringing together expertise from across technology, operations and evidence. It will support forces to adopt AI-enabled solutions at scale, while also shaping how these technologies are governed, assured and embedded across the system.

The Centre sits within the College of Policing, the professional body for policing in England and Wales. The College’s mission Leadership. Standards. Performance. underpins the work of the Centre, ensuring that the adoption of AI is aligned with the highest standards of professionalism, ethics and public service.

As Director of Police AI, you will lead a nationally significant function at the forefront of this agenda. You will play a critical role in shaping how policing embraces emerging technology, balancing innovation with accountability, and ensuring that public confidence remains at the heart of delivery.

This is a high-profile and demanding role, offering a unique opportunity to shape the future of policing at a national level.

Additional Information:

Due to our status as Public Servants, we are not eligible to participate in the Civil Service transfer process. Therefore, while successful candidates can transfer in on their existing terms and conditions, any subsequent transfer out of the College to the Civil Service cannot be guaranteed on existing terms and conditions, and new starter/modernised terms may apply.

Job description

This is a pivotal moment for policing as it responds to increasing demand, evolving threats and rapid technological change. The establishment of the National Centre for AI in Policing marks a significant national investment in transforming how policing harnesses data and technology to deliver its mission. At the formal launch of PoliceAI the Policing Minister Sarah Jones gave this overview - Policing minister on the launch of PoliceAI - GOV.UK

Against this backdrop, the Director of Police AI is a senior national leadership role operating at the heart of the policing system. The scope is substantial, spanning multiple aspects of operational policing and requiring sustained engagement with Chief Constables, Police and Crime Commissioners, Mayors, Ministers, industry leaders, academics, civil liberties groups and international partners.

As the accountable head of the Centre, the Director is responsible for delivering its core mission: improving policing outcomes, increasing productivity, strengthening investigative capability and enhancing public confidence through the safe, ethical and evidence-based use of artificial intelligence. The role is directly accountable to the Chief Executive Officer of the College of Policing and to Home Office Ministers, with strong oversight and interest from senior policing leaders.

This is both a strategic and delivery-focused role. The Director will lead the creation and development of a new, high-profile national capability, setting direction, establishing operating models, and building a high-performing organisation from inception through to maturity. This includes overseeing the development and scaling of priority AI-enabled use cases, embedding robust testing and assurance frameworks, and supporting adoption across forces in a way that is practical, sustainable and aligned to operational realities.

The role requires navigating complexity at pace. The Director will operate across the intersection of operational policing, advanced technology, governance, ethics and public accountability, balancing innovation with assurance, and ambition with the need to maintain public trust. The ability to make confident, evidence-informed decisions in uncertain and high-profile environments will be critical.

As a member of the senior leadership community, the Director will play a key role in shaping the College’s broader agenda, working collaboratively with Executive colleagues and governance structures, and ensuring alignment with wider policing reform and government priorities. The role demands strong corporate leadership, effective delegation and the ability to build and lead multidisciplinary teams.

The Director will also engage with complex and high-profile issues, including those arising from reviews, inquiries and emerging risks associated with new technologies. This will involve translating learning into clear standards, guidance and assurance approaches that drive improvement and build confidence across policing and with the public.

Success in this role will require an exceptional leader with strong credibility, sound judgement and strategic vision. You will bring intellectual curiosity, a clear commitment to public service, and the ability to communicate complex issues with clarity and authority to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

This is a demanding but unique opportunity to shape the future of AI in policing, providing clear national leadership while ensuring the highest standards of ethics, accountability and operational effectiveness.

Please see the ‘candidate pack on the advertisement link for list of ‘Responsibilities’:

Sanderson Government & Defence

Person specification

You will need to demonstrate, through your application, that you bring the professional expertise, breadth of experience and personal qualities required for this role, together with the leadership capability to operate successfully at Director level within the Senior Civil Service and across the policing and political landscape.

Knowledge

Deep understanding of AI, digital transformation or advanced technology ecosystems, gained through senior roles in policing, government, academia, industry R&D or emerging technology sectors.
Sophisticated appreciation of ethical, legal, societal and operational implications of AI deployment in public service, including human rights, public trust, regulatory frameworks, and risk governance.
Strong knowledge of complex system leadership, national governance frameworks, cross-government structures, and multi-agency delivery models.
Understanding of research environments, scientific innovation, and how to build world-leading labs and academic partnerships.
Familiarity with commercial innovation and IP management, including licensing, co-development models, partnership ecosystems and investment strategies.
A strong grasp of public finance, value-for-money principles, business case development, benefits management, and assurance processes.
Ability to navigate high-stakes political environments, ensuring ministers, senior policing leaders and oversight bodies have confidence in evidence, advice and delivery.

Capabilities & Experience

Strategic Vision: Able to set a bold, compelling long-term direction for AI in policing, balancing innovation, safety and public trust.
System Leadership: Proven ability to lead across complex, multi-agency environments, aligning diverse stakeholders behind a unified national mission.
Gravitas & Credibility: Commands confidence with ministers, Chief Constables, PCCs, regulators, civil liberties groups and international partners.
Political & Organisational Acumen: Skilled in navigating high-stakes political environments with sound judgement, diplomacy and resilience.
Transformational Leadership: Able to build a new national organisation from inception, shaping culture, values, standards and high-performing teams.
Ethical Stewardship: Demonstrates strong integrity and a commitment to responsible AI, human rights, fairness and public legitimacy.
Exceptional Communication: Capable of translating complex technical and ethical issues into clear, authoritative messages for varied audiences.
Delivery Excellence: Track record of leading major programmes or organisations delivering complex outcomes under intense scrutiny.
Innovation & Commercial Insight: Able to identify and shape opportunities for innovation, partnerships and IP-based value creation for policing.
Global Outlook: Confident representing the UK internationally, positioning PoliceAI as a world-leading centre for responsible AI in policing.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £174,000, College of Policing contributes £50,407 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).

College staff have Public Servant status. As a Public Servant, you are eligible to join the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

The College is a great place to work. We're passionate about our people and offer a wide range of benefits, including (but not limited to):

Defined benefit pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
Up to 31.5 days holiday (this is in addition to 8 public holidays and 1 privilege day)
Continued professional development and structured career paths
Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
Flexi-time (for certain grades)
Benenden Healthcare
National Dental Plan
Discounts for on-line shopping
Free employee support line
Interest free season ticket loans
Rewards and recognition scheme
Learning and development tailored to your role.
An environment with flexible working options.
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.

We also have a number of thriving staff networks that provide the opportunity for advice, support and to drive change. A place to get your voice heard, share experiences and challenge our working practices to ensure equality of opportunity for all.

For more information about our benefits and staff networks, visit What we offer as an employer , College of Policing

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 post is open to applicants who can meet the College’s nationality, UK residency and vetting requirements.

This role is available for 3 years as a fixed term appointment/contract or as a secondment opportunity to:

colleagues employed directly by the College or the Civil Service. Please note you will be required to obtain the written support of your line manager prior to submitting your application.
serving police officers substantive in the rank of Chief Constable, or those officers suitably qualified for temporary promotion in the rank of Deputy Chief Constable. All applicants must have the support of their Chief Officer which must be of NPCC rank, i.e., CC, ACC or DCC and this must accompany an application.
serving police staff at the equivalent rank of Chief Constable or Deputy Chief Constable who have their chief officer's approval. Chief Officer’s approval must be of NPCC rank, i.e., CC, ACC or DCC. Approval for a secondment must accompany an application.

Central service conditions may apply.

If applying on secondment, please ensure you return the attached secondment approval form when submitting your application to recruitment@college.police.uk quoting internal vacancy reference 7248.

For further information on applying for a secondment please visit the “Secondments into the College” page.

For fixed Term contracts:

Whilst this fixed term contract is offered on the understanding that it will only last as long as the stated contract length, there could be a possibility that it could be extended or made permanent should circumstances allow.

Applicants should complete the online application form on the advertisement link Sanderson Government & Defence , where they are asked to provide a personal statement and a current CV. Applicants should pay particular attention to outlining their interest in the role, relevant experience and how they meet the criteria as defined in the person specification.

Failure to submit both a CV and a personal statement will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria.

Closing date for applications is 23rd August 2026

Timeline

Campaign Launch – Monday 13th July

Campaign Close - 23:55 Sunday 23rd August

Longlist - W/C 31 August

Shortlist - W/C 14th September

Panel Interview - Tuesday 22nd September and Tuesday 29th September

What to expect

Sanderson Government & Defence, our Executive Search partner will undertake a longlist exercise where they will score CV’s and personal statements against the person specification on a 3-point scale.

Sanderson G&D will assess and score your application to select those demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering both the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the ‘Person specification’ selection and the detail within your CV. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.

Longlisted candidates will be invited to a preliminary interview which will determine progression to the shortlist. Full information will be provided in advance.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to take part in a series of assessments which may include psychometric tests and staff engagement assessments. Full details will be provided in advance. These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to highlight areas for the panel to explore and support and inform the panel’s decision making at interview.

Shortlisted candidates will have the opportunity to speak with a representative of the panel prior to the formal interview to find out more about the opportunity and the organisation. This will not form part of the formal assessment process.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to attend a panel interview, to have an in-depth discussion of previous experiences and professional competencies in relation to the criteria set out in the ‘Person specification’. It is likely that a presentation will also be required at the interview. Full information will be provided to those invited.

If you require a point of contact, then please email josh.irving@sandersonplc.com in the first instance.

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 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.

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

Salary range

£174,000 per year