Director, Prime Minister’s AI Taskforce - Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC)

The Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC) supports the Prime Minister and Cabinet to ensure the effective running of Government. The OPMC sets direction for the rest of the Government to deliver.

The Prime Minister’s AI Taskforce has been established at the heart of government to drive the UK’s overall AI strategy, accelerate AI adoption across the public sector, and ensure the benefits of AI are realised across the economy and society. The Taskforce is chaired by Lord Patrick Vallance and sits within the Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Key Responsibilities:

• You will be accountable for a portfolio of priority programmes, deploying people and expertise where they can have the greatest impact through a task-and-finish approach. You will set direction, turn ambitious objectives into practical programmes of work, establish clear outcomes and measures of progress, and maintain momentum across complex organisational dependencies.
• The role will involve working at the most senior levels across government and with a broad range of external partners. Depending on the portfolio, these could include Permanent Secretaries and Directors General, public-service organisations, businesses, investors, researchers, trade unions, civil society, regulators, national security partners, local and regional leaders, and international counterparts.
• You will need to operate effectively in an environment where priorities are evolving, evidence may be incomplete, and delivery levers are often distributed across multiple organisations. You will also play a full part in the corporate leadership of the Taskforce, helping to build its culture, capability and reputation as a new centre of excellence at the heart of government.

Person specification:

• Proven track record of driving end-to-end cross-sector complex strategic initiatives, operating in fast-moving environments, and influencing a wide range of very senior stakeholders.
• The capability to recruit, develop, and inspire high-performing, inclusive leadership teams.
• Exceptional experience driving delivery at scale, turning ambitious objectives into concrete, measurable outcomes through decisive leadership, disciplined coordination and the effective use of delivery partners across organisational boundaries.
• Senior experience relevant to one or more of the Taskforce’s potential areas of work, such as AI or technology policy; economic growth, investment or industrial strategy; public-service reform; work, skills or social policy; national security or defence; or another comparable field.
• A credible understanding of AI and technological change, including the opportunities, risks and practical implications for government, the economy and society. Deep technical expertise is not required, but you must be able to engage credibly with technical specialists, interrogate evidence and challenge assumptions.
• Demonstrable evidence of championing and operationalising the effective and responsible adoption of artificial intelligence and other technologies to modernise workflows and automate routine delivery; fostering a high trust and experimental environment where technical specialists collaborate openly with generalist delivery and/or policy professionals.

Benefits:

• Alongside your salary of £105,000, Cabinet Office contributes £30,418 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
• 25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to 8 public holidays.
• Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers.
• Childcare benefits: The government has introduced the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. Working parents can open an online childcare account and for every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2000 a year for each child or £4000 for a disabled child.
• Interest-free loans allowing you to spread the cost of an annual travel season ticket or a new bicycle.
• The opportunity to use onsite facilities including fitness centres and staff canteens (where applicable); and occupational sick pay.