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Head of Responsible AI and Assurance
Details
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Salary
For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading Salary.
This post offers successful candidates the opportunity to be considered for an additional Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Skills Supplement. The level of the awarded supplement is determined following a separate skills assessment process, the outcome of which has no impact on the decision to make a job offer. This digital capability supplement ranges from £0 to £28,995 and you may be awarded a pay supplement within this range based on results of your additional skills assessment. For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading Salary.
Job grade
Contract type
Business area
Type of role
Digital
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
- Location
- About the job
- Benefits
- Things you need to know
- Apply and further information
Location
About the job
Job summary
Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.
Digital, Data, Technology and Security (DDTS) is the trusted team for digital across the entire Defra Group.
We have around 1000 colleagues across DDTS and our ambition is to make it easier and faster than ever for people to interact with Defra. If you are ready to drive innovation and push boundaries, we want to hear from you. Join us and together we will create a great place for living, and a green and healthy future for all.
Find out more about DDTS:
Defra digital, data and technology blog
Defra Jobs
We are Government Digital and Data Candidate Information Pack V3 - 1
Job description
The Head of Responsible AI and Assurance will provide senior leadership for Defras approach to responsible, trustworthy and auditable AI, ensuring AI-enabled solutions are adopted in a way that is safe, lawful, ethical and operationally sustainable.
The role exists to enable Defra to realise value from AI while maintaining public trust and meeting HMGs expectations for robust governance and proportionate assurance of digital and data activity. It establishes and operates the departments AI assurance approach, including assurance standards, risk tiering, and decision routes for high-risk AI use cases.
The postholder will work with senior stakeholders across DDTS, Data Protection, Legal, Commercial and Delivery Group leads. They will also act as an escalation point on AI risk and assurance and ensure a consistent approach across delivery portfolios.
The role will broadly:
- Set and maintain Defras responsible AI and AI assurance framework, tools and associated standards.
- Lead assurance mechanisms (risk tiering, reviews/clinics, evidence requirements, and decision routes).
- Provide expert leadership on ethical, sustainable and societal considerations in AI adoption and use.
- Ensure AI solutions include appropriate controls for auditability, transparency, evaluation, validation and monitoring.
- Enable delivery through clear, proportionate guardrails rather than creating barriers.
Please note for this role you will require SC Clearance. To gain SC clearance all applicants are required to have been a UK resident for a minimum of 5 years. If this requirement is not met, the individual will not be able to progress their application further.
Person specification
Responsibilities:
- Own Defras responsible AI principles and assurance approach; ensure alignment to cross-government (HMG) AI guidance and digital functional expectations.
- Establish and chair (or deputise chairing of) AI assurance/design clinics and related governance forums, ensuring right expertise is engaged at the right time.
- Define risk rating and assurance requirements for AI initiatives (including evidence standards, evaluation expectations, sign-off routes, and escalation thresholds).
- Advise senior leaders and delivery teams on complex AI risks and mitigations (e.g., bias/fairness risks, performance drift, data protection concerns, human oversight).
- Ensure AI delivery includes technical and procedural controls for logging, auditability, model/prompt change control, and operational monitoring e.g., Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) / Large Language Model Operations (LLMOps).
- Oversee the development of reusable assurance artefacts (templates, checklists, decision records) and embed them into DDTS delivery pathways.
- Represent Defras approach in cross-government and professional forums where appropriate.
Skills:
- Governance and assurance: Ability to design proportionate, risk-based assurance models and frameworks for complex, high-impact systems.
- Data ethics and responsible AI: Ability to define and operationalise ethical frameworks, translating principles into enforceable controls and assurance processes.
- Stakeholder relationship management: Confidently influence senior stakeholders, clearly articulating risk trade-offs and enabling informed decision.
- Data science and AI innovation: Possess applied understating of end-end AI/ML lifecycle, evaluation and monitoring to assure system performance and reliability.
This role aligns primarily with the Digital and Data Profession Lead Data Scientist role, with a specialist focus on AI governance, assurance and responsible AI. The role applies data science, risk and governance expertise at an organisational level to ensure AI systems are safe, ethical and effective.
Demonstrable skills/experience aligned to the Lead Data Scientist (G6) role (technical skills outlined below), within the Government Digital and Data Profession.
- Applied maths, statistics and scientific practices: expert level
- Data engineering: expert level
- Data ethics and privacy: expert level
- Data science innovation: expert level
- Programming and build (data science): expert level
- Developing Data Science Capability: expert level
For further information around the technical skills please see the framework.
Experience:
- Leading governance/assurance in a regulated or high-assurance setting.
- Working across multidisciplinary teams to embed standards without blocking delivery.
- Handling novel, ambiguous risks and advising senior decision-makers.
Selection process
The Civil Service marks each element of the selection process on a merit basis. You can visit the gov.uk website for further information on the Civil Service rating scale.
Ensure you have tailored your CV and Personal Statement to the 'skills and experience' section of the job advert by providing examples on how you are suitable for the role using the STAR method.
Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your personal statement, how you meet these requirements, as the information you provide will form a key part when the panel is scoring your application.
For further information on STAR, you can check out our Hints and Tips document.
Application process
As part of the application process, you will be assessed on your experience. This will be evaluated by looking at your CV and personal statement, so please provide the following and ensure your experience is clearly demonstrated:
A CV
A 750 word Personal Statement: Referring to the 'skills and experience' sections of the job advert, please demonstrate how you are suitable for the role by providing relevant examples.
A 250 statements to show how you have demonstrated each of the technical criteria:
- Programming and build
- Developing Data Science Capability
Sift
Sift will begin shortly after the advert closes.
Should there be a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted using your personal statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment or interview.
Interview
If successful at sift, you will be invited to an interview where you will be assessed on the Behaviours and Technical Skills listed below, as well as Strengths. Further information around the technical assessment will be provided if invited to interview.
Interview dates are to be confirmed. Please note that these may be subject to change.
Interviews will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams.
For further information on Success Profiles, you can visit the links below and watch our videos on DefraJobs.
Behaviours
Experience
Technical Skills
Strengths
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Managing a Quality Service
- Delivering at Pace
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Applied maths, statistics and scientific practices: expert level
- Data engineering: expert level
- Data ethics and privacy: expert level
- Data science innovation: expert level
- Developing Data Science Capability: expert level
- Programming and build (data science): expert level
We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:
- Developing Data Science Capability: expert level
- Programming and build (data science): expert level
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Selection process details
Selection process details:
For further information on the selection process for this role, please refer to the person specification section of the job advert.
Location
As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).
Where the location is National the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defras location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.
Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.
The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.
Reserve list
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Near miss
Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.
Merit Lists
Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to DEFRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
Salary
New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
Reasonable adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the Assistance required section in the Additional requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.
Criminal Record Check
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Higher Security Clearance
All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold SC security clearance. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.
Visa Sponsorship Statement
Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.
Internal Fraud Database Check
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicants details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter .
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)
- 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
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here
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