AI & Intelligent Automation Technical Lead

Details
Reference number

441916

Salary

£61,250 - £76,671

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Grade 7

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

Digital Data and Technology (DDAT), Engineering Department

Type of role

Digital

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Westminster, London

About the job
Job summary

The Digital, Data and Technology (DDAT) directorate has recently been established in UKEF, drawing together the expertise in digital currently within the organisation to provide representation of digital services, user centred design, analytics and technology at the highest levels. The areas with the directorate work closely with all areas of the business such as the Business Group, Operations and Strategy and Policy.

UKEF is committed to improving as a customer focussed and led organisation, making it easier for customers to deal with us, offering improved response times, quicker decision-making and improved case-processing. To enable this, UKEF is committed to using digital as a primary means for managing relationships with a wider range of stakeholders. Focusing on developing end-to-end services that meet user need and enable business outcomes, this is an exciting new role showing the growth and drive of UKEFs digital ambition.

The AI & Intelligent Automation Technical Lead will work closely with the AI Product Lead and be supported by a multidisciplinary team including user-centred design (UCD), technology, and delivery professionals to ensure cohesive and impactful AI solutions.

The AI & Intelligent Automation Technical Lead will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering UKEF's approach to artificial intelligence, ensuring that AI capabilities are embedded into the organisation's digital transformation journey. This role will lead the identification, design, and implementation of AI solutions that support strategic objectives, improve operational efficiency, and enhance user experience.

This is a leadership role requiring a blend of strategic thinking, technical expertise, and stakeholder engagement. The AI & Intelligent Automation Technical Lead will be expected to work with a range of technologies and methodologies, adapting to evolving needs and ensuring that UKEF remains at the forefront of responsible AI adoption.

Job description

In this role, you will:

Technical Leadership

• Lead the end-to-end technical design, development, and implementation of AI solutions, including intelligent agents for automation and augmentation.
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to engineers and analysts working on AI and automation initiatives.
• Document AI architectures, models, and agent behaviours to ensure transparency, governance, and continuous improvement.

Solution Design & Delivery

• Identify opportunities to apply AI agents (task-based, conversational, autonomous) to optimise business processes and improve user experiences.
• Evaluate and implement agent orchestration frameworks and multi-agent systems for complex workflows and adaptive services.
• Integrate AI capabilities with enterprise platforms and services, including low-code environments, APIs, and data pipelines.

Technology Evaluation

• Assess and select appropriate AI models, platforms, and tools (e.g., Azure Foundry, OpenAI, Copilot Studio).
• Stay current with emerging AI technologies, particularly developments in agent-based systems, and evaluate their applicability to UKEF.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Work closely with stakeholders to translate business needs into AI-enabled solutions, incorporating agent-based architectures where appropriate.
• Support the training and upskilling of UKEF staff in AI literacy, responsible use of intelligent systems, and adoption of AI-enabled tools.

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure all AI solutions are ethical, secure, and aligned with UKEF's strategic objectives and regulatory obligations.

This list is not exhaustive, and you may be required to carry out additional duties according to business needs.

Person specification
Essential
Qualifications

• Graduate-level education or equivalent experience in AI, Data Science, or Software Engineering. (A)
• Evidence of continuing professional development.(A)

Knowledge

• AI and Machine Learning (A, I)
• Core principles of supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning.
• Model lifecycle management: training, deployment, monitoring.

• Ethical and responsible AI practices, including bias mitigation and explainability.

• AI Agents and Agent-Based Systems (A, I)

• Understanding of task-based, conversational, and autonomous agents.
• Agent orchestration and coordination in multi-agent systems.

Use of agents to support decision-making, automation, and user interaction.

• Data and Integration (A, I)
• Data governance and secure handling of structured and unstructured data.

• Integration of AI solutions with enterprise systems and APIs.

• Cloud and Platform Awareness (A, I)

• Familiarity with cloud-native AI deployment models.

• Awareness of platform selection criteria for scalable AI workloads.

• Low-Code and Automation (A, I)

• Understanding of how low-code tools can support AI adoption.

• Awareness of hybrid approaches combining low-code and custom AI.

• Security and Compliance (A, I)

• Knowledge of information security principles in AI contexts.

• Understanding of data protection regulations (e.g. GDPR).

• Source control of software. (A,I)

Skills/Ability

• Systems Design
• Design AI systems and agent-based architectures that are scalable, secure, and aligned with business needs.
• Select and apply appropriate design standards, methods, and tools.
• Review and guide the designs of others to ensure integration and efficiency.

(Skill level: practitioner) (A, I)

• Information Security
• Embed security controls in AI and agent-based solutions.
• Design with threat mitigation and data protection as core features.
• (Skill level: practitioner) (A, I)Agent Design and Orchestration
• Define agent roles, goals, and interaction protocols.
• Apply orchestration strategies for multi-agent coordination and task execution.
• Understand agent lifecycle, memory, and planning capabilities.

(Skill level: working) (A, I)

• Modern Standards Approach
• Apply appropriate standards and practices for AI development and deployment.
• Promote maintainability, reusability, and compliance in solution design.

(Skill level: practitioner) (A, I)

• Communication and Stakeholder Engagement
• Translate complex AI and agent concepts into clear, actionable insights for non-technical audiences.
• Facilitate solution walkthroughs, demos, and technical discussions.

(Skill level: practitioner) (A, I)

• Leadership and Mentoring
• Guide junior engineers and analysts in AI and automation practices.
• Promote continuous learning and capability building across teams.

(Skill level: working) (A, I)

Experience

• AI Solution Delivery (A, I)
• Proven experience leading the design, development, and deployment of AI solutions in complex environments.

• Demonstrated ability to translate business problems into AI-enabled solutions, including the use of intelligent agents for automation, decision support, or user interaction.

• Agent-Based Systems (A, I)

• Hands-on experience implementing task-based, conversational, or autonomous agents in real-world applications.

• Experience integrating agents into enterprise workflows or digital services, including orchestration and coordination across systems.

• Platform and Tooling Proficiency (A, I)

• Experience using modern AI platforms and tools, such as:
• Azure AI Services and Azure Foundry for scalable model deployment and orchestration.
• OpenAI APIs (e.g. GPT-5, function calling, embeddings) for generative and conversational AI.
• Copilot Studio or similar low-code AI tools for rapid prototyping and integration with business workflows.

• Familiarity with other models and frameworks such as Claude, Gemini, or LLaMA.

• Enterprise Integration (A, I)

• Experience integrating AI models and agents with enterprise platforms (e.g. Dynamics 365, SharePoint, CRM systems) and APIs.

• Ability to deliver hybrid solutions that combine low-code tools with custom AI components.

• Technical Leadership (A, I)

• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams in the delivery of AI or intelligent automation projects.

• Ability to mentor and guide engineers, analysts, or data scientists in AI practices and tooling.

• Enterprise Integration (A, I)

• Experience integrating AI models or agents with enterprise platforms (e.g. CRM, ERP, case management systems) and APIs.

• Familiarity with hybrid solutions combining low-code tools and custom AI components.

• Ethical and Responsible AI (A, I)

• Experience applying ethical frameworks, data governance, and risk mitigation strategies in the development and deployment of AI systems.

• Stakeholder Engagement (A, I)

• Proven ability to engage with senior stakeholders, product owners, and delivery teams to co-design AI solutions that align with strategic goals.
• Experience communicating complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.

Qualifications

o Graduate-level education or equivalent demonstrable experience in AI, Data Science, or Software Engineering. (A)

o Evidence of continuing professional development. (A)

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• Technical Questions
• Presentation - a topic agreed by UKEF will be sent to the relevant candidates to be prepared in advance. The topic will align with the essential criteria outlined in the job description and person specification.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,250, UK Export Finance contributes £17,744 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 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

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

The application must be completed by 23.55 on the day of the closing date for it to be accepted.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

All applications will be sifted against our essential criteria outlined in the personal specification.

• Qualifications
• Graduate-level education or equivalent demonstrable experience in AI, Data Science, or Software Engineering. (A)
• Evidence of continuing professional development.(A)
• Statement of suitability - you should fully articulate in 1000 words how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification within the Information Pack.
• Two Technical Questions - See Below

For the initial sift your application will be evaluated against:

• Experience - CV / Application and/or Statement of Suitability
• Technical - a 500 word maximum statement for each of the two technical questions:

Technical Question 1

Describe a project where you led the design and delivery of an AI or intelligent automation solution. What was your approach to identifying the business need, selecting the appropriate technologies (e.g., agent-based systems, AI platforms), and ensuring successful integration with existing enterprise systems?

Technical Question 2

UKEF is committed to the ethical and responsible adoption of AI. Explain how you would ensure that AI solutions - particularly those involving intelligent agents - are developed and deployed in a way that is ethical, secure, and compliant with relevant regulations.

In the event of a high volume of applications, an initial sift will be carried out on the technical questions.

If you are successful following the sift stage, you will be invited to an initial technical interview; this will include the following assessment:

• Technical Questions - you will be assessed across your technical expertise and acumen, in relation to the essential criteria.

If you are successful following the initial technical interview stage, you will be invited to a panel interview; this will include the following assessment:

• Behaviours/ Experience- a formal panel interview where you will be interviewed across all three behaviours highlighted in Appendix 1.
• Technical - you will be assessed across your technical expertise and acumen, in relation to the essential criteria
• Presentation - a topic agreed by UKEF will be sent to the relevant candidates to be prepared in advance. The topic will align with the essential criteria outlined in the job description and person specification.

Candidates may be invited to a second interview, this will focus on assessing the technical acumen in further detail, full details will be provided to the relevant candidates.

Details of interview panel members will be e-mailed to all successful candidates who are invited for interview.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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 .

See our vetting charter .

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)
• 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

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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 .

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 the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans 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 : UKEF Resourcing Team
• Email :

Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information

Should you have a complaint or wish to raise any concerns regarding the recruitment process, please e-mail your complaint to the Head of Pay and Resourcing (UKEF) at and include "Complaint" in the subject heading. Should you remain dissatisfied following UKEF's investigation then you can refer your complaint to the Commission -

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