Head of Engineering, Applied AI

Work on exciting public sector projects and make a positive difference in people's lives. At Zaizi, we thrive on solving complex challenges through creative thinking and the latest tools and tech.

As Head of Engineering,AI, you'll play a key role in leading the engineering function within the AI Capability team, focusing on establishing technical standards, overseeing recruitment and professional development, aligning technology with organisational needs, and representing the profession at a senior level. Key responsibilities include developing our generative AI and full-stack development, with a deep understanding of cloud technologies, including AWS, Docker, and Git, and expertise in UI/UX development. You will be instrumental in establishing the technical strategy, ensuring the overall quality, scalability, and maintainability of our client solutions, and leading the integration of complex, multi-component systems. This role demands expert technical advice to senior management, influencing key business decisions, and identifying and adopting emerging technologies to create strategic business advantage. Zaizi fosters an inclusive, modern, friendly, and innovative culture, thriving on solving complex challenges through creative thinking and the latest tools and technology

Our work culture is inclusive, modern, friendly, and democratic. We look for bright, positive-thinking individuals with a can-do attitude. Our people enjoy challenging themselves to be the best at what they do – if that sounds like you, you'll fit right in

Role Objectives
These are the expected objectives for this role. We are happy to discuss this further during the interview process with the successful candidate.

• Provide Strategic Engineering Leadership: Define and lead the engineering strategy in alignment with business objectives, government policy, and public sector digital standards. This includes compliance with the GDS Service Standard, Technology Code of Practice, and NCSC Secure by Design principles
• Emerging Technology Monitoring: Establishes and manages the process for identifying, evaluating, and adopting emerging technologies, particularly within the generative AI domain, to create strategic business advantage
• Systems Integration: Takes full responsibility for the overall technical design and integration strategy across complex, multi-component systems (e.g., AWS, Docker, Git). Ensures technical coherence and a smooth transition to operational use
• Lead and Support Inclusive, High-Performing Teams: Build, support, and inspire multidisciplinary engineering teams across a range of projects. Foster an inclusive and collaborative culture that values quality, delivery, innovation, and user-centred outcomes. Promote equity, psychological safety, and continuous improvement for all team members.
• Ensure Technical Excellence and Reliable Delivery: Oversee the design, development, and implementation of secure, scalable, and maintainable digital services. Promote best practices in Agile, DevOps, CI/CD, cloud-native architectures, and secure software development, while ensuring work is understandable, accessible, and inclusive by design.
• Collaborate with Clients and Stakeholders: Serve as a senior technical advisor to a diverse range of stakeholders, including central government departments and public sector organisations. Translate a wide range of user needs into practical and sustainable technical solutions, ensuring delivery meets shared goals.
• Promote Compliance, Accessibility, and Security: Ensure engineering outputs meet legal, regulatory, and ethical standards, including accessibility (e.g. WCAG 2.2), cyber security (e.g. Cyber Essentials Plus), and data protection. Embed accessibility and inclusion as core elements of technical design and delivery.
• Drive Innovation and Set Technical Standards: Lead the development of technical standards, governance, and design patterns that promote sustainable, inclusive engineering. Stay informed on emerging technologies and methods to enhance delivery and resilience in public sector systems.
• Support Ethical Business Growth: Work with delivery and commercial colleagues to shape inclusive, responsible, and technically sound proposals. Contribute to bids and frameworks, and help define clear, fair statements of work.

Promote Knowledge Sharing and Inclusive Capability Building: Promote opportunities for mentoring, peer learning, and cross-team collaboration. Help individuals grow their skills and confidence, and promote knowledge sharing internally and with client teams. Encourage continuous learning across all backgrounds and experience levels.

Requirements

• Proven experience in a senior engineering or leadership role (e.g., Head of Engineering, Principal Engineer, or Engineering Director) within an agile environment. Must have a track record of defining and implementing technical strategies that align with business goals and public sector standards.
• Significant experience identifying, evaluating, and integrating emerging technologies, specifically within the generative AI domain. Must be able to demonstrate a practical understanding of how to leverage these technologies for business advantage.
• Extensive experience with designing and overseeing the integration of complex, multi-component systems. A deep technical understanding of modern cloud-native architectures and CI/CD pipelines is essential.
• Prior experience building, leading, and mentoring high-performing, multidisciplinary engineering teams. A strong focus on fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and psychologically safe team culture is critical.
• Demonstrated experience serving as a senior technical advisor to diverse stakeholders, including central government departments and public sector organizations. The ability to translate user needs into practical, compliant technical solutions is a must.
• Experience working with commercial teams to shape technically sound and responsible proposals for new business. This includes contributing to bids, frameworks, and statements of work.

Nationality
Due to UK government security restrictions, you will need to be a British Citizen and have been resident in the UK for the last ten years to apply for this role.
Benefits
25 days paid holiday, plus bank holidays

Vitality medical insurance

Workplace Pension

Group Life Assurance

Cyclescheme

Other Benefits
Flexible working

Work on exciting projects - make a difference

Empowered to make decisions

Encouraged to fail fast and learn quickly

1-2-1 and team coaching / training available to all our staff