Applications for this role close 19th July 23:59 UK Time

About the Incubator for AI (i.AI)

The Incubator for AI (i.AI) is a fast moving, autonomous technical unit within the UK government. Our mission is to pioneer transformative applications of AI to build a better Britain.

We operate under three core principles:

Talent: We bring together the UK’s best AI talent across a range of functions. You will work alongside exceptional researchers and top government leaders, staying at the cutting edge of technology.

Innovation: We set precedents for what is possible in government. We combine the pace of a start-up with the influence of being at the digital centre of government. You will test new ideas, expand what is possible, and leverage unique government data to create novel solutions.

Impact: We are dedicated to using AI as a tool for public good - this can mean improving outcomes in schools, boosting housebuilding or providing more personalised support for those in need. With the backing of the Prime Minister, you will turn technical breakthroughs into real-world applications that affect millions of citizens.

About the role

We are hiring experienced Product Managers at i.AI to work at the frontier of the industry, building products that solve real-world problems for the public sector. Your job is to take ideas at the edge of what’s possible and turn them into products that reshape how the country works.

We are hiring at mid to lead level and have multiple roles available.

You’ll be working on:

• Product Vision & Discovery:Set direction for your product, spend real time with users, and translate frontier AI capabilities into a clear product hypothesis. Reduce the biggest uncertainties first, not the easiest.
• Evaluation & Performance:Work with engineers to define what “good enough” looks like, build evaluation sets, and weigh adoption metrics and user outcomes alongside model scores.
• Senior Stakeholder Navigation:Build relationships with partner departments and senior leaders. Explain trade-offs honestly to audiences who may be sceptical or unfamiliar with the technology.
• Delivery:Do what’s needed to get the product into users’ hands - across comms, procurement, integration and adoption. You’ll typically work alongside a Delivery Manager and engage hands-on wherever the product needs you.
• Communication & Translation:Speak the languages of the cross-functional team made up of engineers, designers, user researchers, policy leads. Tailor every message to its audience, from a Slack thread to a briefing for senior officials.
• Team Leadership & Collaboration:Influence without positional authority, know when to lead and when to listen, and actively coach colleagues, including more junior PMs.
• Prioritisation, Strategy & Accountability:Own the product’s direction and outcomes. Build strategy through written product documents that generate alignment before a prototype is built.
• Community & Capability Building:Help grow the product practice at i.AI — sharing emerging approaches to AI product development and raising the bar for how the team thinks and works.

Who are we looking for?

You may be a good fit if you have some of the following:

• Proven experience shipping AI or ML-powered products end-to-end from idea and MVP through to iteration and impactful scaled adoption.
• Experience working in zero-to-one or early-stage contexts where the brief was unclear and you had to define it.
• Comfort operating where adoption is shaped by factors beyond the product such as policy, trust, organisational readiness, risk appetite.
• An entrepreneurial mindset and an ability to create clarity from ambiguity.

Experienced Candidates

For candidates applying at Lead level, we expect to see:

• Frontier product experience:Deep, hands-on experience shipping AI or ML-powered products at pace and enough that your judgement on AI product trade-offs gives the team a real advantage.
• AI product ownership:Proven ability to own complex, production-grade AI products from concept through launch and scaled adoption, including evaluation design, failure modes, user trust, and post-launch iteration.
• Strategy & prioritisation:Track record of setting product vision in ambiguous problem spaces and using OKRs (or equivalent) to align teams around the highest-leverage work.
• Cross-functional leadership:Demonstrated ability to lead a cross-functional team without positional authority. Familiarity with agile and the behavioural dynamics that determine whether a team performs.
• Coaching & mentorship:Track record of coaching more junior PMs and cultivating good AI product practice. Ability to design and run effective workshops and use written documents (strategy memos, PRDs) to build shared understanding.
• Problem definition:Exceptional ability to identify high-value opportunities and translate them into clear, technically grounded plans developed in genuine partnership with your tech lead.
• Cross-functional influence:Experience representing the product credibly to ministers, directors, or equivalent senior audiences.
• Risk & ethics:Proven ability to identify, mitigate, and clearly articulate the technical, ethical, and safety risks of deploying frontier AI models in sensitive environments.

We recognise that great talent comes from diverse backgrounds.Even if you don’t meet every quality listed, we encourage you to apply if you have the core skills and a passion for our mission.

What we offer

Career-defining projects with outsized impact

• Backing from the Prime Minister and No10 to scope and build transformative AI projects.
• Unique opportunities to apply technology that could transform the public sector and impact citizens’ lives.
• Talented, supportive and mission-driven colleagues.

Resources & access

• Access to frontier models and ample compute.
• Extensive operational, engineering, strategy, design and delivery support so you can focus on shipping.
• Work with experts across national security, policy, AI research and adjacent sciences.

Growth & empowerment

• A team culture and development support that prioritises personal growth.
• Opportunities to own important products early and develop them in small empowered teams.
• 5 days off for learning and development, annual stipends for learning and development, and funding for conferences and external collaborations.

Life & family*

• Opportunity to work from London, Manchester or Bristol offices.
• Hybrid working, flexibility for occasional remote work abroad, and stipends for work-from-home equipment.
• Generous annual leave — 25 days plus one additional day for each year of service.
• Generous paid parental leave (up to 39 weeks full pay, with the option of additional unpaid time).
• On top of your salary, we contribute 28.97% of your base salary to your pension.
• Discounts and benefits for cycling to work, dental insurance, donations and retail/gyms.

*These benefits apply to direct employees. Benefits may differ for people joining through other employment arrangements such as secondments.

Salary explanation

Salary is paid within the grade range shown below.
As this is a GDAD role, the maximum salary includes a non-pensionable technical allowance, and successful candidates will be appointed somewhere within that range depending on assessment.

Grade 7

• National: £56,850 to £63,240(max includes £6,390 non-pensionable allowance)
• London: £61,620 to £70,834(max includes £9,214 non-pensionable allowance)

Grade 6

• National: £69,675 to £77,824(max includes £8,149 non-pensionable allowance)
• London: £74,605 to £86,262(max includes £11,657 non-pensionable allowance)

Selection Process

Candidates will be required to submit a CV and responses to two application questions. Applications will be sifted against the essential criteria, including relevant experience and motivation for the role. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a preliminary call. Those who progress will then attend an interview, which will include questions on their application, a technical assessment based on facilitating a team planning session across a multidisciplinary team around a product vision or goal, and a behavioural interview. Further details of the technical assessment will be provided in advance. The final stage will also include a 30-minute conversation with a Senior Civil Servant.

Appointment is conditional on successfully completing UK Government SC clearance. Prior clearance is not required — we will sponsor and support you.You should normally have been resident in the UK for 2 of the past 5 years. Employment is conditional on obtaining and maintaining the required clearance(s).

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. As part of the application process, we monitor statistics on D&I.