Grade- SEO

Salary-£47,355- £52,090

This role closes on 19th July 2026 at 23:59

About the Incubator for AI (i.AI)

The Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI) is the UK government’s engine room for building products that shape national outcomes. We will be building tools used daily by thousands of civil servants, directly impacting millions of citizens. We take on the hardest problems in government, backed directly by No10, and solve them with a small, high-performing team. Our work is shaping how government adopts AI in practice; through what we build, who we hire, and the standards we set.

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.

What you’ll do — and why it matters

The Incubator for AI (i.AI) exists to pioneer transformative applications of AI to build a better Britain — backed by the Prime Minister and operating at the digital centre of government. We move at start-up pace, work with exceptional technical talent, and take on problems that matter. The Talent team is at the heart of that mission. Without the right people, none of it is possible.

This is not a typical government recruitment role. You will be hiring world-class researchers, engineers, policy experts and operational leaders into one of the most ambitious and fast-moving technical teams in UK government — often in a highly competitive market where speed, quality and candidate experience can make the difference between landing exceptional talent and losing them to a frontier AI lab or a well-funded start-up. You will need to be sharp, proactive and genuinely passionate about the work we do.

As a Senior Talent Partner you will work shoulder to shoulder with hiring teams across i.AI, acting as a trusted advisor on attraction strategy, assessment design and candidate experience. You will run end-to-end campaigns, often at pace and across competing priorities, and be the person candidates and hiring managers turn to when they need expert guidance and reassurance that the process is in safe hands.

The role carries real responsibility and genuine stretch. If you are looking for a role where you can make a tangible impact on an organisation doing important work — and where your contribution will be visible and valued — this is it.

• Full cycle recruitment and onboarding: You will own roles from first conversation with a hiring manager through to a candidate’s first day — scoping roles, designing assessments, managing the candidate journey and ensuring the experience is exceptional throughout. Candidates who join i.AI should feel it was the best process they have ever been through.
• Expert coordination: Owning multiple live vacancies and supporting several candidates through recruitment and onboarding at the same time. You will need to manage competing demands, coordinate across different stakeholders and keep activity moving smoothly and efficiently.
• Process improvement and escalation: i.AI is always looking for better ways to do things. You will spot opportunities to sharpen processes, improve how we attract and assess talent, and make the service work better for candidates and hiring teams. When things get complex or contentious, you will be a confident point of escalation with the judgement to navigate it.

Person Specification

Who we are looking for

• A proactive, solutions-focused operator: you don’t wait to be told what to do. You spot problems, find practical ways forward and improve how things work, all while navigating ambiguity with sound judgement and a genuine curiosity about how to do things better. In a high-agency environment like i.AI, this is essential.
• Excellent communication skills: you will be engaging and credible with a wide range of people, from researchers and engineers to senior leaders and candidates who have never worked in government before. You adapt your style instinctively, explain things clearly and build confidence in the people you work with.
• Exceptionally organised under pressure: you will be running multiple live campaigns simultaneously, often across very different role types and seniority levels, in a team that moves fast. You keep everything on track, communicate proactively and never let things fall through the cracks, even when the volume is high.
• Sharp prioritisation and composure under pressure: i.AI moves fast and priorities shift. You make good calls in real time, stay calm when things pile up and always know where your time adds most value. You don’t get flustered; you get focused.
• A genuine interest in doing things better: you are curious about what works, honest about what doesn’t, and motivated to improve, not just your own practice but the team’s and the wider service. Ideally you care about AI and what i.AI is trying to achieve, because that makes everything more purposeful.

A team player who makes others better: you build strong relationships quickly, are generous with your time and knowledge, and care about collective success as much as individual delivery. The best Talent Partners at i.AI make the whole team and the people around them better.

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*

• Hybrid working, flexibility for occasional remote work abroad, and stipends for work-from-home equipment.
• Contract: 24 month Fixed Term Contract- please feel free ask about this.
• 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.

Selection Process

Sift: Applications will be assessed on CV and personal statement questions outlined. Candidates should demonstrate their experience against the essential criteria. Should the team receive a significant amount of applications we reserve the right to sift applicants on CV alone.

Stage 1 : Preliminary Conversation- 25- 30 minutes experience based interview

Stage 2 — Structured Interview: Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a structured interview assessing experience and behaviours against the person specification. The interview will include a short exercise or presentation element — details to be confirmed at shortlisting stage.

Stage 3 – SCS Leadership Panel

Reasonable adjustments are available at every stage