Defence Artificial Intelligence Centre – Lead Business Relationship Manager

The MOD's digital teams ensure we remain among the most technologically advanced Armed Forces in the world. We develop and lead in cutting-edge data science, automation, and cybersecurity solutions to protect the UK and its interests, at home and abroad.

At the Defence AI Centre (DAIC), our mission is to advance the power of artificial intelligence to give the MOD a decisive edge. We drive the ambitious, safe, and responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across Defence, to make the difference where it matters most.  Joining the DAIC means becoming part of a world-leading, multi-disciplinary team at the forefront of AI innovation. You’ll be working closely with partners across the MOD, international allies, government agencies, industry leaders, and academic experts to shape the future of UK Defence AI.

Step into the forefront of innovation at the DAIC and become part of a pioneering team that's at the forefront of transforming Defence technology!

Watch to find out more about what we do.

Job description

Defence is an engine for economic growth, technological innovation, and national resilience. This role sits at the heart of that ambition, helping to shape a thriving AI ecosystem that not only strengthens Defence capability but also drives prosperity across the UK’s industrial base.  This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in advancing the UK Ministry of Defence’s strategic ambition to harness AI responsibly and at pace.

As part of a dynamic and forward-thinking team, you will report to the External Partnerships Team Leader and be at the forefront of strengthening the UK’s AI ecosystem working closely alongside the DAIC’s Academic Engagement Lead.

In this influential role, you’ll drive meaningful engagement with industry, academia, and other key external stakeholders, ensuring Defence remains connected to cutting-edge innovation.  You’ll act as a trusted advisor to internal Defence teams, guiding them on how best to collaborate with the external AI community. This includes recommending effective partnership models, identifying high-potential collaborators, and sharing best practices to reduce barriers and accelerate progress.

You’ll serve as a vital connector, matching Defence needs with external capabilities and championing a culture of open innovation.

Responsibilities:

• Plan and deliver interventions that collectively foster a more dynamic and integrated relationship between UK MOD, Industry and Academia for strategic advantage, including:
• Engagement events (i.e. DAIC Connect)
• Game changing pilot projects (i.e. AI Model Arena)
• Ecosystem development activities (i.e. AI Expert Group)
• Contribute to the development of briefing materials, presentations, and digital content that articulate UK MOD’s AI challenges, opportunities, intent, and expectations to external partners.
• Proactively engage with representatives across the AI ecosystem, including start-ups, subject matter experts, large tech firms, and research institutions, helping ensure they are well-informed and incentivised to collaborate with Ministry of Defence and contribute to Defence outcomes.
• Working with the Academic Engagement lead and Commercial AI Category Management team, maintain an awareness of the Ecosystem landscape and use this to provide timely advice to seniors and teams across Defence.

For more information on this role, please refer to the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework:  Business relationship manager - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

Person specification

We’re looking for a self-starting individual with a strong interest in AI and its strategic application in Defence. You’ll be passionate about AI’s transformative potential and committed to supporting its responsible adoption to advance Ministry of Defence objectives.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in fast-paced environments, takes initiative, and builds strong relationships across industry, academia, and Defence.  You should be confident in aligning external capabilities with Defence priorities and driven by a clear sense of purpose to deliver AI at pace and scale.  This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated, collaborative individual passionate about AI’s transformative potential in Defence and committed to its safe, responsible, and impactful adoption.

When submitting your CV, please ensure it highlights your career history and experience relevant to this role. Additionally, refer to the "Things You Need to Know" section of the advert and include a personal statement (maximum 1,250 words) that demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria. Your response should be clearly structured using subheadings that correspond to each of the criteria listed below.

• Motivation: Explain your motivation for applying to work in an organisation that is at the forefront of enabling Defence to harness the potential of Artificial Intelligence.
• Commercial: Explain you’re understanding and experience of commercial sector dynamics, including what motivates business strategies with governments, other companies, and academic partners.
• Analytical: Describe your analytical skills and how you've used evidence to help make decisions, create clear plans, and deliver against them.
• Partnering: Provide evidence of your communication skills, including your ability to build credibility and foster effective, inspiring collaborative partnerships across a range of stakeholders.

Do you want to hear more about this role?  We would love for you to join us, and learn more from members of the team, at our upcoming candidate brief, being held on 15/12/25 @ 5pm.  To confirm your attendance, please email us, using your personal email at ukstratcomdd-hr-talentacqdel@mod.gov.uk with your name and the CSJ reference number.  We will then forward you a Microsoft Team’s invite to be able to join on the day.

The DAIC will also soon be recruiting for a range of other exciting roles across our growing team, so keep an eye on the Civil Service Jobs website for upcoming vacancies. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of something truly impactful, stay tuned

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Strategic Thinking

Benefits

• Flexible working options- we understand the importance of adapting work to your life.
• Inclusion and diversity- our culture celebrates uniqueness and encourages collaboration of diverse thought.
• Generous annual leave- starting with 25 days and growing to 30 after just 5 years.
• Pension contribution: 28.97%
• Minimum of 15 Days Special Leave in a rolling 12-month period to volunteer for military or emergency service reserve commitments.
• Special Paid Leave for volunteering up to 6 days a year.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
• Most sites have good travel links with free car parking; many also have other facilities such as a Sports & Social Club and Gyms
• You can read more here- Civil Service Employee Benefits , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)

Equality and Diversity 

Our people are at the heart of everything we do at Defence Digital. It’s vital that our workforce reflects the diversity of both our audience and the wider society in the UK, so we’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds and communities. We also recognise the importance of a good work life balance, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including part-time and job shares for all our roles. Please let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process if this is something you want to explore.

Professional Framework Statement

Defence Digital operates an organisation model in which every individual belongs to a Government Profession. The successful applicant will be posted into one of the defined Government Professions on Standard Terms of Reference for the grade. Defence Digital reserves the right to move individuals between roles, within their allocated profession, to meet the needs of the business and in support of agile resourcing.  Within Defence Digital each profession is led by a Professional Head of Community who will lead professional development and support the Continuous Professional Development path for their group.

Learning & Development  

In Defence Digital we have a strong learning and development ethos, supporting you to fulfil your potential by providing:

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• Professional and Personal Development of skills
• Access to thousands of training courses through Civil Service Learning, some free or paid by MOD
• Ability to obtain industry recognised qualifications supported by MOD

Hybrid Working

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and working from home as part of a non-contractual hybrid working arrangement. All office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of office attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this and other flexible working arrangements may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

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.

Further information:

• The post does not offer relocation expenses.
• External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.
• Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.
• Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.
• Any move to MOD 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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) generates and operates specialist capabilities, ready to fight across all domains to make the UK secure at home and strong abroad.

Always on, we are across every UK operation, delivering the capabilities you don’t usually see - or those you can’t.

From cyber warriors and medics to intelligence analysts, special forces, educators, and Defence attachés, our collective expertise delivers the warfighting edge Defence needs to deter threats and secure the nation today and prepare for tomorrow.

CSOC unites Defence’s cyber and specialist capabilities under a single, military command alongside the Royal Navy, British Army, and the Royal Air Force - acting as the UK’s fourth Military Command. For more information, please see here.’ - About us - Cyber & Specialist Operations Command - GOV.UK

Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to design the way in which the new Military Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, posts within CSOC are/or may become subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions.

Things you need to know

Selection process details