Police AI- Responsible AI Lead

Job summary

This post is open to applicants who can meet the College’s nationality, UK residency and vetting requirements.

Remote working (anywhere in the UK). Please note, some travel may be required.

PoliceAI is a nationally significant technology and transformation programme in UK policing. Backed by central government investment and positioned at the heart of the police reform agenda, PoliceAI is the new National Centre for AI in Policing, helping to shape how policing uses data, technology and artificial intelligence to tackle crime, protect the public and modernise frontline operations.

We bring together operational policing, technical expertise, product delivery, assurance and the responsible use of AI to develop and scale capabilities that improve public safety outcomes. Our work helps forces respond more effectively to demand, strengthen investigations, identify risk and harm earlier, and free up frontline time for the activities that matter most to communities.

This is an opportunity to contribute to a programme with national reach and meaningful public service impact, helping to define how AI is developed, governed and adopted across one of the UK’s most important public services. The work is varied and complex, moves at pace, and has the potential to deliver better tools for policing, better outcomes for the public, and stronger foundations for the responsible use of AI.

PoliceAI is hosted within the College of Policing.

Our mission is: Leadership, Standards, Performance. This guides our work with individuals, forces, and policing partners towards our vision. We exist to support police officers, police staff and volunteers to deliver the best service to the public. Only through high quality leadership, consistent standards and continual performance improvement can everyone in policing reach their full potential. Our mission guides our work with individual, forces and partners towards our vision.

Additional Information:

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

Due to our status as Public Servants, we are not eligible to participate in the Civil Service transfer process. Therefore, while successful candidates can transfer in on their existing terms and conditions, any subsequent transfer out of the College to the Civil Service cannot be guaranteed on existing terms and conditions, and new starter/modernised terms may apply.

The College embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we comply with the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and apply the minimum selection criteria at sift stage of the recruitment process.

Job description

We are looking for people who are motivated by public service, interested in responsible innovation, and comfortable working collaboratively across organisational, operational and technical boundaries. Joining PoliceAI means contributing to a supportive, multidisciplinary team that is helping to shape the future of policing and ensure AI is used in ways that are effective, responsible, operationally useful and worthy of public trust.

The Responsible AI Lead will shape and oversee our approach to ensuring AI is designed, governed and adopted in a way that is ethical, lawful, transparent and trusted. The role will provide strategic leadership on Responsible AI, including the development of standards, assurance approaches, guidance and transparency mechanisms such as the AI Registry, drawing on established national frameworks and good practice where these already exist. These approaches will support and enable police forces to adopt AI safely, confidently and responsibly.

We are looking for someone with strong judgement, credibility and confidence working at the intersection of technology, ethics, governance and public accountability. This role would suit a strategic and collaborative leader who can navigate ambiguity, influence senior stakeholders, and turn complex issues into practical approaches that support responsible innovation across policing.

Person specification

Some of your responsibilities will include:

• Supporting and enabling police forces to adopt AI safely and confidently by providing practical guidance, guardrails, advice and tools that balance innovation with risk, accountability and public trust.
• Leading the development, adaptation and implementation of Responsible AI standards and checklist, frameworks and assurance approaches, building on existing national, regional and policing sector tools and making them usable in practice.
• Leading national transparency and engagement activity, including the strategic development of the national AI Registry (a record of AI tools in use across policing) and its supporting transparency and disclosure policy, working with senior stakeholders, external experts and oversight bodies.
• Provide ongoing Responsible AI assurance and strategic advice to PoliceAI leadership, and represent the organisation at local, regional and national forums.

To be successful in this role you’ll need:

• Strong understanding of Responsible AI principles and the legal, ethical, regulatory and public accountability considerations relevant to the use of AI in high-risk or publicly accountable environments.
• Significant experience of developing and embedding governance, assurance, policy, standards or risk frameworks that enable responsible innovation while maintaining trust, compliance and accountability.
• Excellent strategic leadership, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to work credibly with senior stakeholders and translate complex ethical, legal and technical issues into clear, practical guidance and decisions.

Please see the attached job description which contains full details of the role.

Technical skills

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

• Please answer the technical question below

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £59,440, College of Policing contributes £17,219 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

College staff have Public Servant status. As a Public Servant, you are eligible to join the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

The College is a great place to work. We're passionate about our people and offer a wide range of benefits, including (but not limited to):

• Defined benefit pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Up to 31.5 days holiday (this is in addition to 8 public holidays and 1 privilege day)
• Continued professional development and structured career paths
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Flexi-time (for certain grades)
• Benenden Healthcare
• National Dental Plan
• Discounts for on-line shopping
• Free employee support line
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Rewards and recognition scheme
• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.

We also have a number of thriving staff networks that provide the opportunity for advice, support and to drive change. A place to get your voice heard, share experiences and challenge our working practices to ensure equality of opportunity for all.

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