AI Accelerator Lead

AI Accelerator Lead

(full-time) - Salary £79,079.00 - £92,258.00 (dependent on experience) - Hybrid working

Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, delivering world class geospatial data and services that power innovation across government, business, and society. We're on a mission to unlock the full potential of location data and now, we're accelerating that vision through artificial intelligence.

The Opportunity

Lead the establishment of Ordnance Survey's AI Accelerator - a strategic initiative designed to unlock enterprise wide value from AI. This is a unique opportunity to combine technical leadership with programme level influence, driving innovation through rapid prototyping, capability building, and cross functional collaboration.

You'll work as part of a multidisciplinary team exploring advanced AI techniques such as geo foundation models, agentic systems, and LLM orchestration. Your goal: deliver high impact prototypes that evolve into scalable, production ready solutions, embedding AI in real world contexts to reduce adoption friction and build organisational confidence in responsible AI use.

What You'll Do

Programme Leadership: Design and operate the AI Accelerator as a structured, high impact programme that drives experimentation, rapid prototyping, and capability development across OS.

Exploration & Innovation: Investigate emerging AI techniques, identify high value applications, and surface associated risks and opportunities for the business.

Technical Delivery: Own the design and build of prototypes, write production grade code, conduct code reviews, and guide the transition from concept to scalable solution.

Capability Building: Mentor participants, energise the AI Guild, and curate learning resources to strengthen skills and foster a culture of responsible experimentation.

Stakeholder Engagement: Partner with product, data, and technology teams to align initiatives with strategic priorities and ethical standards.

Communicating Impact: Track and communicate outcomes, insights, and recommendations to senior stakeholders, informing roadmap decisions and future investment.

About You

• Proven experience in AI/ML engineering, software development, and technical leadership.
• Strong understanding of modern AI techniques (LLMs, agentic systems, orchestration frameworks).
• Ability to write production grade code and define engineering best practices.
• Skilled in programme design, stakeholder engagement, and the evaluation of impact.
• Passion for responsible AI adoption, including human in the loop workflows and ethical application.
• Familiarity with AI governance frameworks, regulatory compliance, and secure software engineering practices.
• Ability to mentor, inspire, and influence across diverse teams.
• Commitment to continuous learning and staying current with emerging AI technologies and industry best practices.

Why Join OS?

• Be at the forefront of AI innovation in geospatial technology.
• Work on cutting edge projects with real world impact.
• Enjoy a collaborative, inclusive culture with flexible working options.
• Access to professional development, competitive benefits, and a supportive environment.

The Rewards

We want you to love what you do. That is why our benefits package rewards a job well done.

• Salary - £79,079.00 - £92,258.00 (dependent on experience)
• Performance related bonus up to 10%
• A competitive pension scheme (OS contributes up to 12.07%)
• 28 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays on joining (3 taken over Christmas) increasing by one day per year, to a maximum of 5 years
• Enhanced family leave, including up to 12 weeks paid partner (paternity) leave
• Free subscription to OS Maps
• Access to online learning platforms
• Coaching and mentoring schemes
• Plus, a suite of excellent additional perks and benefits

Health, Wellbeing and Other Benefits

• An extra day's leave for each year you work, up to 33 days
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Hybrid working
• Free onsite parking at our modern HQ in Southampton
• We adopt flexible working and can consider different working hours depending on the role and your personal circumstances
• Eyecare vouchers
• OS Explorers nursery discount
• Cycle to Work scheme
• We believe that as a company we should give back wherever we can, so we give you 1 day a year to volunteer for charities that are important to you, as well as offering a match funding scheme

Location

We embrace a hybrid working model at OS, because we believe in flexibility and balance. You'll be based at our fantastic HQ in Southampton, Hampshire, where you'll spend 50% of your working week collaborating face to face with colleagues. It's all about combining the best of both worlds connection and autonomy to help you thrive.

Security

OS conducts pre employment checks for anyone made an offer of employment, including identity, right to work, employment history and criminal record checks (via Disclosure & Barring Services (DBS).

Some of our roles may require additional security vetting. We will advise candidates during the recruitment process if additional vetting may be required for that specific role.

This role requires Security Check (SC) clearance, which must be successfully obtained and in place before the successful candidate can take up the post. Appointment to this role is therefore conditional upon meeting the required security clearance standards.

Closing Date

Sunday 21 June :59

Unfortunately, we are currently unable to offer sponsorship for this role, therefore you must have the right to work in the UK, without the need for employer sponsorship.

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that people may need during the recruitment process, and you will be asked whether you require any during the application process.

Research indicates that women, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ community members, neurodiverse individuals, and people from ethnic minority backgrounds often hesitate to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Ordnance Survey, we are dedicated to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and genuine workplace where everyone can thrive. If you're enthusiastic about this role but your experience doesn't perfectly match every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be the ideal candidate for this or other roles within Ordnance Survey.

Skills required for this role

Agile Principles, AI Governance, AI Integration, AI Systems, Artificial Intelligence Ethics, Cloud Development, Collaboration, Communication, Innovation, Problem Solving, Product Development, Project Delivery, Python (Programming Language), Responsible AI, Secure Software Development Lifecycle, Solution Architecture, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Thinking, Team Leadership, User Research