AI Demand & Discovery Manager

On behalf of the MOD, we are looking for a AI Discovery & Demand Manager (Inside IR35) for a 8 month contract. This is a hybrid working role (one day per week onsite - London). The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is a central government department with a mission to protect our country and provide the ultimate guarantee of its security and independence, as well as helping to protect its values and interests abroad.

The MOD is one of the biggest public procurement organisations in Europe and the single largest customer for UK industry. It currently manages approximately £20 billion of spend on capital investments in equipment and infrastructure every year. Over the next decade the MOD is committed to spending over £190 billion on equipment and support. The MOD's customers include both the armed forces and national security agencies, and it has a diverse range of requirements, including military fighting vehicles, education services, nuclear submarines and facilities management.

The MOD's aim is to provide its armed forces with the best capabilities to enable them to protect the UK's security and advance national interests, both now and in the long term. To do this the MOD has an annual budget of almost £53 billion and a workforce comprising 197,000 people. of which 54,000 are civilians working for the UK MOD.

The work really matters; the MOD offers a range of engaging roles which have a direct impact on the quality of services they provide, in many locations across the UK. We support teams working in HR, Primary Health Care, Corporate Services, and many others. Role

Purpose:

The Discovery Pipeline Manager is responsible for designing, managing, and optimising the Defence AI Discovery Pathway. The role ensures Defence AI demand is systematically captured, triaged, interrogated, and matured into decision-ready problem statements aligned to DAIC priorities and strategic outcomes. Acting as a bridge between engagement, insights, and delivery, the role provides leadership with visibility of the demand pipeline and confidence that resources are directed at the highest-value AI opportunities.

SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role, as a minimum you must be willing & eligible to undergo checks. Please note, due to the exceptional requirements of this position (short-term nature of this role and speed at which we require a postholder in situ) preference may be given to candidates who meet all of the essential criteria and hold active security clearance.

As an AI Discovery & Demand Manager, your main responsibilities will be:
* Maintain a single, transparent pipeline of AI demand across Defence, ensuring all opportunities and requests are captured, tracked, and reported.
* Apply consistent intake, triage, and prioritisation processes in line with DAIC Team Operating Procedures, aligned to agreed prioritisation frameworks.
* Analyse and consolidate demand signals into clear themes and priority areas, reducing duplicate, misdirected, and low-value requests.
* Lead the delivery and continuous improvement of the Discovery Pathway, ensuring clear entry criteria, structured discovery outputs, and effective governance.
* Define and manage the transition of initiatives from discovery into prioritisation, commissioning, and delivery, ensuring clear ownership and decision points.
* Ensure opportunities entering delivery are well-defined, evidence-based, aligned to Defence strategic objectives and warfighter needs, reducing downstream rework and improving delivery outcomes. Essential:
* Experience in pipeline, portfolio, or demand management within complex organisations.
* Proven ability to design and operate structured intake and discovery processes.
* Ability to translate ambiguous or fragmented demand into clear, decision-ready problem statements.
* Experience working across engagement, insight, and delivery functions.
* Strong stakeholder management skills, including engagement with senior leaders.
* Ability to apply prioritisation frameworks and support evidence-based decision-making. Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas. Disability Confident As a member…