AI Specialist

Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Lead - AI Specialist Final date to receive applications: 12/07/2026 at 23:59 Interviews will take place week commencing 20/07/2026 Location can be any of the following:
Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle or Northstowe. About the role This is a strategic and hands-on role at the heart of how the organisation identifies, shapes and delivers artificial intelligence opportunities. As a Lead AI Specialist, you will apply professional judgement to assess potential use cases, balancing value, feasibility, risk and constraints to define viable solutions. You will work closely with stakeholders across policy, digital, operational and analytical teams to ensure AI initiatives align with organisational priorities, standards and delivery timelines, while translating complex technical concepts and trade-offs into clear, actionable recommendations for both senior and non-technical audiences.

You will play a central role in guiding the design and delivery of AI solutions, coordinating activity across projects to ensure priorities, dependencies and resources are effectively managed. Reporting to and working with the Head of Data Science & AI and the team, you will provide day-to-day direction to multidisciplinary teams, supporting capability development through coaching, quality assurance and knowledge sharing.

You will review and challenge model design, experimentation approaches and outputs, ensuring that solutions are robust, proportionate and aligned with best practice, while also contributing to the evolution of delivery standards, design patterns and governance frameworks. Alongside delivery, you will design and oversee structured experimentation to evaluate performance, suitability and risk, while addressing complex technical and ethical issues as they arise.

Ultimately, you will ensure that AI solutions deliver tangible operational or decision-support value, in line with organisational objectives, and are implemented in a responsible, well-governed and sustainable way. A bit about you You are an experienced AI professional with a strong track record of delivering advanced AI and analytical solutions in real-world organisational settings. You bring deep, practical expertise in applied AI methods, including a clear understanding of model selection, evaluation techniques and the risks associated with deploying AI systems.

You are confident working with modern approaches such as foundational models, understanding both their capabilities and their limitations, as well as the governance and ethical considerations required for their responsible use. With a solid academic background, or equivalent professional experience, in data science, AI, computer science or a related discipline, you combine technical depth with sound professional judgement. You are also a capable technical leader, with experience coordinating and supervising the work of others on complex AI initiatives.

You are comfortable writing and reviewing production-quality code, particularly in Python, ensuring that solutions meet both technical and organisational requirements. You excel at working through ambiguity, applying structured thinking and professional judgement within policy, ethical and assurance frameworks. Alongside your technical delivery, you are skilled at producing high-quality analysis, clear recommendations and robust risk assessments for senior stakeholders, helping to inform decisions and build confidence in AI-driven approaches .

Who are we? Homes England:
The Housing and Regeneration Agency We believe that affordable, quality homes in well-designed places are key to improving peoples lives. As the governments housing and regeneration agency, we create thriving new places and transform urban areas, combining the full breadth of our powers, expertise, land, capital and influence to bring investment to communities and get more homes built. How? We form long-term partnerships that bridge the gap between the public and private sector to meet local needs and aspirations.

We use our influence to champion the creation of sustainable homes, communities and places that are brilliantly designed for the…