Regional AI Product Collaboration Officer

Job summary We are MHCLG Here at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), we work on things that make a real difference to people’s lives. Whether it's through the homes we live in, the work of our local councils, or the communities we’re all part of, our work is at the top of the political agenda. We need someone to join the Local AI team and lead collaboration with Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) to identify, shape and support the adoption of new AI products for local government.

Working alongside the Partnership Funding Lead, Local AI Product Managers and the Mayoral Data Council Secretariat, the role will bring regional needs, users and delivery contexts into the product and funding pipelines. Our regional collaboration work aims to link our Local Authority product work with our work to support “ Rewiring the State ” and English devolution. The postholder will build trusted relationships with MSAs, identify shared high-value challenges, convene user-centred discovery and co-design, and prepare well-evidenced opportunities for product or funding decisions.

This role will shape the demand side of Local AI’s product portfolio and maintain strong partnership with the Mayoral Data Council from early problem definition through discovery, testing, adoption and shared learning. The postholder will translate MSA priorities into clear opportunity briefs, broker access to users and local expertise, and help product teams design solutions that can work across different places.

The role is well-suited to someone who is organised, collaborative and motivated by public impact, and who enjoys working at the intersection of partnerships, product development and emerging technology. Find out more about our Digital teams and what they are working on through our MHCLG Digital blog . Please note that MHCLG do not offer visa sponsorship and applicants will need a valid visa for the duration of your employment.

Job description As a Regional AI Product Collaboration Officer you’ll: Product discovery and co-design Work with the Mayoral Data Council, regional partners and multidisciplinary product teams to define problems clearly, understand user needs and identify where AI could offer a proportionate and valuable response. Map related initiatives, products and data assets to identify opportunities to reuse, connect or scale existing work, sharing relevant market or supplier intelligence with the Partnership Funding Lead and Market Lead rather than leading supplier engagement.

Develop concise opportunity briefs that set out the user problem, regional demand, potential benefits, delivery context, dependencies, risks and evidence required for product prioritisation or consideration by the Partnership Funding Lead. Regional partnership development Undertake research and build networks to understand regional priorities, service challenges, user needs, existing assets and appetite for joint delivery.

Create inclusive routes for MSAs with different levels of capacity and AI maturity to shape products, contribute users and expertise, host testing activity and share learning. Wider programme integration Work closely with the Partnership Funding Lead to maintain a joined-up opportunity pipeline, providing regional evidence and partner insight. Coordinate with the Mayoral Data Council Secretariat, Community Manager and relevant government departments so engagement with MSAs is coherent, roles are clear and regional partners receive consistent communications.

Prepare clear briefings, readouts and recommendations for product and programme governance, reflecting regional perspectives and signposting funding decisions to the Partnership Funding Lead. General team support Provide flexible support across the Local AI team as priorities evolve, contributing to a collaborative and supportive team culture. Person specification As a Regional AI Product Collaboration Officer, you’ll have: An understanding of product development or serv