Group Manager - AI and Biometrics

Group Manager - AI and Biometrics

Fixed term until March 2027

Full time / Part time

Grade: F, plus 10% management allowance

Salary: £55,591 - £62,974, with potential for further progression to £70,907 with our pay progression scheme.

Location: Hybrid

Contracted to our Wilmslow, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast office, however, we offer flexible home and office-based working opportunities. There will be times when you will be expected to attend the office to collaborate with colleagues or travel due to business need. Please note, from Autumn 2026 our head office will move from Wilmslow to Manchester city centre.

Why work for the ICO?

• Pay progression scheme.
• Hybrid and flexible working options.
• 25 days paid holiday per year, plus privilege and public holidays.
• Flexi leave (up to 26 additional days leave per year).
• Pension (employer contribution around 28.9%).
• Online discount scheme to save money at major supermarkets, retailers, gyms, restaurants, insurance providers and many more.
• Health Cash Plan.
• Fantastic development opportunities to learn and progress.

Further details can be found on the benefits section of our website .

Job summary

We are recruiting a Group Manager to lead one of several teams delivering the ICO's AI and Biometrics Strategy. You will manage a team of policy and technical experts, providing strategic leadership, building capability, and ensuring delivery across a dynamic and evolving portfolio.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is the independent regulator of information rights. In a data-driven world, we provide advice, guidance, and support to organisations enabling compliance with their obligations, as well as protecting individuals and their personal data.

As an employer, we are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives and careers of our people, and we empower you to be curious, impactful, collaborative and respectful.

Job description

This is a senior leadership role, requiring you to set vision, develop people, and oversee delivery in a fast-moving and contested policy space. You will represent the ICO externally at senior level, influence key stakeholders, and ensure our regulatory approach to AI and biometrics is robust, forward-looking and trusted.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead multi-disciplinary teams, drawing on expertise from across the ICO, to deliver high-quality policy and regulatory outcomes that meet organisational and national needs.
• Work closely with other Group Managers and the Director for AI and Biometrics to ensure priorities are delivered consistently and with joined-up governance and oversight.
• Provide expert insight on AI and biometrics issues, ensuring the ICO anticipates risks, responds effectively and produces incisive, evidence-based interventions.
• Maintain an up-to-date understanding of relevant legislation, political, social and technological developments affecting AI and biometrics, and ensure these inform the ICO's work.
• Build and sustain strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, representing the ICO in high-profile forums, and influencing senior decision-makers to secure effective outcomes.
• Contribute to the development of ICO strategy, business plans and performance reporting, supporting the Director with governance and accountability.
• Ensure effective risk management within your team, identifying and escalating organisational and operational risks as required.
• Promote innovation and horizon scanning, identifying emerging AI and biometrics issues and ensuring the ICO develops the capabilities to address them.

Person specification

Essential criteria assessed at application stage:

• Substantial experience relevant to the role requirements, as described in the role responsibilities and person specification, and accumulated through any combination of academic or vocational qualifications or experience
• Experience working in an AI / technology governance, consulting, think tank, innovation, regulatory or policy environment.
• Experience of managing people and leading AI engineering and technical teams and / or complex projects to deliver at pace against performance targets, while developing and managing staff performance.
• Experience identifying, communicating and managing organisational and operational risks.
• Experience presenting high-profile, complex projects to a range of stakeholders at C-suite level, through a variety of mean

Essential criteria assessed during interview:

• Excellent intellectual and analytical ability in order to analyse data and be able to apply complex legislation to practical circumstances.
• Strong leadership and strategic thinking skills, able to lead projects and work to achieve organisational goals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills including the ability to leverage data to drive decision making and explain technical matters to a non-technical audience.
• Strong experience of building stakeholder communities to broaden the insights obtained.
• Ability to work under pressure, prioritise and handle large workloads.
• Strong understanding of the wider parliamentary, democratic, political and regulatory framework in the UK and overseas.
• Excellent understanding of the AI technology sector and digital economy, including associated data protection and AI regulation issues.
• Strong research skills demonstrating an ability to identify emerging AI issues and technologies.
• Ability to lead teams through change and upgrade their technical understanding in terms of AI will be an advantage.
• Experience managing AI and biometrics-relevant investigations or deploying digital forensics skills will be an advantage.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

The ICO is committed to promoting and enhancing equality, diversity, and inclusion. We are focused on developing a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and together we are building an inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference. We are championing this through our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Board together with a number of staff networks. Read more about our commitment on our website.

Candidates with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy will be invited to interview as part of the ICO's commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme.

If you are disabled or have an impairment and require an alternative application method, please email the HR team at [email protected] .

Closing Date

Please submit your CV and cover letter detailing your suitability to the role by 23:59, 28 September

We reserve the right to close this vacancy before this date should we receive sufficient applications. Please apply as soon as possible to ensure your application is considered.

In the event of a high volume of applications, we may not be able to invite all candidates who meet the minimum criteria to interview. However, we encourage you stay in touch and apply for future roles that match your interests.

All candidates who meet the minimum criteria and apply in-line with our guaranteed interview scheme for disabled and ethnic minority applicants will be interviewed.