Founding Head of Public Sector

About This Opportunity

We are representing a confidential frontier AI organization in London that is building autonomous software engineering capabilities for highly regulated environments. Our client works with defence, government, financial services, and critical infrastructure organizations that require secure, on-premises, or air-gapped AI deployment.

This is a rare opportunity to join as the founding commercial leader for public sector engagement. You'll shape how a cutting-edge AI platform enters government, defence-adjacent bodies, and sovereign technology programmes across the UK.

The role requires 4 days in the London office and 1 day working from home.

Responsibilities

You will own the public sector go-to-market motion from relationship-building into repeatable commercial pipeline:

• Lead engagement with central government departments, arm's-length bodies, regulators, public agencies, and national infrastructure organizations
• Build multi-threaded senior relationships across CIO, CTO, CISO, CDIO, digital, data, engineering, commercial, procurement, and security stakeholders
• Develop the organization's understanding of public sector sovereign AI priorities through structured discovery
• Convert reputation and relationship-building into qualified pipeline opportunities including workshops, technical deep-dives, pilots, proof-of-concepts, and commercial proposals
• Work closely with systems integrators and delivery partners to create routes into accounts, framework access, and bid opportunities
• Navigate public sector procurement routes including direct engagement, partner-led opportunities, innovation pathways, and inclusion in SI-led bids
• Build the early GTM playbook for account selection, stakeholder mapping, discovery, qualification, partner engagement, and commercial progression

Success in the first 6 months includes establishing multi-threaded relationships across priority accounts, creating qualified opportunities progressing into discovery or commercial proposals, and building a repeatable public sector GTM approach.

What We're Looking For

Essential experience:

• Proven track record selling or building relationships inside public sector, government, regulated infrastructure, or defence-adjacent markets
• Deep understanding of how public sector organizations buy, including procurement routes, framework dynamics, bid processes, and the role of systems integrators
• Ability to credibly engage senior stakeholders while executing account-by-account follow-up work
• Experience navigating complex enterprise and public sector buying cycles
• Commercial judgement to distinguish between interesting conversations and real pipeline

Skills and attributes:

• Comfortable working with systems integrators and consultancies without losing sight of commercial interests
• Procurement-aware approach that builds trust without relying on excessive events or informal routes
• Strong written communication for account plans, briefing notes, proposals, and decision materials
• Comfortable with ambiguity and sector-building rather than inheriting mature sales processes
• Ability to work in a founder-led environment with high technical standards

How We Work With You

When you apply through Get A Job.ai, our talent team will review your background against the requirements for this confidential role. If there's a strong match, a recruiter will conduct an initial screening conversation to understand your public sector experience, relationship-building approach, and commercial track record.

We'll then prepare your profile for submission to our client. Throughout the process, we'll coordinate interviews, provide feedback, and support your candidacy.

Please apply exclusively through Get A Job.ai. Do not attempt to identify or contact the employer directly, as this will disqualify your application.

Pay

Compensation details will be discussed during the screening process with our recruitment team.

Get A Job.ai is an equal opportunity recruiting firm. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every requirement listed.