The RoleThe UK is making a wholesale shift to AI: government, from the AI Opportunities Action Plan through to the tools the Incubator for AI is putting in front of civil servants, and enterprises racing to put AI to work. Scale wants to play a foundational role in building the reliable AI applications both will run on. Our work spans building custom AI applications that reach millions of users, generating high-quality training data for custom LLMs, and providing upskilling and AI advisory services. We're building our UK business from a standing start, and we need someone with a lot of energy to help it move.
As a Strategist, you'll help grow Scale's UK business, partnering with technical stakeholders to identify and win opportunities across public sector (central government and defence & security) and enterprise. Public sector is the main focus, but we're a small UK team and you'll flex onto enterprise opportunities where they matter. The role is UK-focussed to start, with scope to extend into Europe and the Middle East as the team grows.
You'll sit at the centre of our go-to-market effort, combining business development groundwork with the bids and tender work that turns an opportunity into a contract. You'll work in a dynamic and often unstructured environment, and you'll learn how big AI programmes get sold and delivered into government and large organisations, working right next to the people doing it. This is a technical, commercially minded role. It's a good fit if you're curious about AI and data, can explain technical ideas in simple, precise language, and want real responsibility early.
What you'll doWork with the UK Public Sector Lead, UK leadership, government relations and the wider team on go-to-market strategy across central government, defence & security, and enterpriseResearch target departments and enterprise accounts, map who matters, and build target lists, outreach and pipelineBreak into UK enterprise: pick the sectors and accounts worth going after, get in front of commercial buyers, and run deals that sit outside public procurementBuild relationships and partnerships that open routes to new opportunities, from government and ecosystem partners to delivery and channel partnersHelp customers across government and enterprise find impactful AI use cases and shape their vision for AIRun framework applications and tenders end to end (PQQs, RFIs, RFPs), and get to know UK public sector procurement properly (G-Cloud, the Digital Marketplace, the main CCS frameworks)Develop pitches, proposals and executive-level documents backed by clear business cases, and adapt how we pitch and contract for enterprise, where buyers and cycles look very different from governmentSit in on customer meetings, answer questions as they come up, and turn them into clear next steps that move an opportunity towards a signed dealTake on whatever the market needs. Roles are loose when a team is this small.
What we're looking forAt least 5 years in business development, bids, consulting, strategy or advisory, ideally with some 0-to-1 or market-entry exposure.
Public sector experience is a plus, not a must. A real interest in AI and data, and the ability to explain technical concepts clearly to non-technical audiencesSomeone who knows how to use AI tooling well to move faster and work more efficiently across research, analysis and drafting, without compromising on qualitySeriously organised, good with detail, and able to keep several things moving at onceExcellent writing, especially to a deadline, including executive-level materialsGood commercial instincts: you can uncover a customer's challenge and help build the case for how AI addresses itThe ability to earn trust and build strong working relationships with colleagues and stakeholdersPlenty of energy, comfort with ambiguity and pace, and no job feels beneath youYou care about what AI could do for government, public services and industryNice to haveUK public sector procurement, frameworks or tendersExperience selling or supporting AI products or servicesComfortable with CRM and performance reporting toolsA technical or analytical backgroundWhy joinYou'd be in at the very start of Scale's UK business, as a founding member of the team.
You'll learn how frontier AI is sold and delivered into government and enterprise, work directly with senior people, and get real responsibility fast. It's a strong base for a career in strategy, commercial, product or delivery. PLEASE NOTE: Our policy requires a 90-day waiting period before reconsidering candidates for the same role. This allows us to ensure a fair and thorough evaluation of all applicants.
About Us:
At Scale, our mission is to develop reliable AI systems for the world's most important decisions. Our products provide the high-quality data and full-stack technologies that power the world's leading models, and help enterprises and governments build, deploy, and oversee AI applications that deliver real impact. We work closely with industry leaders like Meta, Ernst& Young, Mayo Clinic, Time Inc., the Government of Qatar, and U.S. government agencies including the Army and Air Force. We are expanding our team to accelerate the development of AI applications.
We believe that everyone should be able to bring their whole selves to work, which is why we are proud to be an inclusive and equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, gender identity or Veteran status. We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation in the application or recruiting process due to a disability, please contact us at accommodations@scale.com. Please see the United States Department of Labor's Know Your Rights poster for additional information.
We comply with the United States Department of Labor's Pay Transparency provision. PLEASE NOTE: We collect, retain and use personal data for our professional business purposes, including notifying you of job opportunities that may be of interest and sharing with our affiliates. We limit the personal data we collect to that which we believe is appropriate and necessary to manage applicants' needs, provide our services, and comply with applicable laws. Any information we collect in connection with your application will be treated in accordance with our internal policies and programs designed to protect personal data. Please see our privacy policy for additional information.
Strategist, Bids & Business Development in London employer: Scale AI
At Scale, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration among software and ML engineers. Our London-based team is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of AI technology while providing ample opportunities for professional growth and development, ensuring that every employee can contribute meaningfully to impactful projects. With a commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity, we create an environment where everyone can thrive and bring their whole selves to work.
