Head of AI & Automation

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City:
Cardiff

Address:
Cardiff, Wales, GB, CF3 0LT

Job Requisition Number 9376

Work Type Permanent

Job Function IT

Salary Range Up to 95K based on experience.

Base South East Hub

Closing Date This vacancy will remain open until a suitable number of applications have been received

The Head of Automation and AI provides strategic and functional management for enterprise automation, artificial intelligence and intelligent operational capability across the organisation. The role is responsible for defining and executing the automation and AI strategy, establishing governance and assurance, identifying and prioritising high-value opportunities, and ensuring successful solutions are transitioned into secure, supportable and sustainable business services.

The role guide the Automation and AI function within Digital, Data & AI and is accountable for creating an enterprise approach to AI adoption that balances innovation, value delivery, risk management and regulatory confidence. The postholder works across business and technology teams to ensure automation and AI capabilities deliver measurable operational, customer, workforce and regulatory benefits while aligning with enterprise architecture, security, privacy and data governance requirements.

The role provides management across AI governance, AI incubation, Workplace AI, Operational Response AI (ORAI), enterprise automation services, change adoption and benefits realisation. It also acts as the senior organisational authority for automation and AI strategy, operating model development and capability growth.

• Enterprise automation and AI long term plan.
• Automation and AI roadmap and portfolio management.
• AI governance, assurance and responsible adoption.
• AI incubation and value validation.
• ORAI, Workplace AI and associated enterprise AI capabilities.
• Identification, prioritisation and benefits realisation of automation and AI opportunities.
• Transition of successful automation and AI initiatives into supportable operational services.
• Management of specialist automation and AI teams.
• Supplier, partner and commercial management associated with automation and AI services.

• Define and Execute Enterprise Automation and AI Long Term Plan:
• Develop and maintain an enterprise automation and AI long term plan aligned to business priorities, Digital strategy and the Data & AI Plan, ensuring a clear roadmap for capability development, adoption and value delivery.
• Own the Automation and AI Portfolio:
• Establish and govern a prioritised portfolio of automation and AI initiatives. Evaluate opportunities based on business value, strategic alignment, feasibility, risk and organisational readiness, ensuring resources are directed to the highest-value opportunities.
• Guide AI Incubation and Innovation:
• Create and operate a structured AI Incubator capability that identifies, validates and prioritises new automation and AI opportunities through experimentation, evidence gathering and value assessment before wider investment decisions are made.
• Establish and Maintain AI Governance:
• Guide the development and operation of AI governance, assurance, policy and control frameworks. Ensure automation and AI services are deployed responsibly, ethically and in accordance with organisational requirements relating to security, privacy, compliance and risk management.
• Guide Enterprise AI Platforms and Reusable Capabilities:
• Provide strategic ownership for AI capabilities including ORAI, Workplace AI and related reusable AI services and patterns, ensuring they deliver measurable value and can be scaled safely across the organisation.
• Scale Successful Solutions into Operational Services:
• Ensure successful automation and AI initiatives are transitioned into controlled, supportable and sustainable operational services with clear ownership, support arrangements, performance measures and service-management processes.
• Drive Business Engagement and Organisational Adoption:
• Build strong relationships across operational, customer, corporate and regulatory functions. Promote understanding of automation and AI opportunities, support organisational adoption and ensure solutions are embedded into business processes and ways of working.
• Deliver Measurable Benefits and Value Realisation:
• Establish clear benefit frameworks, baselines and success measures for automation and AI investments. Ensure value is tracked, evidenced and reported, and that lessons learned are incorporated…