AI Innovation Manager

AI Innovation Manager - Global Financial Services | 6 Months Contract | Hybrid (Central London)

Our client, a global financial organisation, is urgently seeking an AI Innovation Manager to join a high-impact programme driving enterprise-wide AI and automation adoption. This is a 6-months contract, operating within the Enterprise Innovation Lab — inside the Enterprise LoB AI & Automation programme.

• Lead and manage a pipeline of rapid prototypes, delivering and iterating at pace.
• Operate with high autonomy in a self‑sufficient mini‑team (Manager + Specialist).
• Scout and test frontier AI tools from outside the organisation’s stack.
• Work directly with Commercial and Operations teams to uncover real business problems.
• Translate ambiguous challenges into practical AI/automation solutions with measurable value.
• Ensure pilots deliver clear commercial outcomes and evidence‑based results.

• Build and manage a pipeline of AI/automation opportunities across Enterprise Commercial, Operations, and partner functions.
• Quantify commercial value (revenue, cost, risk, speed) and define success criteria before build begins.
• Pressure‑test ideas with frontline teams to validate feasibility.
• Build hands‑on alongside the Specialist using the existing Global Payments tech stack.
• Run structured pilot tests with real users and report results transparently to leadership.
• Iterate quickly on feedback and close underperforming pilots early with clear rationale.

• Manage relationships with senior Commercial and Operations leaders.
• Engage partner functions early (Credit, Compliance, Marketing, etc.) to avoid governance bottlenecks.
• Present findings, recommendations, and commercial outcomes confidently to stakeholders.

• Own the Lab’s tool & tech radar — track emerging AI/automation platforms worth testing.
• Evaluate new tools side‑by‑side against the incumbent stack (capability, cost, security, integration effort).
• Apply external tools to real use cases and share findings across the organisation.

• Strong understanding of where AI can be applied to commercial business challenges.
• Demonstrated experience building AI-enabled prototypes, agents, or automations.
• Solid awareness of LLM strengths, limitations, and risks.
• Fast learner, curious, and comfortable in ambiguous environments.
• Independent operator able to manage workload with light-touch direction.

Strong commercial acumen — able to size opportunities and defend value cases.

Comfortable working directly with business teams (Commercial, Operations).

Skilled at gathering requirements, demonstrating solutions, and incorporating feedback.

Confident presenting to senior stakeholders.

• Consulting‑style toolkit: structured problem solving, storytelling, crisp executive communication.
• Ability to translate ambiguous challenges into practical AI/automation opportunities.
• Strong analytical skills and sound judgement balancing value, risk, complexity, and speed.
• Experience assessing technology options against business outcomes and implementation effort.
• Transparent, evidence‑based reporting.

• Background in payments, fintech, or financial services.
• Experience in consulting (strategy/digital) or technology environments.
• Exposure to Salesforce, AI agent frameworks, AI coding tools, data platforms, AWS.
• ML fundamentals (features → predictions) and ability to support model‑adjacent pilots. Experience training non‑technical users on new tools