AI Transformation Lead

Cognita Schools; United Arab Emirates; Hybrid; AED 250,000 - 380,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognita Schools is seeking an AI Transformation Lead to build its AI function from the ground up, spanning our Dubai and London offices and a global network of schools. You will turn AI strategy into working solutions, lead the internal AI team, and guide trusted partners to measurable outcomes.

You'll establish governance, literacy programs and a champions network, ensuring safe, fair deployment and value across the organisation.

Qualifications

• Experience leading an AI or digital transformation programme at scale with measurable outcomes.
• Proven ability to implement enterprise-scale AI platforms and governance.
• Experience deploying GenAI and agentic automation into live business processes.
• Ability to design AI literacy and enablement programs for a dispersed workforce.

Responsibilities

• Turning AI vision into a prioritised plan and delivering end-to-end.
• Hiring and leading internal AI teams and coordinating partners.
• Managing a single AI demand pipeline across the business.
• Designing and deploying agents, automation and end-to-end workflows.
• Building AI skills, literacy, and a champions network.
• Driving governance, risk, and safe deployment in a schools environment.

Skills

AI strategy

Stakeholder leadership

GenAI & automation

AI platform design

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Data science

Tools

Anthropic

OpenAI

Enterprise AI platforms

Job description

AI Transformation Lead

Dubai or London | Technology Centre of Excellence | Reports to the Group Head of Data Services

About Cognita:

Cognita is a global leader in independent education. Founded in 2004, we are a growing community of 90 schools in 20 countries - in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East - serving more than 100,000 students. Each of our schools are proudly unique, however our collective purpose is to create an environment where everyone can, Thrive in a rapidly evolving world.

About the Role:

Cognita is building its AI function, and you'll be the first hire. You'll take our AI strategy and turn it into working solutions across our global group of schools and central teams, with results we can measure. You'll start with a blank sheet and build the function from the ground up, and your scope and seniority will grow as our AI capability does.

What you'll be doing

• Delivering the strategy. You'll turn our AI vision into a clear, prioritised plan and own its delivery from end to end.
• Building the team. You'll hire and lead our internal AI team and direct trusted delivery partners, setting the standards and ways of working as you go.
• Running one pipeline. You'll act as the single front door for AI demand across the business.
• You'll prioritise use cases and match each one to the right route, from self-service and platform configuration to fully engineered solutions, so effort goes where it adds the most value.
• Shipping real solutions. You'll lead the design, build and deployment of agents, automation and end-to-end workflow orchestration, taking them from prototype to production. You'll work with our Data teams to get the data foundations right.
• Getting people on board. You'll build AI skills and confidence at every level, with a literacy and training programme, a champions network and a library of approved workflows and guidance.
• You'll also lead the change management that makes AI part of how we work every day.
• Choosing the right tools. You'll shape our AI platform and tooling strategy, including build vs buy decisions. You'll run live solutions with proper monitoring and evaluation, and manage vendor licensing and costs so we get value for money.
• Keeping it safe and responsible. You'll run our AI governance framework, including policy, tool and model inventory, acceptable use and guardrails. You'll make sure everything we deploy is safe, fair and right for a schools environment. You'll also track emerging regulation and work with Legal, Compliance, Data Protection and Cyber Security to manage the risks.
• Proving the value. You'll track adoption, ROI and the efficiency, productivity, revenue and cost gains we deliver. You'll use that data to scale what works, retire what doesn't and recommend where to invest next.
• Staying ahead. You'll scan the horizon for new AI capabilities and run targeted pilots to keep us ahead of the market.

Who we're looking for:

You've done this before: you've taken AI from idea to adopted, measurable outcomes, and you're ready to do it again somewhere new. You're confident leading senior stakeholders, hands-on enough to tell a quick configuration from a real engineering job, and comfortable with the fact that nobody has written the playbook yet.

You'll have:

• Experience leading an AI or digital transformation programme at scale, with evidence of measurable adoption and business outcomes
• Deep expertise in applied AI, including generative AI, personal agents, automation and orchestration, and the ability to implement enterprise-scale platforms, architecture and delivery models
• Experience rolling out AI tools and platforms from an early stage, including vendor evaluation and integration into existing enterprise systems
• A track record of deploying GenAI and agentic automation into live business processes, with demonstrable efficiency or productivity gains
• Experience designing and delivering AI literacy, training or enablement programmes across a large or dispersed workforce
• Experience building and developing a small, technical AI team, while coordinating delivery partners and wider stakeholder networks
• Experience building the metrics and reporting that demonstrate AI value to senior stakeholders and inform investment decisions
• Experience negotiating and managing commercial arrangements with AI vendors and partners, including licensing and contract terms
• The ability to build credibility with senior leaders and turn enthusiasm for AI into prioritised outcomes
• A sound understanding of responsible AI, governance and risk, and of how to deploy AI safely, fairly and in line with regulation
• A bachelor's degree in computer science, data science or a related discipline (or equivalent experience)
• Relevant AI tooling training or certification, such as Anthropic or OpenAI (or equivalent experience)

Working arrangements

You'll be based in our Dubai or London office, typically four days a week. You'll work flexibly across time zones to support a global team, and you'll travel internationally to offices and schools when needed.

We are an equal opportunities employer committed to diversity and treating all employees with dignity and respect regardless of background.

Cognita Schools is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to safer recruitment checks, including an enhanced DBS check. Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is available on the school website. Details on Recruitment of Ex-Offenders is included within the Application Guidance.