AI Models Manager

Vodafone Group Plc; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Vodafone Group Plc in the United Kingdom seeks an experienced AI Models Lead to anchor the scientific and deep-tech work for the AI Tower. You will guide model engineering, data science, vendor strategy and AI innovation across a multinational team to enable scalable, production-ready AI solutions.

The role demands leadership of distributed teams, governance of model lifecycles, and collaboration with product and platform teams to deliver measurable business outcomes.

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Mathematics, Physics or related discipline.
• Deep expertise in Data Science, ML and Deep Learning, including Transformer architectures.
• Expert proficiency in Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow and the Hugging Face ecosystem.
• Experience with Vertex AI Model Garden and custom model training pipelines.
• Strong understanding of model fine-tuning techniques such as PEFT and LoRA.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex business challenges into data science and machine learning solutions.
• Experience leading highly skilled technical teams within agile and matrix-based organisations.
• Proven track record of delivering AI and machine learning initiatives across global and distributed teams.
• Experience building collaborative relationships with technology partners and vendors.
• Knowledge of model monitoring, governance, validation and performance optimisation practices.
• Published research or a proven record of delivering complex machine learning systems would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy for model selection, fine-tuning and training using approaches such as PEFT and LoRA on proprietary telecommunications data.
• Deliver high-complexity proof of concepts and pilot programmes for emerging AI use cases and support successful transition into production environments.
• Provide leadership and subject matter expertise across data science, statistical modelling, machine learning and AI algorithms.
• Define and oversee model governance frameworks, including model drift monitoring, hallucination measurement, performance evaluation and accuracy tracking.
• Evaluate and recommend the optimal mix of proprietary, open-source and vendor-based AI models, including solutions from Microsoft, Google, OpenAI and Mistral.
• Collaborate with platform engineering teams to ensure models are deployable, scalable and operationally effective.
• Lead distributed teams of machine learning engineers, data scientists and researchers across a complex multinational environment.
• Manage model training compute budgets, including GPU utilisation and research and development investments.
• Drive continuous innovation by evaluating emerging developments in AI, model optimisation, quantisation and related technologies.
• Deliver measurable outcomes including pilot-to-production conversion, model performance improvements, faster delivery cycles and accelerated time to market.

Skills

Data science

Machine learning

Deep learning

Transformer architectures

Python

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Hugging Face

PEFT

LoRA

Leadership

Agile

Model governance

Education

Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Mathematics, Physics or related

Tools

Vertex AI Model Garden

Custom training pipelines

Job description

Who we are

VOIS (Vodafone Intelligent Solutions) is a strategic arm of Vodafone Group Plc, creating value for customers by delivering intelligent solutions through Talent, Technology & Transformation. As the largest shared services organisation in the global telco industry with 30,000 FTE, our portfolio of next-generation solutions and services are designed in partnership with customers across Vodafone Group, local markets, and partner markets to simplify and drive growth. With our strategic partner Accenture, we work alongside our Vodafone customers, other Telco and tech companies to drive transformation, meet the challenges of our industry and ensure we stay relevant and resilient. This partnership is a unique, industry-first model which brings together the best of in-house and 3rd party capability. We work with customers across 28 countries from 10 VOIS locations: Albania, Egypt, Hungary, India, Romania, Spain, Turkey, UK, Germany, Ireland, and with a network of teams in Czech Republic, Italy, Greece, and Portugal.

About this Role

We are seeking an experienced AI Models Lead to serve as the scientific and deep technology anchor of the AI Tower. This role is responsible for developing, fine-tuning, training, validating and governing advanced AI and machine learning models, including Large Language Models (LLMs), Small Language Models (SLMs) and predictive models. The successful candidate will lead high-value experimentation and pilot delivery, providing deep technical leadership across model engineering, data science, vendor strategy and AI innovation while working closely with product and platform teams to enable scalable solutions.

• Lead the strategy for model selection, fine-tuning and training using approaches such as PEFT and LoRA on proprietary telecommunications data.
• Deliver high-complexity proof of concepts and pilot programmes for emerging AI use cases and support successful transition into production environments.
• Provide leadership and subject matter expertise across data science, statistical modelling, machine learning and AI algorithms.
• Define and oversee model governance frameworks, including model drift monitoring, hallucination measurement, performance evaluation and accuracy tracking.
• Evaluate and recommend the optimal mix of proprietary, open-source and vendor-based AI models, including solutions from Microsoft, Google, OpenAI and Mistral.
• Collaborate with platform engineering teams to ensure models are deployable, scalable and operationally effective.
• Lead distributed teams of machine learning engineers, data scientists and researchers across a complex multinational environment.
• Manage model training compute budgets, including GPU utilisation and research and development investments.
• Drive continuous innovation by evaluating emerging developments in AI, model optimisation, quantisation and related technologies.
• Deliver measurable outcomes including pilot-to-production conversion, model performance improvements, faster delivery cycles and accelerated time to market.

Who you are

• Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Mathematics, Physics or a related discipline.
• Deep expertise in Data Science, Machine Learning and Deep Learning, including Transformer architectures.
• Expert proficiency in Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow and the Hugging Face ecosystem.
• Experience with Vertex AI Model Garden and custom model training pipelines.
• Strong understanding of model fine-tuning techniques such as PEFT and LoRA.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex business challenges into data science and machine learning solutions.
• Experience leading highly skilled technical teams within agile and matrix-based organisations.
• Proven track record of delivering AI and machine learning initiatives across global and distributed teams.
• Experience building collaborative relationships with technology partners and vendors.
• Knowledge of model monitoring, governance, validation and performance optimisation practices.
• Published research or a proven record of delivering complex machine learning systems would be advantageous.

Not a perfect fit?

Concerned you may not meet every requirement? Vodafone is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. If you are excited about this role but your experience does not align exactly with every aspect of the job description, you are encouraged to apply. You may be the right candidate for this or another opportunity, and the recruitment team will support you in exploring where your skills fit best.

What's in it for you

• Opportunity to shape AI model strategy and innovation within a global telecommunications environment.
• Exposure to advanced AI technologies, large-scale datasets and cutting-edge machine learning research.
• Ability to influence enterprise AI product development from experimentation through to production.
• Collaboration with global technology teams, product organisations and strategic industry partners.
• Leadership responsibility across specialised teams of machine learning engineers, researchers and data scientists.
• Opportunity to drive meaningful business impact through pioneering AI solutions.

What skills you will learn

• Advanced AI model lifecycle management and governance.
• Vendor and multi-model strategy across open-source and commercial AI ecosystems.
• Large-scale AI solution delivery within an enterprise environment.
• AI platform integration and production readiness practices.
• Strategic management of AI infrastructure, compute resources and research investments.
• Cross-functional leadership across product, engineering and data science domains.

VOIS Equal Opportunity Employer Commitment

Vodafone recognises and celebrates the value of diversity in building a workforce that reflects the customers and communities it serves. No form of discrimination is tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, discrimination based on race, colour, age, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, ethnicity, disability, religion or belief, political affiliation, trade union membership, nationality, citizenship, indigenous status, medical condition, HIV status, neurodiversity, social origin, cultural background, marital or civil partnership status, or socio-economic background.

Join Us

At Vodafone, we’re working hard to build a better future. A more connected, inclusive and sustainable world. As a dynamic global community, it's our human spirit, together with technology, that empowers us to achieve this. We challenge and innovate in order to connect people, businesses, and communities across the world. Delighting our customers and earning their loyalty drive us, and we experiment, learn fast and get it done, together. With us, you can truly be yourself and belong, share inspiration, embrace new opportunities, thrive, and make a real difference.