AI Programme Director

Software Search; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 84,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Software Search is recruiting an AI Programme Director to lead enterprise AI transformation, GenAI adoption, and large-scale AI delivery across complex client environments.

The role requires building AI roadmaps, governance models and value realisation, while working with executive stakeholders, sponsors, product teams, legal, procurement and technology functions. London or Bristol, hybrid work model.

Qualifications

• Senior-level experience leading AI transformation programmes from use case discovery to delivery and adoption.
• Proven governance, risk, and compliance expertise in enterprise AI environments.
• Strong stakeholder management with C-suite, sponsors, legal, procurement and product teams.
• In-depth knowledge of GenAI, agentic AI, and enterprise AI assistants.
• Experience in regulated or complex enterprise settings.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise AI and GenAI transformation programmes from strategy to production rollout.
• Own delivery governance across AI use cases, operating models, adoption plans, and reporting.
• Collaborate with executive stakeholders, sponsors, SteerCo, product leaders, legal, procurement and technology teams.
• Shape AI roadmaps, business cases, funding gates, rollout playbooks and value realisation plans.
• Oversee AI adoption programmes across large user groups and multi-country environments.
• Ensure responsible AI governance, risk management, compliance, and GDPR alignment.
• Drive delivery of GenAI, agentic AI, Copilot, enterprise search and intelligent automation use cases.
• Lead workforce enablement and operating model transformation for AI adoption.

Skills

AI Transformation

GenAI

Executive Stakeholders

Governance

Delivery Leadership

Job description

AI Programme Director

Salary: Up to £140,000 FTC
Location: London or Bristol
Type: Hybrid

We are supporting a leading technology consultancy that is hiring an experienced AI Programme Director to lead enterprise AI transformation, GenAI adoption, and large-scale AI delivery across complex client environments.

This opportunity is ideal for a senior AI transformation leader with proven experience taking AI programmes from business use case through to delivery, governance, adoption, and measurable value realisation. The role will suit someone who can work closely with executive stakeholders, business sponsors, product teams, legal, procurement, technology, architecture, and change teams.

AI Programme Director Role Overview

As an AI Programme Director, you will be responsible for leading enterprise AI transformation programmes from strategy through to implementation and adoption. You will shape AI roadmaps, define governance models, manage executive steering, support funding gates, and ensure AI initiatives move successfully from proof of concept into production.

The role requires someone with strong experience across GenAI, agentic AI, AI governance, operating model transformation, responsible AI, enterprise adoption, and programme delivery within large, regulated, or complex organisations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise AI and GenAI transformation programmes from strategy through to production rollout.
• Own delivery governance across AI use cases, operating models, adoption plans, and executive reporting.
• Work with senior stakeholders, sponsors, SteerCo members, product leaders, legal, procurement, technology, and change teams.
• Shape AI roadmaps, business cases, funding gates, rollout playbooks, and value realisation plans.
• Lead AI adoption programmes across large user groups, business functions, and multi-country environments.
• Support responsible AI governance, risk management, compliance, bias review, GDPR alignment, and AI approval processes.
• Oversee delivery of GenAI, agentic AI, Copilot, enterprise search, intelligent automation, and AI assistant use cases.
• Drive transformation across operating models, cultural adoption, workforce enablement, and business process improvement.
• Ensure AI programmes are scalable, secure, compliant, measurable, and aligned to business outcomes.
• Manage delivery teams across architecture, data, product, HRIS, technology, governance, and change functions.

Required Skills and Experience for this AI Programme Director Role

• Strong experience as an AI Programme Director, AI Transformation Director, GenAI Programme Lead, Digital Transformation Director, or senior AI delivery leader.
• Proven experience leading AI transformation programmes from use case discovery through to delivery and adoption.
• Strong understanding of GenAI, agentic AI, enterprise AI assistants, intelligent automation, AI governance, and responsible AI.
• Experience working with executive stakeholders, SteerCo groups, sponsors, CPOs, legal teams, procurement teams, product teams, and technology leaders.
• Ability to define AI operating models, governance frameworks, adoption strategies, rollout plans, and value measurement.
• Experience delivering AI programmes in enterprise, consulting, financial services, legal, banking, or highly regulated environments.
• Strong programme leadership across funding gates, stakeholder management, delivery governance, risk, and change.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to operate confidently in client-facing environments.

Desirable Skills

• Experience with Microsoft Copilot enterprise adoption, ServiceNow automation, SAP Joule, OpenAI, Anthropic, or enterprise LLM ecosystems.
• Knowledge of EU AI Act, GDPR, responsible AI, AI risk management, bias review, explainability, and compliance frameworks.
• Experience delivering AI governance boards, AI approval processes, champion networks, enablement programmes, and adoption dashboards.
• Background in consulting, enterprise transformation, operating model design, or cultural change for AI adoption.
• Experience with enterprise knowledge management, AI-powered search, workflow automation, performance analytics, fraud detection, AML, or compliance monitoring use cases.

Why This Role

This is an opportunity to lead major AI transformation work across enterprise clients. You will help organisations move from isolated AI experiments to governed, scalable, production-ready AI programmes with clear adoption, risk controls, and measurable outcomes.

The role offers the chance to work on high-impact AI initiatives across areas such as enterprise AI assistants, AI governance, intelligent automation, knowledge management, adoption analytics, and enterprise-wide GenAI rollout.