AI Transformation Lead

Cognita Schools; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognita Schools is seeking a hands-on AI leader to translate our AI strategy into delivered, adopted and measured outcomes. You will own the delivery, lead an AI Adoption Lead and AI Engineers, and manage delivery partners, reporting to the Group Head of Data Services.

You will work closely with our Data teams and Head of Data Services, ensuring strong governance, impact, and value realization across our global schools. This is a London-based role with international travel.

Qualifications

• Live AI delivery track record with measurable value.
• Ability to lead a cross-functional engineering and adoption team.
• Proven capability to influence senior stakeholders and drive change.

Responsibilities

• Own delivery of the AI strategy and ensure adoption, delivery and measurement.
• Lead an AI Adoption Lead and AI Engineers, directing delivery partners.
• Be accountable for outcomes and report to the Group's senior leadership.
• Collaborate closely with the Head of Data Services and Data teams.

Skills

AI leadership

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Technical credibility

Job description

Cognita is a global group of international schools. We have chosen our enterprise AI platform, set our guardrails and started rolling out. We now need one accountable leader to turn the strategy into delivered, adopted and measured results.

This is a hands‑on leadership role, not a project management or advisory one. You will own delivery of the AI strategy, lead an AI Adoption Lead and AI Engineers, direct our delivery partners, and answer for the outcomes to the Group's senior leadership. You will work closely with our Head of Data Services and Data teams.

What this role needs

1. Proof of live delivery:

You have taken AI into live operations and can show the adoption and the value you measured. Pilots, demos and strategy decks do not count. You also know what not to build, and insist on a named owner and a value case before anything starts.

2. Technical credibility:

You understand agentic architecture well enough to explain and defend the choices: orchestration, tool and MCP integration, context and memory, evaluation, guardrails and human-in-the-loop. You do not need to be our deepest engineer. You do need to know why a design was chosen, what the alternatives were, and where it will fail.

3. Leadership of change:

You can bring a non-technical organisation with you, influence senior leaders, and lead a small team of engineering and adoption specialists, whether you have done that formally or by influence.

Is this you?

You are probably a good fit if you are a senior AI engineer or technical lead ready to lead, or an AI Lead, Head of AI or Digital Transformation Lead who has built or directly led generative AI or agentic solutions into live use.

This is probably not the role for you if you come from AI strategy consulting or advisory, vendor-side solutions or pre-sales, delivery or programme management without hands‑on understanding of how the solutions work, data science without people leadership, AI policy or ethics specialism, or AI training and evangelism. These are valuable skills, but not what this role needs.

Reporting to the Group Head of Data Services. Based in the London office typically three days a week, with some international travel to schools and offices.

Sunday 15th November

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.

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

Early applications are encouraged, we reserve the right to interview and appoint prior to closing date for the right applicant.

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