AI Value Office Director

National Grid; Warwick; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Annual performance incentive up to 30%

Job summary

National Grid is seeking an AI Value Office Director to lead the UK and US teams from its Warwick base, guiding the AI Value Office in prioritising opportunities and realising value across the organisation. You will partner with Connect AI, Data Science and Engineering to frame problems and drive decision-making.

The role reports to the Head of AI Value Office and requires strong leadership, governance, and commercial acumen to deliver measurable outcomes in a hybrid working setup from Warwick,

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in AI, digital transformation, management consulting, technology-enabled change, portfolio management or a comparable advisory environment.
• Proven experience leading geographically dispersed, cross-functional teams and managing consultant resources.
• Strong track record of framing complex business problems and translating them into structured opportunities, options and decisions.
• Demonstrable experience developing business cases, investment recommendations, value frameworks and benefits-realisation plans.
• Experience managing portfolios through intake, prioritisation, governance, delivery oversight and outcome tracking.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including benefits, costs, ROI, total cost of ownership, assumptions and investment trade-offs.
• Experience partnering across Business, Finance, Technology, Data, Architecture, Risk and external suppliers.
• Proven ability to produce clear, evidence-based reporting and recommendations for executive audiences.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders in a complex, matrixed and international organisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the AI Value Office, translating strategic direction into clear priorities, delivery plans and effective day-to-day operations, while leading and developing a UK and US-based team.
• Shape the AI opportunity pipeline, partnering with senior stakeholders to identify, assess and prioritise high-value AI opportunities aligned to business and strategic priorities.
• Develop robust value and investment cases, defining expected financial and non-financial benefits, costs, KPIs, assumptions and success measures in partnership with Finance and business owners.
• Shape solutions and delivery routes, working across AI, Data, Technology, Architecture, Risk and business teams to assess feasibility, reuse opportunities, investment requirements and the most appropriate route to delivery.
• Own AI portfolio governance and value realisation, maintaining a clear view of initiatives from initial opportunity through approval, delivery, adoption and realised value.
• Provide executive-level insight and challenge, reporting on pipeline health, investment, delivery confidence, adoption, benefits, risks and dependencies to support effective decision-making.
• Drive quality and continuous improvement, establishing consistent standards, methodologies and controls for opportunity assessment, value cases and portfolio reporting.
• Embed effective governance and Responsible AI, ensuring opportunities meet relevant governance, risk, security, legal, data and compliance requirements and maintain appropriate auditability.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional teams

Business cases

Portfolio management

Financial acumen

Stakeholder engagement

Executive reporting

Job description

About us

Every day we deliver safe and secure energy to homes, communities, and businesses. We are there when people need us the most. We connect people to the energy they need for the lives they live. The pace of change in society and our industry is accelerating and our expertise and track record puts us in an unparalleled position to shape the sustainable future of our industry.

To be successful we must anticipate the needs of our customers, reducing the cost of energy delivery today and pioneering the flexible energy systems of tomorrow. This requires us to deliver on our promises and always look for new opportunities to grow, both ourselves and our business.

IT and Digital works in a harmonised partnership with the National Grid group of diverse energy businesses to deliver technology which revolutionises the way we operate. As we lead the charge towards a carbon-free future, our teams are embracing disruptive changes in our industry by working with Agile methodologies and adopting Digital mindsets to drive efficiency and bring new capabilities for our internal and external customers.

Our work here is critical. National Grid moves energy to millions of homes and businesses in the UK and US and the technology we utilise to complete that task is down to us. The successful applicant for this position will be an integral contributor towards this goal and we will support your professional development as part of our multi-cultural, customer-centric global team.

This role operates under a hybrid working model and is based out of the Warwick, UK office. Hybrid work expectations are subject to business needs and company policy.

About the Role

The AI Value Office Director is a UK-based leadership role responsible for managing and operationalising the day-to-day activities of the AI Value Office across the UK and US. Reporting to the Head of AI Value Office, the role leads a small, geographically dispersed team of consultants and is accountable for the consistent assessment, prioritisation and value management of AI opportunities from origination through to realised business outcomes.

The Director will operate the Value Office as an internal consultancy and orchestration capability, working with Business Units and Group Functions to frame business problems, assess value and feasibility, develop robust business cases and route opportunities to the most appropriate delivery path. The role will work closely with Connect AI, Data Science, Engineering, Architecture, Data, Technology and external partners to assess build, buy and reuse options, avoid duplication and identify the best-fit solution. Technical solution design and engineering ownership will remain with the appropriate delivery teams.

The Director will maintain a holistic view of the AI portfolio and provide clear executive reporting on pipeline, forecast value, agreed value, delivery progress, realised value, adoption, risks and dependencies. The role supports the Head of AI Value Office in implementing the wider AI strategy and operating model; overall enterprise AI strategy and strategic direction remain accountable to the Head

What You’ll Do

• Lead the AI Value Office, translating strategic direction into clear priorities, delivery plans and effective day-to-day operations, while leading and developing a UK and US-based team.
• Shape the AI opportunity pipeline, partnering with senior stakeholders to identify, assess and prioritise high-value AI opportunities aligned to business and strategic priorities.
• Develop robust value and investment cases, defining expected financial and non-financial benefits, costs, KPIs, assumptions and success measures in partnership with Finance and business owners.
• Shape solutions and delivery routes, working across AI, Data, Technology, Architecture, Risk and business teams to assess feasibility, reuse opportunities, investment requirements and the most appropriate route to delivery.
• Own AI portfolio governance and value realisation, maintaining a clear view of initiatives from initial opportunity through approval, delivery, adoption and realised value.
• Provide executive-level insight and challenge, reporting on pipeline health, investment, delivery confidence, adoption, benefits, risks and dependencies to support effective decision-making.
• Drive quality and continuous improvement, establishing consistent standards, methodologies and controls for opportunity assessment, value cases and portfolio reporting.
• Embed effective governance and Responsible AI, ensuring opportunities meet relevant governance, risk, security, legal, data and compliance requirements and maintain appropriate auditability.

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in AI, digital transformation, management consulting, technology-enabled change, portfolio management or a comparable advisory environment.
• Proven experience leading geographically dispersed, cross-functional teams and managing consultant resources.
• Strong track record of framing complex business problems and translating them into structured opportunities, options and decisions.
• Demonstrable experience developing business cases, investment recommendations, value frameworks and benefits-realisation plans.
• Experience managing portfolios through intake, prioritisation, governance, delivery oversight and outcome tracking.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including benefits, costs, ROI, total cost of ownership, assumptions and investment trade-offs.
• Experience partnering across Business, Finance, Technology, Data, Architecture, Risk and external suppliers.
• Proven ability to produce clear, evidence-based reporting and recommendations for executive audiences.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders in a complex, matrixed and international organisation.

Knowledge & Expertise

• Good understanding of AI, generative AI, machine learning, automation and agentic capabilities and their application to business problems.
• Understanding of AI delivery lifecycles, including discovery, validation, build, deployment, adoption and value realisation.
• Portfolio management, prioritisation, demand management and benefits-tracking methodologies.
• Financial and non-financial value assessment, KPI design, baseline development and benefits validation.
• Build, buy, configure and reuse considerations, including vendor and enterprise-platform options.
• Working knowledge of data readiness, enterprise architecture, technology integration, information security, Responsible AI and regulatory risk.
• Sufficient technical literacy to challenge assumptions and shape viable options without being a hands-on data scientist, engineer or solution architect.

What You’ll Get

• Competitive Salary: circa £75,000 - £95,000 per annum (based on capability, and experience)
• Annual performance incentive: Earn up to 30% of eligible earnings through our performance-related bonus scheme for stretch performance

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates - we make appointments purely on merit, assessed against objective selection criteria. We support flexible working and will make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process should you have any physical or mental impairment which may affect your ability to participate in the process.

Please note that in most cases, National Grid is unable to offer sponsorship for employment under the UK points-based immigration system. As such, applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship now or in the future under the UK points-based immigration system. However, in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear and demonstrable need for specialist skills that cannot be sourced from the local labour market, National Grid may consider offering sponsorship. All applications are welcome from candidates who meet these requirements, regardless of race, nationality, or ethnic origin.