Head of AI CoE

Version 1; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Version 1 is seeking a Head of AI CoE to lead its AI Centre of Excellence and drive AI-native transformation across the organisation. You will shape internal AI tooling, governance, and people strategy while acting as an external ambassador for Version 1's AI transformation.

You will report to the Director of AI and influence across functions, balancing internal delivery with external thought leadership to advance Version 1's AI maturity and market differentiation.

Qualifications

• Senior technical leadership experience with accountability for AI or technology transformation.
• Experience redesigning internal processes and workflows around AI and agentic automation, not just pilots.
• Ability to diagnose, plan and sequence transformation across multiple functions using consulting approaches.
• Proven track record in leading specialist teams and influencing across functions without direct authority.
• Excellent sponsorship-building and consensus skills at exec level; comfortable presenting to board-level audiences.
• Experience shaping people strategy, enablement and career development programmes at scale.

Responsibilities

• Scale agentic AI into core delivery and transform internal functions.
• Own the direction and roadmap for internal AI tooling to reflect external offerings.
• Evolve governance models for self-service vs. CoE-led transformation.
• Lead the AI Centre of Excellence with budget authority and cross-functional influence.
• Build capability and remit as demand for AI-led transformation grows.
• Represent Version 1's transformation externally through thought leadership and conferences.
• Define metrics showing impact of internal AI transformation on delivery quality and customer outcomes.

Skills

Senior leadership

Tech leadership

AI architecture

Change leadership

Stakeholder management

Public speaking

Transformation strategy

Consulting approach

People enablement

Job description

Head of AI CoE

Full-time

Department: Business Support

Company Description

Version 1 has celebrated 30 years in business and continues to be trusted by global brands to deliver technology and transformation solutions that drive customer success. Our deep expertise enables our customers to navigate the rapidly evolving technology landscape. We foster strong partnerships with global technology leaders including Microsoft, AWS, Oracle, Red Hat, OutSystems, Snowflake, ensuring that our customers are provided with the highest quality solutions and services.

We're an award-winning employer reflecting how our employees are at the very heart of what we do:

• UK & Ireland's premier AWS, Microsoft & Oracle partner
• 3300+ strong, 350/£300m revenue business
• 10+ years as a Great Place to Work in Ireland & UK
• Best Workplace for Women in the UK & Ireland by GPTW
• Best Workplace for Wellbeing in the UK by GPTW

We're a core values driven company, we hire people who share our values, and we reward those who display and foster them, it's deeply embedded within our DNA. Invest in us and we'll invest in you!.

Job Description

Version 1 already has 98% AI adoption across the business, live agentic deployment models, and a use-case governance framework that routes work between self-service AI and CoE-driven transformation based on complexity. Most organisations are still trying to get pilots into production. We've done that. The Head of AI Centre of Excellence is the person who takes that foundation and pushes it further: scaling agentic workflows from pilots into the core of how Version 1 delivers, and building the people and skills strategy that keeps 4,300+ staff ahead of the curve as AI-native working becomes the norm, not the exception.

Reporting to the Director of AI, this individual leads an established CoE team with budget authority, and works through influence across the wider organisation to embed AI-native ways of working in our internal systems, delivery processes and people. The role is weighted towards internal transformation (roughly 80%), with a smaller but high-profile external element: representing Version 1's own transformation story through thought leadership and conference platforms, and shaping the messaging that feeds into board-level AI strategy via the Director of AI.

Key Responsibilities

• Scale Agentic Workflows into Core Delivery
• Move agentic AI from pilots and self-service use cases into embedded, transformational change across core delivery functions.
• Own the direction and roadmap for Version 1's internal AI tooling and applications, ensuring our own use of AI reflects the standard we sell to customers.
• Evolve the use-case governance model that decides what stays self-service and what warrants CoE-led transformation.
• Lead and Grow the AI Centre of Excellence
• Lead the established AI CoE team, with budget authority, setting priorities, standards and ways of working for the function.
• Build the CoE's capability and remit as internal demand for AI-led transformation grows.
• Drive Change Through Influence
• Apply technology consulting skills to bring different functions and leaders along the transformation journey, without direct authority over every team involved.
• Work closely with the exec team to secure sponsorship, remove blockers and keep internal transformation aligned to commercial priorities.
• Act as the internal change agent for agentic and AI-native working, building coalitions across service lines and functions.
• Shape People Strategy for an AI-Native Organisation
• Partner with the People function to define the enablement and continuous development our staff need as AI changes how work gets done.
• Shape the direction and strategy for building an AI-native organisation, including skills, career pathways and ways of working.
• Identify capability gaps across the business and set the learning and development response.
• Represent Internal Transformation Externally
• Provide exec-level guidance to customers on AI-led transformation, drawing on firsthand experience of Version 1's own journey.
• Act as an external voice for Version 1's AI-native operating model through thought leadership, conferences and press.
• Shape the messaging on internal AI transformation that feeds into board-level AI strategy, delivered via the Director of AI.
• Work with the AI Service Line Lead to feed internal transformation learnings into customer-facing propositions where relevant.
• Measure and Report Impact
• Define the metrics that show the impact of internal AI transformation on delivery quality, efficiency and customer outcomes.
• Report progress to the exec team and refine the approach as the organisation's AI maturity develops.

Qualifications

• Senior Technical Leadership
• Proven track record in a senior technical leadership role (e.g. CTO, Head of AI, Principal Architect) with direct accountability for AI or technology transformation.
• Deep, firsthand experience of AI architecture, agentic systems, generative AI and data platforms, gained through leading rather than advising on transformation.
• Internal Transformation & Change Leadership
• Experience redesigning internal processes and workflows around AI and agentic automation, not just piloting individual use cases.
• Skilled in technology consulting approaches, able to diagnose, plan and sequence transformation across multiple functions.
• Team and Stakeholder Leadership
• Experience leading a specialist team, with the ability to also lead through influence across functions with no direct authority.
• Comfortable operating at exec level, building sponsorship and consensus for change among senior leaders.
• People Strategy & Enablement
• Track record of working with HR/People functions to define enablement, upskilling and career development programmes at scale.
• Understands how to translate an AI strategy into workforce capability plans across technical and non-technical roles.
• Customer-Facing Credibility & External Visibility
• Able to represent Version 1's own transformation story credibly in senior customer conversations, translating internal experience into external advisory value.
• Comfortable as a public voice for the organisation, whether on a conference stage, in press, or in written thought leadership.
• Comfortable moving between internal delivery detail and external strategic narrative.
• Results-Driven & Adaptable
• A performance mindset with the ability to set clear goals, measure outcomes and adjust the transformation roadmap as the organisation's AI maturity evolves.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and able to drive change without waiting for perfect conditions.

Additional...