Project Manager – AI & Innovation

SGS; Ellesmere Port; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid/remote model

Benefits platform

Job summary

SGS seeks a Senior Project Manager – AI & Innovation to lead and deliver strategic AI initiatives across Business Assurance IT. This role is hands-on, working with AI tools, prototyping, and translating business needs into practical AI solutions within a global, cross-functional context.

You will manage POCs, MVPs, pilots, and digital products, coordinating with IT, Operations, and Sales to deliver measurable value and scalable outcomes.

Qualifications

• At least five years of experience in project management, digital transformation, innovation management, digital product delivery, or a related field.
• Experience in the Certification/Business Assurance industry is strongly preferred.
• A proven track record of delivering technology-enabled or business transformation projects from concept through implementation.
• Practical, hands-on experience using generative AI tools and prompt engineering, including developing, testing, and refining prompts for business applications.
• Experience managing AI, automation, analytics, or digital product initiatives.
• Strong stakeholder management, facilitation, and communication skills, with the ability to connect business needs and technical delivery.
• Experience working in global, matrix organisations and coordinating contributors across functions and geographies.
• An agile, experimental mindset with the ability to work through ambiguity and turn early‑stage ideas into practical solutions.
• Experience with AI initiatives supporting Sales or Salesforce-related use cases would be a strong advantage.
• Agile project delivery experience is preferred.
• Fluency in English, in addition to the local language, Spanish is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Hands-on AI and Innovation Delivery: Lead AI, automation, and innovation projects from initial concept through deployment and adoption.
• Work hands-on with AI tools, including developing, testing, and refining prompts for specific business use cases.
• Translate operational and commercial challenges into practical AI use cases, workflows, experiments, and prototypes.
• Conduct structured experimentation, validate outputs, gather user feedback, and improve solutions through iteration.
• Partner with technical teams and business users to move successful concepts from prototype to scalable implementation.
• Promote responsible and effective use of AI, with appropriate attention to data quality, security, governance, and measurable value.

Skills

Project management

Digital transformation

Innovation management

Digital product delivery

Generative AI tools

Prompt engineering

Agile delivery

Stakeholder management

Global coordination

English fluency

Job description

We are SGS – the world's leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for sustainability, quality and integrity. Our 99,600 employees operate a network of 2,600 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.

At SGS, we have an open corporate and international culture. We offer a dynamic work environment in a leading global company. Our high professional standards and our sustainability approach guarantee you a future-oriented work environment. We invest in our employees for the long term and are committed to supporting your development within the company. Our business principles include: Integrity, Health, Safety & Environment, Quality & Professionalism, Respect, Sustainability, and Leadership.

We are SGS – the world's leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for sustainability, quality and integrity. Our 99,600 employees operate a network of 2,600 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.

At SGS, we have an open corporate and international culture. We offer a dynamic work environment in a leading global company. Our high professional standards and our sustainability approach guarantee you a future-oriented work environment. We invest in our employees for the long term and are committed to supporting your development within the company. Our business principles include: Integrity, Health, Safety & Environment, Quality & Professionalism, Respect, Sustainability, and Leadership.

Job Description

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced, highly hands-on Senior Project Manager – AI & Innovation to lead and deliver strategic innovation initiatives across Business Assurance IT. This is not a purely governance-focused project management role. The successful candidate will be comfortable working directly with AI tools, developing and refining prompts, testing use cases, supporting rapid prototyping, and translating business needs into practical solutions.

The role will manage a portfolio of AI-driven projects, Proofs of Concept (POCs), Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), automation initiatives, and emerging digital solutions from idea through implementation. These initiatives span multiple business functions and require close collaboration across IT, Operations, Sales, and other business stakeholders.

The role will support the Global Head of IT in shaping the future Business Assurance AI roadmap by identifying high-value opportunities, translating strategic priorities and business needs into a coherent portfolio of initiatives, and establishing clear sequencing, dependencies, governance, and success measures. Working across the five IT pillars and with key business stakeholders, the role will provide the analysis, coordination, and decision support needed to align investment, accelerate responsible adoption, and turn the AI ambition into a practical, scalable roadmap.

Experience within the Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) industry is strongly preferred, as it would support a faster understanding of Business Assurance processes, audit workflows, and operational use cases.

Our Strategic Pillars

• Customer Experience
• Operational Efficiency
• Auditor Experience
• Customised Audit
• Data Analytics

Each pillar is led by a dedicated IT Manager responsible for delivery within their area. This role will focus on initiatives that cut across several pillars or sit outside existing pillar ownership.

Key Responsibilities

Hands-on AI and Innovation Delivery

• Lead AI, automation, and innovation projects from initial concept through deployment and adoption.
• Work hands-on with AI tools, including developing, testing, and refining prompts for specific business use cases.
• Translate operational and commercial challenges into practical AI use cases, workflows, experiments, and prototypes.
• Conduct structured experimentation, validate outputs, gather user feedback, and improve solutions through iteration.
• Partner with technical teams and business users to move successful concepts from prototype to scalable implementation.
• Promote responsible and effective use of AI, with appropriate attention to data quality, security, governance, and measurable value.

Project Leadership

• Manage POCs, MVPs, pilots, digital products, and business transformation initiatives.
• Develop clear project plans, business cases, budgets, timelines, risk controls, success measures, and adoption plans.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams, business stakeholders, technology teams, and external partners.
• Maintain momentum, resolve dependencies, and ensure initiatives deliver measurable business value and operational impact.
• Balance structured project governance with a practical, agile, and delivery-focused approach.

AI and Innovation Portfolio

• Identify and evaluate opportunities for AI, automation, analytics, and other emerging technologies.
• Support the development and execution of the Business Assurance AI roadmap.
• Manage innovation initiatives that are not yet assigned to a dedicated pillar.
• Drive rapid prototyping, experimentation, validation, and scaling of successful solutions.
• Support AI adoption by helping stakeholders understand where AI can add value and how it can be applied effectively.

Qualifications

Qualifications and Experience

• At least five years of experience in project management, digital transformation, innovation management, digital product delivery, or a related field.
• Experience in the Certification/Business Assurance industry is strongly preferred.
• A proven track record of delivering technology-enabled or business transformation projects from concept through implementation.
• Practical, hands-on experience using generative AI tools and prompt engineering, including developing, testing, and refining prompts for business applications.
• Experience managing AI, automation, analytics, or digital product initiatives.
• Strong stakeholder management, facilitation, and communication skills, with the ability to connect business needs and technical delivery.
• Experience working in global, matrix organisations and coordinating contributors across functions and geographies.
• An agile, experimental mindset with the ability to work through ambiguity and turn early‑stage ideas into practical solutions.
• Experience with AI initiatives supporting Sales or Salesforce-related use cases would be a strong advantage.
• Agile project delivery experience is preferred.
• Fluency in English, in addition to the local language, Spanish is a plus.

What Success Looks Like

• Successfully delivers a portfolio of practical AI and innovation initiatives with measurable business outcomes.
• Demonstrates a hands‑on approach by actively shaping prompts, use cases, prototypes, and solution testing.
• Accelerates responsible adoption of AI capabilities across Business Assurance.
• Converts ideas and emerging opportunities into scalable, user‑focused business solutions.
• Enables effective collaboration across IT pillars and business functions.
• Acts as a trusted, delivery‑focused partner to the Global Head of IT in advancing the Business Assurance innovation agenda.

Additional Information

Why SGS?

• Global and very stable company, world leader in the TIC (Testing, Inspection and Certification) industry.
• Flexible schedule and hybrid/remote model.
• SGS university and Campus for continuos learning options.
• Multinational environment where you will work with colleagues from multiple continents.
• Benefits platform.

Join Us:

At SGS we believe in innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. We offer a supportive and inclusive work environment that encourages professional growth and personal development.