Head of AI-Driven Operations & Forward Engineering

Fdetimes; Amsterdam; Hybrid; EUR 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Adyen is seeking a Head of Forward Deployed Engineering - Operations to scale AI-driven transformation across its Operations function. You will define the strategy, prioritise use cases, and lead a small team of AI specialists to turn ideas into measurable improvements in customer experience, productivity, and reliability.

You will collaborate with engineering, data, product, and enablement teams to ensure new capabilities land where they matter, while maintaining a practical, hands-on approach

Qualifications

• Strong operational judgement. You understand how real work happens, where friction sits, and what it takes to redesign workflows in practice.
• Enough technical depth to have credibility with engineers and technical partners. You do not need to be the hands-on builder for every solution, but you do need to understand architectures, trade-offs, risks, and what good looks like.
• Deep curiosity in AI and adjacent technology. You naturally keep up with the space, understand where the market is moving, and can separate substance from hype.
• The ability to turn ideas into outcomes. You can move from concept to prioritisation to implementation, and you know how to avoid getting stuck in pilot mode.
• Strong executive presence. You can command respect with senior stakeholders, challenge constructively, and represent Operations well in cross-functional discussions.
• A practical, creative, solution-oriented mindset.
• Long-term thinking. You can look beyond the next pilot or tool and help shape the foundations for where Ops needs to go over time.
• Strong cross-functional instincts. You are comfortable working across operations, engineering, data, product, enablement, and capability teams.

Responsibilities

• Set the AI and innovation direction for Operations, with a clear view of what will create the most meaningful step change in customer experience, productivity, quality, and scalability.
• Work with the domains to identify and prioritise the use cases that matter most, based on business value, feasibility, and readiness.
• Lead the central Ops innovation model, including the structure, ways of working, and foundations needed for domain-led re-engineering to succeed.
• Lead a small team of Forward Deployed AI specialists to turn ideas into real, scalable solutions.
• Build credibility for AI across Ops through clear thinking, practical examples, and a strong view of where the real value is and where the risks are.
• Stay current on the AI landscape, emerging patterns, and market developments, and translate that into practical implications for how Ops should evolve.
• Work with central business enablement and capability teams so that new capabilities landing across the company are connected to Ops needs, and the right upskilling happens as use cases scale.
• Represent Operations in central engineering, making sure that Ops priorities are well understood, well framed, and well supported.
• Track progress and value delivered, and keep the focus on outcomes rather than activity.

Skills

Operational judgement

Technical depth

AI curiosity

Idea-to-outcome delivery

Executive presence

Practical mindset

Long-term thinking

Cross-functional instincts

Job description

Adyen is seeking a Head of Forward Deployed Engineering - Operations to scale AI-driven transformation across its Operations function. You will define the strategy, prioritise use cases, and lead a small team of AI specialists to turn ideas into measurable improvements in customer experience, productivity, and reliability.

You will collaborate with engineering, data, product, and enablement teams to ensure new capabilities land where they matter, while maintaining a practical, hands-on approach