AI Program Delivery Lead

Unison Group New Zealand; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Unison Group New Zealand is seeking a Program Delivery Lead for the AI Centre of Excellence to plan, govern and deliver AI, analytics and digital innovation initiatives across the organization. You will coordinate cross-functional teams, manage governance, and drive AI-enabled products from ideation to production, ensuring value realization and stakeholder engagement.

This role emphasizes delivery excellence, capability development, and collaboration with global partners to scale AI solutions

Qualifications

• Strong program/project management skills.
• Experience with adaptive delivery methods (Waterfall, Agile, Hybrid).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to build relationships across functions and regions.
• Ability to identify and resolve conflicts and risks.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of AI, ML, Generative AI and digital innovation initiatives.
• Operate governance, portfolio management and delivery frameworks.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams of SMEs, data scientists, engineers and partners.
• Drive experimentation to production deployment and adoption.
• Track quality, compliance, risk, governance and benefits.
• Manage external vendors and specialist consultants.
• Maintain AI programme roadmaps and benefits realisation.
• Facilitate capability transfer and knowledge sharing.
• Support AI adoption through stakeholder engagement and change management.
• Establish performance measures and reporting on outcomes.
• Support Singapore-based AI capabilities aligned with CoE objectives.

Skills

Program management

Cross-functional leadership

AI/ML knowledge

Stakeholder engagement

Risk & governance

Budget & financial analysis

Job description

Position Summary:

As Program Delivery Lead for the AI Centre of Excellence (AI CoE), you will lead the planning, execution and governance of strategic Artificial Intelligence (AI), Advanced Analytics and Digital Innovation initiatives that support business transformation, productivity enhancement and capability development across the organization.
Working within a global cross-functional environment, you will coordinate multidisciplinary teams comprising business stakeholders, data scientists, data engineers, solution architects, AI specialists and external partners to deliver AI-enabled products, advanced analytics solutions and innovation programmes.
The role is responsible for operating delivery frameworks, governance processes, portfolio oversight and value-realisation mechanisms that enable the AI CoE to successfully incubate, scale and operationalize AI solutions across multiple business domains.
This position plays a key role in developing organizational AI capabilities, supporting technology adoption, driving innovation outcomes and ensuring delivery excellence across the AI CoE portfolio.

Key Outputs: What we can expect from you:

• Lead delivery of AI, Machine Learning, Generative AI, Advanced Analytics and digital innovation initiatives aligned with organisational strategy
• Operate programme governance, portfolio management and delivery frameworks for AI CoE initiatives
• Coordinate cross-functional teams consisting of business SMEs, data scientists, data engineers, architects and technology partners to deliver AI products and solutions
• Drive execution of innovation programmes from ideation, experimentation and proof-of-concept through to production deployment and business adoption
• Ensure AI delivery activities meet quality, compliance, risk management and governance requirements
• Manage external vendors, technology partners and specialist consulting resources supporting AI CoE objectives
• Maintain AI programme roadmaps, delivery plans, benefits tracking and value-realisation processes
• Facilitate capability transfer and knowledge-sharing activities to strengthen internal AI and analytics competencies
• Support organisational adoption of AI technologies through stakeholder engagement, communications and change management
• Establish performance measures and reporting mechanisms to track AI programme outcomes, benefits and business impact
• Support the development of Singapore-based digital, analytics and AI capabilities in alignment with AI CoE objectives
  

What skills will you gain from this role?

• A deep understanding of various delivery approaches, together with the skills and knowhow required to deliver complex projects
• A breadth of exposure to both business and IT processes across the global organisation
• Honing of leadership and interpersonal skills across all levels within the organisation
• Know-how to manage relationships with external stakeholders
• Capability to work with high levels of assumption and ambiguity
• Ability to lead and influence colleagues in the absence of direct line management authority
• Opportunity to learn and interact with colleagues across different regions and cultures
• Support to attain globally recognised program/project management accreditation (where required)
  

A successful candidate is likely to have:

• Demonstrated strong program/project management and organisational skills
• Experience in a range of adaptive delivery methodologies such as Waterfall, Agile, Hybrid etc
• Proven communication and interpersonal skills, which will include:
• The ability to build positive relationships across Functions and regions,
• The ability to constructively challenge and influence colleagues and leaders
• A strong team player, ideally with experience of working within cross-functional teams
• Ability to identify and resolve conflict and problems
• Discipline to assess and manage risks at the right level
• Program/Project related financial analysis skills
• Strong IT capabilities, with a vision for opportunities ahead
• An evident desire to learn, be challenged, and enhance personal knowhow
• Experience in Agile delivery in a squad set-up preferred
• Knowledge of speciality chemical sector will be highly desired but not required