Head of AI Delivery & Operations

The Core Group; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 1,800,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

The Core Group is seeking a hands-on Head of AI Delivery & Operations to turn practical AI ideas into working solutions across the Group. You will work with executives, technology teams and business stakeholders to identify opportunities, prove what works and deliver measurable business value.

You will lead AI governance, explore new technologies and support responsible AI adoption, starting in a lean team with room to grow the capability as needs evolve.

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering AI solutions within a complex enterprise environment.
• Hands-on technical knowledge of AI technologies, particularly LLMs, intelligent agents and automation.
• Experience with Microsoft’s AI ecosystem, including Copilot, Copilot Studio and Azure AI services.
• Experience taking AI solutions from proof of concept into a live production environment.
• Sound understanding of AI governance, information security, data privacy and responsible AI.

Responsibilities

• Lead AI governance, shape intelligent automation and responsible AI adoption across the Group.
• Identify opportunities to turn practical AI ideas into working solutions across businesses.
• Design and implement AI-powered workflows and agents across functions.
• Develop AI delivery roadmaps aligned with business priorities.
• Provide clear updates to leadership on progress, risks and results.

Skills

AI strategy & governance

AI delivery

Large language models

Intelligent agents

Automation

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Tools

Copilot Studio

Azure AI services

Ollama

Job description

About Core Group

Core Group represents some of the world's most recognised technology brands across Sub-Saharan Africa. Our businesses operate across retail, distribution, ecommerce, technology and customer services. We are a fast-moving, entrepreneurial organisation focused on finding smarter ways to work, improving customer experiences and using technology to create meaningful business value.

About the Role

Core Group is looking for a hands-on Head of AI Delivery & Operations to help turn practical AI ideas into working solutions across our businesses.

This role is for someone who enjoys building, testing and improving solutions, not just talking about AI strategy. You will work closely with executive leadership, technology teams and business stakeholders to identify opportunities, prove what works and deliver measurable business value.

You will lead AI governance, shape intelligent automation, explore new technologies and support the responsible adoption of AI across the Group. The role will start as a hands-on leadership position in a lean team, with room to grow the capability as business needs evolve.

What You’ll Own

AI Strategy, Governance & Enablement

• Establish and manage a practical AI operating framework across the Group.

• Evaluate AI platforms, tools and emerging technologies to identify opportunities for the business.

• Develop appropriate governance, security, privacy and responsible AI standards.

• Work with business and technology leaders to support the safe and effective adoption of AI.

• Guide teams on how to use AI tools effectively while managing risk and cost.

AI Solutions, Automation & Intelligent Agents

• Identify opportunities to improve business processes, customer experiences and employee productivity through AI.

• Design and implement AI-powered assistants, intelligent agents and automated workflows across business functions.

• Develop solutions that integrate AI with existing business systems, applications and processes.

• Build and manage knowledge-based AI solutions that provide reliable and relevant information.

• Ensure AI solutions have appropriate controls, testing, performance monitoring and escalation processes.

• Take AI initiatives from initial concept and proof of concept through to successful implementation.

AI Engineering & Technology

• Work with variousenterprise AI technologies.

• Explore and implement large language models, retrieval-augmented generation and agentic AI solutions.

• Evaluate privately hosted and open-source AI models where appropriate.

• Collaborate with internal development, infrastructure, cybersecurity and data teams to integrate AI into the existing technology environment.

• Assess technical feasibility, scalability, performance, security and cost when selecting solutions.

• Determine when solutions should be developed internally or delivered through external technology partners.

Innovation & Business Transformation

• Partner with business leaders to understand operational challenges and identify meaningful AI opportunities.

• Establish a structured approach for evaluating and prioritising AI initiatives.

• Lead practical experimentation and pilot projects to demonstrate business value.

• Stay informed about emerging AI technologies and identify opportunities relevant to the Group.

• Encourage knowledge-sharing, collaboration and responsible AI adoption across the business.

Commercial Management & Delivery

• Develop business cases for AI initiatives and assess their potential return on investment.

• Manage AI-related expenditure, including software licensing, infrastructure and external service providers.

• Monitor adoption, performance and measurable business outcomes.

• Develop and manage an AI delivery roadmap aligned with business priorities.

• Provide clear updates to leadership on progress, opportunities, risks and results.

What You’ll Bring

Essential Experience & Skills

• Proven experience delivering AI solutions within a complex business or enterprise environment.

• Strong hands-on technical knowledge of AI technologies, particularly large language models, intelligent agents and automation.

• Practical experience with Microsoft’s AI ecosystem, ideally including Copilot, Copilot Studio and Azure AI services.

• Experience developing RAG solutions, AI assistants and integrations with existing systems, APIs and workflows.

• A sound understanding of AI governance, information security, data privacy and responsible AI.

• Experience taking AI solutions from proof of concept into a live production environment.

• An understanding of enterprise data platforms, data engineering concepts and how AI solutions interact with business data.

• Strong commercial understanding, including budgeting, technology costs and return on investment.

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to engage confidently at executive and technical levels.

Highly Advantageous

• Experience with locally hosted or open-source LLMs, including Ollama or similar technologies.

• Experience developing conversational AI, voice-enabled solutions or customer service automation.

• Exposure to AI-driven analytics, anomaly detection or cybersecurity-related applications.

• A background in machine learning, statistical modelling or other quantitative disciplines.

• Experience within retail, ecommerce, distribution or customer service environments.

• Previous experience leading technical teams or managing specialist technology partners.

The Type of Person Who Will Succeed

The right person will combine strong technical capability with commercial judgement, curiosity and the drive to improve how the business works.

• Hands-on: Comfortable building, testing and troubleshooting solutions yourself.

• Entrepreneurial: Able to work in a fast-moving environment where not everything is already established.

• Commercially minded: Focused on measurable value rather than implementing technology for its own sake.

• Pragmatic: Able to balance innovation with operational realities, security and cost.

• Collaborative: Comfortable working across different teams, functions and leadership levels.

• Self-driven: Able to take ownership, make decisions and move initiatives forward.

• Adaptable: Curious about emerging technology and willing to continuously learn and evolve.

Why Join Core Group?

This is a chance to help shape how AI is introduced, developed and scaled across a diverse group of businesses. You will work directly with senior leadership, influence technology decisions and deliver solutions that improve operations, productivity and customer experiences.

We are looking for someone who is excited to move AI from conversation into action: building useful tools, landing practical change and showing what good AI delivery can achieve.