Overview
This is a newly created, strategically important role responsible for managing the full lifecycle of AI tools and business applications across the organisation. As AI adoption accelerates and programme-led application stacks continue to grow, this role provides the structure, governance, and expertise needed to evaluate, implement, configure, and sustain new tooling responsibly – balancing innovation with due diligence.
Responsibilities
- Manage the full lifecycle of AI tools and business applications across the organisation.
- Evaluate, implement, configure, and sustain new tooling responsibly, balancing innovation with due diligence.
- Act as the central point of coordination between business, IT, Legal, Infosec, Data Protection Officer, and programme stakeholders, ensuring each tool is properly assessed, approved, adopted in a controlled and compliant manner, and continues to deliver value.
- Monitor and assess feature releases across AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini, focusing on security, data handling, and leakage risks.
- Maintain a live register of all AI tools in use, conducting ongoing reviews for compliance and fitness for purpose.
- Lead proof-of-concept and pilot programmes, defining success criteria and managing the transition of approved tools from evaluation to production.
- Own the evergreening programme for Buy applications, tracking vendor release cycles and coordinating testing, approval, and deployment of updates.
- Serve as the internal subject matter expert and first point of contact for all AI tool queries.
- Translate business requirements into structured evaluation and procurement briefs, managing a formal intake process for all requests.
- Lead cross-functional due diligence with DPO, Infosec, Legal, and IT to ensure tools meet data, security, and contractual standards.
- Monitor regulatory developments, including the EU AI Act, UK AI Framework, and GDPR, and assess their impact on tooling decisions.
- Define and enforce acceptable use policies for AI tools across the organisation.
- Contribute to the organisation’s AI and technology roadmap, reporting to senior leadership on adoption progress, risks, and opportunities.
- Benchmark the organisation’s AI maturity against industry peers and best practice.
- Manage the decommissioning of tools that are superseded, fail compliance, or no longer deliver value.
Qualifications
- Proven experience managing SaaS applications or a business application portfolio through their full lifecycle.
- Hands‑on experience evaluating and implementing AI or automation tools in a business environment.
- Demonstrated ability to manage cross‑functional due diligence processes involving Legal, Infosec, and Procurement.
- Strong stakeholder management – comfortable engaging at all levels from operational teams to senior leadership.
- Working knowledge of mainstream AI platforms including Claude, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot, and an understanding of their capabilities, data handling practices, and enterprise licensing models.
- Familiarity with AI-powered legal tooling such as Harvey or Luminance, and how these are applied in contract review, due diligence, and legal research workflows.
- Familiarity with data privacy principles and GDPR compliance in a UK/EU context, and exposure to information security frameworks such as ISO 27001 or SOC 2.
- Knowledge of EU AI Act obligations or UK AI governance guidance.
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills – able to assess vendor claims and cut through noise.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non‑technical audiences.
- Commercially aware – able to assess ROI, total cost of ownership, and contractual risk.
- Curiosity about technology and proactive in keeping up with the AI landscape, with confidence to influence decision‑making without direct authority.
