AI Engineering Director in London

AI Engineering Director in London

London Full-Time 90000 - 110000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead AI strategy and product development to solve complex business challenges.
  • Company: Join an award-winning data consultancy with a focus on innovation and collaboration.
  • Benefits: Enjoy a great workplace culture, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
  • Other info: Dynamic environment with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact by transforming businesses with cutting-edge AI solutions.
  • Qualifications: 10+ years in business strategy and technology, with strong leadership skills.

The predicted salary is between 90000 - 110000 £ per year.

  • Company Description
  • Our Mission

Blend is an award-winning pure play data consultancy who help people do data right through project delivery across strategy and consulting, data science and BI, and data engineering.

As a trusted Data & AI partner we co-create value with clients across a wide variety of industries.

Our company has made the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Companies and currently have offices in Edinburgh, the US, Uruguay, and India.

We are an accredited “Great Place To Work” company across all our office locations, with a shared and active focus on DEI initiatives and championing representation in all aspects of our work.

By combining our teams’ expert technical knowledge with a practical approach to value creation, we deliver outcomes that make a real change for our clients.

From using computer vision to remotely monitor crops to implementing a BI dashboard to help swimmers win more medals – nothing we do is designed to be left on the shelf.

Job Description

This role is ideal for a senior leader who can turn complex business challenges into focused, scalable AI opportunities with clear and measurable impact.

As AI Product & Strategy Consultant, you will operate at the intersection of business strategy, technology and delivery.

You will work with investment partners, executive committees and senior operating leaders to identify where value sits, determine when AI is the right answer and shape practical solutions that can move from discovery into delivery.

You will combine executive presence with enough technical depth to challenge assumptions, assess feasibility and direct cross-functional teams.

Success requires sound judgement, comfort with ambiguity and a bias towards action without losing sight of quality, scalability, cost or risk.

Responsibilities

  • Lead discovery across business functions, using interviews, workshops and analysis to uncover the underlying problem rather than accepting the presenting issue at face value.
  • Identify and prioritise AI, data and workflow opportunities according to commercial value, operational impact, feasibility and delivery risk.
  • Translate opportunities into clear value cases, prioritised roadmaps, implementation plans and measurable success criteria.
  • Shape AI-enabled products and solutions from initial point of view through validation, build, deployment and adoption.
  • Design phased programmes that deliver near-term value while establishing reusable data, technology and operating foundations.
  • Redesign workflows and operating models by understanding how people work, where judgement sits and what drives behaviour, not only how systems and processes are documented.
  • Work alongside engineers, data scientists and architects to test assumptions, validate data and technical feasibility, and make informed build-versus-buy decisions.
  • Mobilise and lead cross-functional teams, maintaining momentum where priorities, ownership, data or requirements are unclear.
  • Establish proportionate governance for delivery, AI security, responsible use, benefits tracking and value realisation.
  • Present clear recommendations, trade-offs and progress to investment partners, executive committees and senior operating leaders, building confidence and enabling timely decisions.

Qualifications

  • Required Skills
  • At least 10 years' experience operating across business strategy, technology and delivery, including leadership of enterprise data, AI or digital transformation programmes.
  • Strong executive stakeholder skills, with the credibility to influence investment partners, senior clients, technical leaders and delivery teams.
  • Able to simplify ambiguous business problems, isolate what matters and create enough clarity to move quickly without turning discovery into a prolonged strategy exercise.
  • Commercially minded, with experience connecting technology investment to financial or operational outcomes and tracking benefits through delivery.
  • AI fluent and pragmatic: understands capabilities, limitations and trade-offs well enough to shape a point of view, challenge assumptions and recognise when AI is not the answer.
  • Skilled in AI opportunity discovery, prioritisation, product strategy, roadmap development and workflow or operating-model redesign.
  • Sufficient technical depth to assess data readiness, architecture, integration patterns, scalability, operating cost, security and delivery risk.
  • Strong delivery leadership, including cross-functional team mobilisation, governance, dependency management and senior decision support.
  • Comfortable starting from zero and progressing without a fully defined problem, perfect data or an obvious delivery path.
  • Action oriented and evidence led, using focused tests, learning and iteration to deliver value quickly while protecting quality, scalability and responsible use.

Desirable Skills

  • Background in top-tier strategy or management consulting, AI or technology transformation, product leadership or innovation, supported by hands-on delivery experience.
  • Experience with generative and agentic AI, machine learning, predictive analytics, retrieval-augmented generation and enterprise knowledge systems.
  • Knowledge of data architecture and readiness, cloud AI platforms, enterprise integration patterns, AI governance, security and responsible AI practices.
  • Degree in engineering, computer science, data science, economics or another quantitative discipline; a relevant postgraduate qualification is desirable.
  • A demonstrable record of taking unclear opportunities from discussion to scalable delivery, making sensible trade-offs and achieving measurable business outcomes.

AI Engineering Director in London employer: Blend360

Blend is an exceptional employer, recognised as a 'Great Place To Work' across all its locations, including Edinburgh. With a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the company fosters a collaborative work culture that empowers employees to grow and innovate. Employees benefit from opportunities to lead impactful AI projects, engage in continuous learning, and contribute to meaningful outcomes that drive real change for clients.

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Contact Details:

Blend360 Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land AI Engineering Director in London

Get Involved in Data Science Meetups

Tap into local data science meetups or workshops to connect with fellow enthusiasts and professionals. These events are goldmines for networking, and sometimes even lead directly to job openings at companies like Blend360!

Show Off Your Projects

Start building a public portfolio showcasing your data science projects on platforms like GitHub or personal websites. Highlight unique analyses or models you've developed. This not only demonstrates your skills but also gets your name out there for roles like AI Engineering Director at Blend360.

Leverage Professional Networks

Join professional bodies related to data science, like the Data Science Society or similar organisations. Getting involved can lead to mentorship opportunities and insider knowledge about full-time positions at companies like Blend360.

Apply Directly through Our Website

When you find a suitable opening like AI Engineering Director at Blend360, make sure to apply directly through our website. It gives you an edge and shows you're keen to join our team. Plus, who doesn’t love a direct application? It’s easier than navigating through job boards!

We think you need these skills to ace AI Engineering Director in London

AI Opportunity Discovery
Product Strategy
Roadmap Development
Workflow Redesign
Data Readiness Assessment
Architecture Evaluation
Integration Patterns

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Off Your Projects:In the world of data science, your projects can speak volumes about your skills. Make sure to showcase a few key projects in your CV or portfolio, especially those that highlight your ability to work with data sets, build models, or use relevant tools like Python, R, or SQL. Don’t forget to include links to any GitHub repositories if applicable!

Quantify Your Achievements:Employers love numbers! When drafting your CV, highlight your achievements with quantifiable results. For instance, mention how your data analysis led to a certain percentage increase in efficiency or revenue at a previous job or project. These details can really make your application pop!

Craft a Tailored Cover Letter:For a full-time role at Blend360, your cover letter should reflect your passion for data science and your excitement about the specific projects or values of the company. Dive into why you’re a good fit, how your skills align with their needs, and any unique perspectives you can bring to the team.

Stand Out with Relevant Courses and Certifications:Although experience talks, relevant courses or certifications can be your ticket to impressing hiring managers at Blend360. Mention any standout courses you've completed that equipped you with essential skills, such as machine learning certifications or data visualisation courses. This shows your commitment to continuously developing your skills in the field!

How to prepare for a job interview at Blend360

Brush Up on Your Statistics

For a data science role, we need to seriously sharpen our statistics skills. Get ready to tackle technical questions on probability distributions, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. These are often the bread and butter of data science interviews, so don't just skim over them!

Showcase Your Projects

Prepare a killer portfolio showcasing your data science projects. We should include details about the datasets used, the tools and techniques applied, and the impact of your findings. If we can walk them through a particularly challenging project or a cool visualisation that had real-world implications, it’ll really make us stand out!

Get Comfortable with Python and R

Most data science positions require us to be proficient in programming languages like Python and R. We should practice common libraries like pandas, NumPy, and scikit-learn, and be ready for live coding exercises or algorithm questions. Showing off our coding chops can really impress the interviewers at Blend360!

Prepare for Case Studies

Expect to encounter real-world case studies during the interview. We might be asked how we’d approach a data problem or analyse a dataset to extract insights. It's essential to think out loud and demonstrate our problem-solving process so that the interviewer can see our logical thinking in action.