At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a high-performing AI team and shape innovative AI strategies.
- Company: Exciting AI-native startup with a focus on generative AI.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hands-on experience, and mentorship opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the AI field and drive product innovation.
- Qualifications: Proven AI leadership and strong engineering background required.
- Other info: Work in a dynamic environment with a highly technical team.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
I’m currently partnering with an AI-native startup looking to hire a Head of AI to report directly to the CTO and lead a team of Data Scientists and Machine Learning Engineers. This is a rare opportunity to shape the AI strategy and architecture of a product built around generative AI and agentic systems from the ground up.
What makes this role interesting:
- Lead and grow a high-performing AI team while remaining hands-on with modern ML and GenAI tooling
- Own and evolve the AI strategy, driving real product impact through LLMs, agentic architectures, and advanced ML
- Work cross-functionally with Product, Engineering and leadership to turn customer problems into production AI systems
- Influence the adoption of state-of-the-art approaches across RAG pipelines, evaluation frameworks, agent tooling, and prompt engineering
- Build AI products that deliver real commercial value, balancing experimentation with scalable delivery
What they’re looking for:
- Proven AI leader who has built commercial AI products
- Deep experience across Generative AI, LLMs and classical machine learning
- Strong hands-on engineering background (Python, PyTorch, ML frameworks)
- Experience with agentic AI systems, RAG pipelines, and modern AI tooling
- A leader who can mentor teams, shape strategy, and drive delivery in fast-moving environments
The role is 1x a week in Brighton, working alongside a highly technical leadership team building next-generation AI products.
Director Project Development in England employer: Cognify Search
Contact Detail:
Cognify Search Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Director Project Development in England
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the AI and tech space, especially those who work at startups. Use platforms like LinkedIn to connect and engage with them. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or a GitHub repository showcasing your projects related to generative AI and machine learning. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can do and sets you apart from the crowd.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on the latest trends in AI and ML. Be ready to discuss how you've applied these technologies in real-world scenarios. We want to see your passion and expertise shine through!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step to engage with us directly.
We think you need these skills to ace Director Project Development in England
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the role of Director Project Development. Highlight your experience with AI, generative models, and any leadership roles you've held. We want to see how your background aligns with the job description!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about AI and how you can contribute to shaping the AI strategy. We love seeing genuine enthusiasm and clear connections to our mission.
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Don’t forget to highlight your hands-on engineering skills, especially in Python and ML frameworks. We’re looking for someone who can not only lead but also dive into the technical details when needed. Make it clear how you’ve used these skills in past projects!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It helps us keep everything organised and ensures your application gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Cognify Search
✨Know Your AI Stuff
Make sure you brush up on the latest trends in Generative AI, LLMs, and classical machine learning. Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience with Python, PyTorch, and any modern ML frameworks you've used. This role is all about leading a high-performing team, so showing your technical chops will definitely impress.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully led teams in the past. Think about times when you mentored others or shaped strategy in fast-paced environments. The interviewers will want to see that you can not only manage but also inspire your team to deliver impactful AI products.
✨Cross-Functional Collaboration
Since this role involves working closely with Product and Engineering teams, be ready to discuss how you've turned customer problems into production AI systems before. Highlight any experiences where you collaborated across departments to achieve a common goal, as this will show your ability to work effectively in a cross-functional setting.
✨Balance Experimentation with Delivery
Think about how you've balanced innovative experimentation with scalable delivery in your previous roles. Be prepared to share specific examples of AI products you've built that delivered commercial value, as this will demonstrate your understanding of the business side of AI development.