Head of AI Innovation in Reading

Role Description

The Head of AI Innovation – Network Intelligence & Autonomous Operations leads Ericsson’s Network Intelligence AI Innovation organisation – the team that creates, proves and packages Level 4-5 autonomous operations solutions for network managed services and network intelligence customers.

The role owns the overall vision, strategy and portfolio priorities for AI, Gen AI, agentic AI and intent-based operations, aligning Network Intelligence Managed Services (NIMS), MSN and BU Cloud Software & Services strategies, sponsoring lighthouse deals and partnerships, and positioning Ericsson as the leading AI and agentic innovation powerhouse for network operations.

• Role Responsibilities
• Strategic vision & portfolio leadership
• Own the AI and autonomous operations vision for Network Intelligence, including Level 4-5 ANO trajectory and digital-engineer blueprint across service assurance, optimisation, fault management, change and CX.
• Define and maintain the AI Innovation portfolio strategy (scenarios, domains, technologies, partners), aligned with NIMS, MSN and BU CSS roadmaps and TM Forum AN/ANOps frameworks.
• Set annual and multi-year portfolio priorities (e. g. 10-12 new Level 4 scenarios per year, Level 5 exemplars, TM Forum AN map coverage) and ensure clear targets and KPIs.
• Leadership of AI Innovation organisation
• Lead the AI Innovation organisation comprising the AI Research Director, AI Innovation Directors, AI Architecture Directors and AI Delivery Director.
• Provide direction, coaching and performance management to senior leaders, ensuring strong collaboration and clear accountability across research, innovation, architecture and delivery.
• Build and nurture a high-end AI talent hub for Gen AI, agentic AI, ML and autonomous operations, including succession planning and capability development across domains.
• Scenario creation, industrialisation & scale
• Ensure design, build and validation of high-value Level 4 AN scenarios per year, aligned to NIMS’ high-value map (service assurance, fault, change, CX, energy), with clear value KPIs (e. g.

MTTR, alarm noise, complaints, energy, throughput).

• Oversee the digital-engineer blueprint (intent → awareness → analysis → decision → execution) and its reuse across scenarios and customers.
• Govern the phased introduction model (recommendations → closed loop → additional use cases) and ensure every scenario is industrialised with standard architectures, So Ws, templates and runbooks, ready for handover to sales and delivery.
• Stakeholder, customer and partner engagement
• Act as the primary owner for AI Innovation with NIMS, MSN and BU CSS leadership, ensuring alignment with business strategy, portfolio and go-to-market.
• Sponsor lighthouse deals and co-innovation with key CSPs, ensuring that Level 4/5 scenarios are co-designed, validated and documented as flagship references.
• Lead engagement with hyperscaler and ecosystem partners (e. g.

Google Cloud, TM Forum, academia) to shape joint roadmaps, standards and research agendas around digital engineers and intent-based closed loops.

• Governance, success and risk management
• Chair the AI Innovation governance for scenario selection, investment decisions, resource allocation and delivery phasing, in close coordination with NIMS/MSN portfolio and delivery governance.
• Define and track success criteria for the AI Innovation organisation (e. g. number of Level 4 scenarios, Level 5 exemplars, revenue/margin impact, internal adoption and reuse of architectures and blueprints).
• Identify and manage key risks (e. g. data/integration complexity, talent/capacity constraints, scope-creep/Po C-only risk, customer risk appetite) and ensure mitigations (standard landing-zone patterns, centralised AI talent, phased approach, overlays that preserve operator control).
• Internal alignment and enablement
• Ensure sales, solution and delivery teams have clear scenario blueprints, value cases and references to sell and deliver NIMS/MSN deals, shielding them from R&D risk by owning innovation and handing off only industrialised packages.
• Work with capability/IT setup teams to provide platforms, data pipelines, cloud landing zones and security baselines for AI/ANO experiments and deployments.
• Promote a culture of data-driven, intent-based, agentic operations, aligning AI Innovation with Ericsson Operations Engine and ANOps frameworks.
• Role Authority
• Define and recommend changes to the AI Innovation strategy, portfolio and governance model within MSN and SA MSN leadership frameworks.
• Approve scenario roadmaps, investment allocations and industrialisation decisions for AI and autonomous-operations solutions.
• Sponsor lighthouse deals, co-innovation programmes and strategic partnerships with CSPs, hyperscalers and ecosystem partners.
• Access necessary technical, operational and commercial information to prioritise and steer AI Innovation activities.
• Required, Skills, Experience and Qualifications

Experience

• 15+ years in telecom, cloud or ICT industry, with a significant track record in managed services, network operations or network intelligence.
• 8+ years in senior leadership roles (director/VP) driving portfolio strategy, innovation and/or large-scale transformation across multiple markets or domains.
• Demonstrated experience leading AI/analytics/autonomous-operations programmes or portfolios, including Gen AI, agentic AI, ML and automation applied to network and operations.
• Proven track record in customer-facing executive roles (C-level engagement, co-innovation, lighthouse deals) and industry thought leadership (standards, conferences, ecosystem work).

Skills

• Deep understanding of autonomous networks, intent-based operations, digital engineers and ANOps frameworks, including TM Forum AN levels.
• Strong strategic and portfolio management skills: ability to shape multi-year roadmaps, prioritise investments and balance innovation with industrialisation.
• Excellent leadership and people-management skills, with the ability to lead senior directors, build high-performing teams and create a strong AI talent culture.
• Strong commercial acumen and business understanding, able to link AI Innovation outcomes to revenue, margin, risk and strategic differentiation.
• Outstanding communication and storytelling skills, capable of inspiring change across Ericsson and with external stakeholders (CSPs, partners, standards bodies).
• High level of cloud and AI literacy: familiar with hyperscaler AI/ML platforms, data and automation architectures, and responsible-AI considerations.
• Ability to operate in complex, multicultural environments and to create order and momentum in fast-evolving, innovation-driven settings.
• Behaviours and Competencies
• Visionary and strategic thinker who can define and communicate a compelling autonomous-operations and AI Innovation agenda.
• Strong collaboration and influencing skills across senior internal and external stakeholders, including CSP CXOs and ecosystem partners.
• Inspirational leader who builds high-performing, diverse teams and a strong AI talent culture.
• Customer and value focused, ensuring AI Innovation outcomes are tied to measurable operational and business impact.
• Resilient and pragmatic in managing risk, ambiguity and change in an innovation-driven environment.