At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build innovative AI solutions that drive real impact across the company.
- Company: Join FIRST, a leading global brand experience agency with a creative and collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy private medical insurance, generous leave, wellness stipends, and global opportunities.
- Other info: Opportunity for career growth and mentoring in a supportive team.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of AI innovation and shape the future of technology in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: 5-8 years of experience in AI development and strong communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 88000 £ per year.
Building a Brand Starts with a Story
FIRST is a leading global brand experience agency providing Content, Creative, Digital Technology, Management & Delivery, and Data & Insights services.
For 30 years, we have utilized three flexible delivery models: Embedded teams, Corporate Campus operations, and a Full-Service Agency.
Managing over 37,000 events & projects annually across 110 countries, FIRST serves 130+ brands, specializing in Fortune 500 companies within the Financial Services, Technology, Healthcare, Media, and Professional Services sectors.
FIRST is part of the broader Encore family of companies.
Encore is a global leader in event production and technology.
Consistently recognized for excellence, recent honors include 2026 Chief Marketer Agency of the Year, the Ad Net Zero Award for sustainability, and more.
- Learn more at www. firstagency. com
- What You Would Get To Do
FIONA, FIRST's Innovation and AI unit, exists to establish the company as an intelligence-driven partner.
The AI Solutions Lead is a hands‑on builder role within FIONA's new AI Innovation
Studio: someone who designs and personally builds working AI solutions, then scales what works across the company.
The role bridges business, product, and technology by turning ambiguous problems into working prototypes using modern AI‑assisted development, then driving adoption so proven solutions spread beyond their first use case.
As FIONA continues to grow, this role is expected to take on direct line management of technical staff.
- Your Contributions
- Bridge business, product, and technology: run discovery workshops and translate ambiguous, multi-stakeholder problems into clear, actionable technical briefs.
- Build and design AI solutions and tools: use agentic workflows and AI coding tools to go from concept to a working proof of concept, hands‑on, with lean resourcing.
- Scale what works: take AI solutions that prove out and drive their adoption across other teams and use cases at FIRST, rather than leaving them as one‑off builds.
- Own solution design for AI Innovation Studio initiatives, staying close enough to the build to keep designs practical and buildable rather than theoretical.
- Contribute to foundational data/AI governance (e. g., responsible use, data‑rights clarity) relevant to what gets built.
- Prioritize speed and pragmatic delivery over exhaustive engineering polish, consistent with FIONA's early‑phase, momentum‑building mandate.
- As the Studio grows, take on direct management of technical staff.
- What We Are Looking For
- 5-8 years of relevant experience
- AI Agentic & Coding Tools (e. g., Claude, Chat GPT Codex, etc)
- Database and cloud technologies
- Python
- 5+ years in a role blending hands‑on technical building with business analysis or solution design, comfortably running discovery workshops and working directly with cross‑functional or client stakeholders.
- Strong, demonstrable fluency with agentic workflows and AI coding tools (e. g., Claude Code, Copilot, Cursor).
- A track record of personally building and shipping working AI or data prototypes, not just specifying them for someone else to build.
- Working knowledge of data governance practices.
- Evidence of mentoring, informal leadership, or leading workstreams.
Formal line‑management experience is not required now, but this role is expected to take on direct reports as the team scales.
- Strong communication skills — able to translate technical work for both technical and non‑technical audiences.
At FIRST, we believe that the passion, creativity, and commitment of our teams drive our success.
That's why we offer a range of benefits and perks to support your personal and professional growth
- Private Medical Insurance with BUPA from day one
- 28 Days Annual Leave PLUS Bank Holidays
- Personal Volunteer Day
- 20 Days of Sick Pay each Year
- Enhanced Parental Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
- Wellness Stipend
- Complimentary access to Headspace, Rocket Lawyer & Maven
- Life Insurance
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Season Ticket Loan
- Mobile Phone Allowance
- Pension Scheme Enhancements
- Discretionary Bonus Structure
- Global
Opportunities: With a presence in 7 countries worldwide, including headquarters in London, New York, and Singapore, you may have the opportunity to work on exciting projects across different locations.
FIRST is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind.
FIRST is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment.
All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.
We stand firm: FIRST will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.
If any candidate feels that they are unable to meet the requirements of the role, please get in touch to discuss adjustments or other suitable roles.
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AI Solutions Lead employer: FIRST
FIRST is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and inclusive work culture, offering extensive benefits such as private medical insurance, generous annual leave, and wellness stipends. With a strong focus on employee growth, you will have the opportunity to lead a high-performing team while collaborating with global brands and leveraging innovative commercial strategies. Located in vibrant cities like London, New York, and Singapore, FIRST provides a unique environment for professional development and meaningful impact in the brand experience industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land AI Solutions Lead
✨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 FIRST!
✨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 Solutions Lead at FIRST.
✨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 FIRST.
✨Apply Directly through Our Website
When you find a suitable opening like AI Solutions Lead at FIRST, 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 Solutions Lead
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 FIRST, 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 FIRST. 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 FIRST
✨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 FIRST!
✨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.
