AI Delivery Lead: Strategy, Stakeholders & Impact

NTT DATA is seeking a dynamic and strategic AI Project / Delivery Manager to join our growing AI Practice. As an AI Project / Delivery Manager, you will lead the planning, execution, and delivery of artificial intelligence initiatives across our client base. This role bridges the gap between technical teams, business stakeholders, and end-users, ensuring AI projects are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with strategic objectives.

Our AI Practice spans Data Science, Generative AI, and Agentic AI, helping clients across industries harness the power of AI to transform operations, enhance decision-making, and drive innovation.

What you'll be doing:

• Manage the delivery of AI related engagements with both public and private sector clients ensuring solutions deliver measurable business benefits.
• Develop and maintain delivery plans, tasks, actions and RAID items to ensure structured and consistent delivery execution.
• Run regular stand-ups and project ceremonies with NTT DATA engagement team and client teams.
• Identify and manage risks, issues, dependencies, and scope changes and ensure these are reported through the appropriate governance channels.
• Provide regular governance reporting to senior stakeholders both internally to NTT DATA and externally to client teams.
• Track commercials, forecast spending, and ensure alignment with approved budgets.
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement sessions and cross-functional alignment.
• Support compliance with ethical AI principles, data privacy regulations, and public sector service standards.
• Contribute to the development of AI strategy, governance frameworks, and operating models.

What you'll bring:

• 7+ years of proven experience in delivery of complex software engineering projects.
• 3+ years of proven experience in managing delivery projects with a significant AI component combined with an understanding of AI concepts including machine learning, natural language processing, generative AI and Agentic AI.
• Evidence of managing complex technical delivery, comprising bespoke engineering rather than pure COTS solutions, for Enterprise scale private sector and/or public sector customers.
• Experience managing projects with high levels of ambiguity and rapid iteration.
• Ability to manage client-facing delivery teams from mixed geographical locations (both onshore and offshore).
• Ability to review and challenge technical solution designs and identify and manage AI risks.
• Highly proficient in Agile delivery methodology including Scrum.
• Significant consulting experience through managing projects in consulting and highly customer facing environments.
• Excellent commercial acumen with demonstrated experience managing contracts and project economics.
• Excellent communication, coordination, and stakeholder management skills.
• Problem-solving mindset with adaptability to fast-changing environments.
• Skilled in stakeholder engagement, workshop facilitation, and executive communication.
• Familiarity with tools such as JIRA, Confluence, and data visualisation platforms and cloud platforms including Azure, AWS and GCP.

It would be great if you had:

• Knowledge of responsible AI frameworks and ethical considerations in AI deployment.
• Business domain specific knowledge in sectors such as public sector, financial services, telecoms, manufacturing, energy and utilities or others.
• Experience in government or regulated sectors.
• Experience managing end-to-end AI delivery projects with elements including data pipelines, prompt engineering oversight, agent orchestration (e.g. LangChain, Semantic Kernel, Azure AI Agents) and integration with enterprise systems.
• Experience with change management and organisational readiness for AI adoption.
• Technical Translation: Ability to translate technical concepts into business-friendly language.
• Problem Solving: Break down complex problems and shape innovative AI-driven solutions.
• Dealing with Ambiguity: Comfortable navigating uncertainty and shaping direction in evolving environments.
• Collaboration: Strong team player able to work across disciplines and build consensus.

Other Requirements:

• Willingness to travel to client sites as required.
• Eligibility to work in the UK and undergo necessary background checks.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• A proactive, self-starter mindset with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.

We offer a range of tailored benefits that support your physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing. Our Learning and Development team ensure that there are continuous growth and development opportunities for our people. We also offer the opportunity to have flexible work options. We are an equal opportunities employer. We believe in the fair treatment of all our employees and commit to promoting equity and diversity in our employment practices. We are also a proud Disability Confident Committed Employer - we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. We actively collaborate with individuals who have disabilities and long-term health conditions which have an effect on their ability to do normal daily activities, ensuring that barriers are eliminated when it comes to employment opportunities. In line with our commitment, we guarantee an interview to applicants who declare to us, during the application process, that they have a disability and meet the minimum requirements for the role. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know. Join us in building a truly diverse and empowered team.