Head of AI - Finance

About Planet

Planet is a global provider of integrated technology and payments solutions for retail and hospitality customers. We create great experiences for the millions of people who use our payments, software, and tax-free solutions every minute of every day. Planet empowers its customers to deliver great customer experiences by combining payments and software in ways that drive greater loyalty, increase revenue and save time. Founded over 35 years ago and with our headquarters in London, today we have more than 2,500 employees located across six continents serving our customers in more than 120 markets.

Role overview:

We are seeking a head of AI embedded within Finance, operating as a highly autonomous individual contributor responsible for identifying, shaping, and delivering AI-driven value across the function. This is a Head-of-level role with a small team, requiring an entrepreneurial, self-directed approach that combines strategy, stakeholder management, solution design, and hands-on delivery. The role works directly with the CFO and SVP Finance, acting as the single accountable owner for AI outcomes within Finance.

What you will do

• Identify and deliver high-impact AI use cases across Finance (FP&A, AP/AR, reconciliations, reporting, controls)
• Translate Finance problems into deployable AI solutions
• Drive end-to-end ownership from idea through MVP, production, adoption, and measurable ROI
• In line with our wider AI operating model, AI Leads own use case identification, ROI, delivery, and reporting - acting as the accountable business lead across the full lifecycle.

Strategic Ownership (Finance AI Roadmap)

• Partner directly with the CFO and SVP Finance to define the AI roadmap for Finance
• Identify high-value opportunities across cost reduction, automation, revenue insight, and risk control
• Build and maintain a prioritised backlog of AI use cases
• Define success metrics including ROI, efficiency, accuracy, and cycle time

End-to-End Use Case Delivery

• Own full lifecycle delivery, including:
• Problem definition
• Business case and ROI
• Solution design
• Build (hands-on where required)
• Deployment and scaling
• Operate as a player-coach and builder, not solely a strategist
• Ensure solutions progress from MVP to scaled adoption to measurable impact

Senior Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary AI point of contact for Finance leadership
• Engage directly with the CFO, SVP Finance, Finance Directors, and Heads of Function
• Translate complex AI concepts into clear commercial outcomes
• Manage expectations, prioritisation, and trade-offs

Hands-on Solution Design and Delivery

• Design and (where required) build:
• Automation workflows
• AI agents (e.g. reconciliation, query handling, reporting assistants)
• Data pipelines and integrations (e.g. Snowflake, Workday, ERP systems)
• Integrate with enterprise platforms such as Copilot, Bedrock, and our internal AI stack

Governance, Risk, and Compliance

• Ensure all Finance AI solutions align with data governance, financial controls, and regulatory requirements
• Partner with Legal, Security, and Compliance to de-risk deployments
• Embed responsible AI practices and auditability into every solution

Adoption and Value Realisation

• Drive genuine adoption within Finance teams, not just delivery
• Track and report on cost savings (OPEX), productivity gains, and accuracy improvements
• Ensure solutions are reusable and scalable across Finance and the wider business

Success in this role is measured by ROI, adoption, and measurable operational value.

Operating Model Structure:

• Embedded in Finance, functionally aligned to the AI Centre of Excellence
• Working style: Highly autonomous, self-prioritising, and execution-focused
• Key interfaces: Finance leadership (primary), AI CoE (standards, platform, support), Data and Engineering teams (delivery support)

Who you are

• Proven experience delivering AI and automation solutions within a business function, ideally Finance
• Strong understanding of Finance processes, including reconciliation, AP/AR, reporting, and controls
• Ability to operate as a self-sufficient individual contributor across both strategy and delivery
• Experience working with senior stakeholders at SVP and CFO level
• Hands-on capability across:
• AI tooling (LLMs, agents, automation platforms)
• Data and integration work (SQL, APIs, pipelines)
• Commercially minded - prioritises ROI and business outcomes over experimentation
• Builder mindset - comfortable being hands-on alongside strategic work
• High ownership - accountable for outcomes, not activity
• Executive presence - able to challenge, influence, and earn trust with senior stakeholders

Nice to have

• Experience with ERP systems (Workday, SAP, or equivalent)
• Experience with Snowflake or comparable data platforms
• Familiarity with AWS or Azure AI services
• Background in FinTech or high-volume transaction environments

Why Planet:

Planet is an equal opportunity employer where diversity is valued, and all employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need. Come and grow your career in the most exciting, fast paced technology market, with a business that delivers feel-good connected commerce. We would love to hear from you - Apply now. At Planet, we embrace a hybrid work model, with three days a week in the office. Reasonable accommodations may be made in order to allow for an individual to perform the essential functions of this role successfully.