Director of AI Engineering in Tech Catalyst UK in Leeds

The Director for AI & Intelligent Automation will define and execute the enterprise strategy for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Automation across business domains. This role blends technical excellence, strategic leadership, and commercial acumen, combining deep expertise in Python, .NET, and cloud-native architectures to deliver scalable, secure, and value-generating intelligent systems.

The MD/D will partner with C-suite executives, technology leaders, and global delivery teams to embed AI capabilities at scale—accelerating innovation, enhancing decision-making, and transforming enterprise operations.

• Strategic Vision & Governance
  • Define the global AI & Intelligent Automation strategy, ensuring alignment with enterprise digital transformation and innovation objectives.
  • Establish governance frameworks for AI ethics, model transparency, and Responsible AI, ensuring compliance with regulatory and risk standards.
  • Serve as the senior executive sponsor for AI architecture, operating model, and adoption roadmap.
• Enterprise AI & GenAI Ecosystem
  • Oversee the design and deployment of enterprise-grade AI solutions using Python, .NET, and cloud-based MLOps pipelines.
  • Direct teams leveraging advanced frameworks including PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face, ONNX Runtime, and LangChain.
  • Drive responsible integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, and Mistral.
  • Implement retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) architectures and manage vector databases to support enterprise knowledge intelligence systems.
• Data Platform & Engineering Excellence
  • Lead the evolution of the enterprise data estate, leveraging modern data platforms.
  • Oversee data engineering ensuring data pipelines are performant, governed, and aligned with enterprise metadata standards.
  • Drive the adoption of Delta Lake, Iceberg, and Hudi for scalable data lakehouse architectures.
  • Ensure high-quality, compliant data foundations for machine learning and analytics workloads.
• Cloud, Infrastructure & MLOps
  • Champion multi-cloud architecture and engineering excellence across Azure, AWS, and GCP.
  • Ensure resilient and cost-effective deployment via Docker, Kubernetes, and Terraform/Bicep.
  • Lead enterprise MLOps initiatives with continuous integration pipelines.
  • Oversee monitoring and observability.
• Enterprise Integration with .NET Ecosystems
  • Guide integration of AI/ML workflows into enterprise-grade .NET Core applications.
  • Modernize legacy systems through microservices and REST/gRPC APIs.
  • Implement secure and compliant DevSecOps practices aligned to enterprise standards.
• Intelligent Automation & Cognitive Services
  • Drive end-to-end intelligent automation using various tools.
  • Integrate cognitive services to augment digital workflows.
  • Lead enterprise process mining and optimization initiatives.
• Analytics, BI, and Decision Intelligence
  • Oversee the integration of analytics and AI to deliver measurable business outcomes.
  • Advance enterprise analytics using various platforms.
  • Foster data-driven decisioning through predictive and optimization models.
• Security, Compliance & Responsible AI
  • Ensure alignment with enterprise security standards and frameworks.
  • Oversee identity and access management.
  • Champion ethical AI, bias detection, and explainability.
• Leadership, Talent & Innovation
  • Build and lead high-performing global teams in data science, engineering, and automation disciplines.
  • Cultivate a culture of innovation, continuous learning, and responsible experimentation.
  • Engage with the external AI ecosystem to identify strategic partnerships and emerging opportunities.

• Proven record integrating Python-based AI with .NET enterprise systems.
• Deep expertise across multi-cloud environments, data governance, and enterprise DevSecOps.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver large-scale transformation programs and measurable ROI.
• Strong executive presence, communication, and client/stakeholder management skills.