Technology Head of AI

The role of Technology Head of AI & Emerging Tech involves owning the overall technology strategy and roadmap for AI, automation, and next-generation capabilities. As a member of the technology leadership team, you will turn innovation into scaled capabilities across broking, placement, analytics, and client servicing—balancing speed with safety, and experimentation with operational excellence.

You will partner closely with the Product Manager, Brokers, and business leaders to design simple and scalable solutions and move them from pilot to production with clear accountability. Operating in a hybrid delivery model, you will set standards, govern risk, and ensure alignment to global architectures and security requirements while enabling regional flexibility where needed.

• Define and own the technology strategy for AI, aligned to business priorities; translate value propositions into a roadmap.
• Lead delivery of AI solutions across pricing support, submission triage, document and market data extraction, client insight, workflow automation, and co-pilot experiences for employees.
• Establish responsible AI governance and controls in partnership with Cyber, Data Protection, and Legal, covering model risk, data privacy, transparency, human in the loop, and auditing.
• Build the target operating model for AI engineering and MLOps, including model lifecycle management, monitoring, incident response, versioning, and cost/performance optimisation.
• Set global standards for AI platforms, toolchains, and integration patterns; ensure interoperability with enterprise data platforms and adherence to security and compliance requirements.
• Drive rapid experimentation with clear exit criteria; scale successful pilots into reliable, maintainable services using automated testing, observability, and release practices.
• Develop and manage strategic vendor and partner relationships, balancing build-vs-buy decisions and negotiating commercial and risk terms that protect value.
• Provide executive level communication and storytelling on technology strategy, risks, and outcomes; partner effectively with Product Managers, Brokers, and clients to shape solutions that fit market workflows.
• Assist Product Managers to ensure solutions land successfully with business teams.
• Maintain horizon scanning and technology assessment, identifying pragmatic opportunities to introduce new capabilities that enhance agility and global scalability.

You are a business-minded technology leader who turns AI and advanced technology into practical capabilities. You combine strategic clarity with hands-on depth, moving comfortably from business conversation to solution design and delivery oversight, and you anchor decisions in risk and value.

You thrive in a start-up environment and are comfortable operating beyond your usual remit to get things done—partnering with business, engineers, and regional leaders to unblock delivery and drive adoption. You communicate crisply with business leaders, make trade-offs explicit, and hold clear ownership for outcomes.

• Significant experience leading digital transformation, with proven delivery of AI, automation, and emerging technology in complex, cloud-first environments.
• Proven capability to architect end-to-end solutions as well as deliver them, from reference architectures and integration patterns through to production rollout and adoption.
• Proven delivery of AI/ML and GenAI solutions in production, including document intelligence, NLP, search/summary, recommendation, decision support, and workflow automation.
• Strong grasp of responsible AI, security, and compliance, including model risk management, privacy, data residency, human oversight, and auditability.
• Hands-on understanding of AI/MLOps practices and platforms, including model lifecycle, observability, cost control, CI/CD, feature stores, and data integration.
• Experience defining and governing enterprise standards and architectures for AI platforms, APIs, and integration, aligned to global patterns with regional flexibility.
• Demonstrated ability to partner with business leaders, translating business requirements into scalable solutions.
• Vendor and partner management expertise, including evaluation, contracting, and ongoing performance management tied to value realisation.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with credible engagement at all levels and across multi-region teams.

Willis Re combines specialist broking with analytics, modelling, and research to help insurers optimise risk transfer, strengthen balance sheets, and achieve sustainable growth. Their approach is relationship-driven, transparent, and outcome-focused.

At the heart of Willis Re is a focus on delivering the most cutting-edge analytical solutions to enable more informed, better decision-making for risk selection, portfolio optimisation, and capital management. The launch of Willis Re brings a strategic advantage of being unhindered by legacy, an ability to leverage data, statistical models, and advanced technologies with the best knowledge and expertise to deliver more efficient and effective reinsurance outcomes.

Willis Re is committed to embracing a diverse, inclusive, and flexible work environment. They provide equal opportunity to all qualified individuals regardless of race, colour, religion, age, gender, gender expression, national origin, veteran status, disability, orientation, or any other legally protected categories.