AI & Automation Lead

£70,000 – £80,000 + Excellent Benefits Hybrid (Remote‑First with Occasional Office Collaboration) Manchester

I’m supporting a leading organisation undergoing a major digital transformation, and they are now seeking an Automation & AI Practice Lead to shape and scale their Automation and AI capability. This is a rare opportunity to take ownership of an emerging function, define strategy, and directly influence how a business adopts intelligent automation and AI technologies. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a strategic position but still enjoys rolling their sleeves up and driving hands-on delivery when needed.

Key duties as AI & Automation Lead:

• You’ll take charge of the entire Automation & AI roadmap — from developing standards and best practice, to guiding solution design, to leading a talented technical team.
• You’ll act as the key bridge between the business and technology, turning real challenges into practical RPA and AI use cases that deliver measurable value.
• Define and evolve the organisation’s Automation & AI strategy.
• Create frameworks, standards and reusable assets for effective Automation delivery.
• Provide hands‑on leadership across AI architecture, model design and deployment.
• Oversee project delivery, ensuring alignment to KPIs and strategic outcomes.
• Mentor and line‑manage AI/ML and Automation professionals.
• Work closely with stakeholders to uncover opportunities and translate needs into solutions.
• Ensure governance, security, ethics and compliance are embedded in every development.

As AI & Automation Lead, you will have:

• At least 2 years’ experience leading AI, Automation or data science teams.
• Strong understanding of AI/ML concepts, architecture and real‑world applications.
• Proven record of delivering AI solutions end‑to‑end.
• Solid knowledge of data governance, security and compliance.
• Ability to translate business problems into AI/Automation use cases.
• Great communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience with cloud platforms such as Azure, AWS or GCP.
• A track record of building or scaling an AI/Automation strategy.

Desirable extras include:

• Hands‑on coding experience.
• Familiarity with MLOps or RPA tooling.
• Experience with advanced analytics, data engineering or architecture.
• Knowledge of industry compliance standards (ISO, Cyber Essentials).

Experience with RPA platforms such as

Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates