AI Delivery Manager

AI Delivery Manager 

Artificial Intelligence is transforming the way organisations work, and at Wates we're building the capabilities needed to harness that opportunity responsibly, securely and at scale. 

We're looking for an driven and passionate AI Delivery Manager to play a critical role in shaping and delivering our AI journey. This is a unique opportunity to help establish AI capability across the Group, lead high-profile AI workstreams, and ensure solutions deliver real business value for our people and customers. 

Working at the intersection of business, technology and change, you'll oversee the successful delivery of AI initiatives from concept through to adoption. The role will focus on the technical foundations needed to scale AI across Wates, including an agent development framework, governed access to enterprise data sources, an AI development platform for business applications, and practical frameworks that enable deeper AI engagement within our core platforms.  

You'll collaborate with senior leaders, technical teams and stakeholders across the organisation, helping to turn AI opportunities into tangible outcomes that improve productivity, user experience and business performance. 

Shaping AI Technical Foundations and Delivery Approaches 

• Define the roadmap, delivery approach and success measures for core AI enablement workstreams, including complex agent development, data source readiness, AI application platforms and AI integration with core systems. 

• Develop and maintain an agent development framework that sets out the standards, patterns, governance and delivery lifecycle for building agents safely and consistently. 

• Work with data, architecture, security and platform teams to make priority enterprise data sources available to the agent framework in a secure, governed and reusable way. 

• Ensure AI initiatives are aligned with wider business objectives, technology architecture, governance requirements and user needs. 

Leading AI Platform and Framework Delivery 

• Take ownership of the delivery and ongoing management of the technical frameworks and platforms needed to scale AI development across Wates. 

• Create and manage a development platform for AI-enabled applications, ensuring it provides the right tooling, guardrails, environments and support model. 

• Manage delivery plans, milestones, dependencies and risks across assigned AI platform, agent and data enablement workstreams. 

• Coordinate technical teams, suppliers and business stakeholders to ensure solutions meet security, operational, functional and architectural requirements. 

• Drive continuous improvement and ensure standards, patterns and lessons learned are applied across future AI deliveries. 

Driving AI Engagement in Core Platforms 

• Build out a technical framework that enables greater AI engagement across Wates' core business platforms, moving beyond standalone productivity use cases. 

• Work with platform owners to identify where AI agents, AI-enabled workflows or AI applications can improve process execution, decision support and user experience. 

• Define engagement, adoption and value measures for AI capabilities embedded into core platforms and business processes. 

• Gather feedback from users and platform teams to improve the frameworks, patterns and reusable components that support future AI delivery. 

• Support responsible AI adoption by ensuring technical enablement is matched with appropriate controls, guidance and operating practices. 

Supporting the AI Programme 

• Provide support to the Head of IT and other AI roles in developing Wates' enterprise AI capability and delivery model. 

• Contribute to governance activities, reporting, prioritisation and strategic planning across agent, data and AI platform workstreams. 

• Stay current with emerging AI platform, agentic AI and integration capabilities, helping identify where Wates can gain additional value. 

• Support wider AI initiatives as priorities evolve, while maintaining focus on scalable enterprise capability rather than isolated personal productivity or small-scale development activity. 

Experience & Knowledge 

• Strong understanding of AI technologies, agentic AI patterns, development platforms and the role of data in enabling enterprise AI solutions. 

• Experience delivering technology transformation, platform enablement or digital programmes within complex organisations. 

• Ability to identify opportunities where AI agents, AI-enabled applications and core platform integration can improve business processes, decision-making and customer experience. 

• Experience working with technical teams to define delivery frameworks, standards, guardrails and reusable patterns. 

• Proven project or programme delivery experience using Agile, Waterfall or hybrid methodologies. 

• Experience engaging with senior stakeholders, platform owners, architecture, security, data and technical delivery teams. 

• Advanced Microsoft Office skills, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint. 

Qualifications 

• Relevant delivery certification such as PRINCE2, MSP, Agile or equivalent. 

• Business Change qualification or equivalent practical experience. 

• Additional AI-related training or certifications would be advantageous. 

Skills 

• Excellent project planning, organisation and prioritisation skills. 

• Strong ability to shape technical delivery frameworks and translate them into practical delivery plans. 

• Outstanding verbal and written communication abilities. 

• Passion and drive to make progress, especially in new and forming areas 

• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, engaging and user-friendly messages. 

• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing capability across business, architecture, security, data and platform teams. 

• Excellent relationship-building and collaboration skills. 

• High attention to detail and commitment to delivering quality, scalable and reusable outcomes. 

Given the nature of this position, you will need to undergo a Basic Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) at offer stage. Applicants with criminal convictions will be assessed individually, and we assure you that we do not discriminate based on an applicant's criminal record or the details of any disclosed offenses. Additionally, certain roles may be subject to additional pre-employment checks. 

To learn more about the checks included in this process, please click on the following link: National Security Vetting 

Our commitments:  

Wates is proud to be an employer where anyone can thrive, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.  We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every requirement, as we value transferable skills and assess all applications fairly.

We don't discriminate based on a criminal record; all applications are reviewed on an individual basis against the requirements of the role. Some roles may require additional checks, due to the nature of the work.  As a Disability Confident Leader, we offer an interview to applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the role and opt in to the Disability Confident scheme.  Reasonable adjustments are available, please contact us at recruitment@wates.co.uk