Head of AI

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership
• Be the face of AI for Thales UK
• Oversee the implementation of the cortAIx Factory AI and MLOPS strategy
• Practice lead across the Data & AI job family in Thales UK
• Design & Governance
• Serve as the principal authority on AI design, providing expert guidance on best practices and industry standards.
• Ensure the design of AI models, algorithms, and data architectures meets business, technical, and regulatory requirements.
• Establish and enforce governance frameworks for AI algorithms and implementation to production.
• Promote best practices in AI ethics, robustness, transparency, and governance.
• Market Engagement
• Monitor industry trends, market landscapes, and benchmarks to maintain a technical edge.
• Identify and engage third-party collaborators to enhance the capabilities of the AI Factory team as needed
• AI delivery
• Work with Head of cortAIx Factory Engineering Delivery and Head of cortAIx Factory Product to enact the cortAIx mission
• Work with the Engineering management team in the UK to derive and deliver capability improvement plans for AI
• Line management responsibility for Data Science and AI resources in the Data and Digital Centre (DCC)
• Work across DCC to support the planning and execution of our data and digital transformation

Required Skills

• Experience of working in the UK Defence AI sector
• A degree in computer science, artificial intelligence, or a related field. And / or appropriate hands-on experience of practical AI engineering
• Extensive knowledge of Data Science and AI solutions, along with experience in data product management
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience of MLOps practices.
• Familiarity with data analytics, technology, and governance.
• Excellent stakeholder and project management skills, with experience in client-facing roles.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to balance innovation with business needs.
• Experience in user interface design and user experience considerations.
• Understanding of the software development lifecycle, including requirements analysis, quality assurance, design, scheduling, implementation, issue tracking, version control, and deployment.

Security Requirements

In line with Thales' Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment and/or education history for up to three years. Some vacancies may require full Security Clearance which can require further evidence to be provided. For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) Agency.