Head of Data and AI Adoption

Job Posting Title

Head of Data and AI Adoption

Salary Band

Grade: FS

Job Description

About the Role

As Head of Data and AI Adoption, you will lead the organisation’s transformation toward becoming data driven, ensuring data and artificial intelligence is fully embedded into decision making, operations, and customer experiences.

This role connects strategy with execution—translating data and AI investments into measurable business value whilst driving cultural change across the enterprise. You will define how data is managed, governed, and used, ensuring it is collected, processed, analysed, and stored in ways that support innovation, operational excellence, and strategic decision making.

Success in this role requires a blend of strategic leadership, technical competence, and a deep understanding of business operations. Collaboration is essential. You will work closely with leaders across the Group, champion our purpose of connecting our communities with a better financial future, and promote a culture that is creative, courageous, collaborative, efficient, and accountable.

About You

As an experienced strategic leader with the vision and capability to shape and deliver an enterprise-wide Data and AI adoption roadmap you translate complex data and AI concepts into clear, actionable insights for stakeholders and bring proven experience in leading large‑scale data, analytics, or AI programmes that drive measurable business outcomes.

With strong change‑leadership skills, you embed data‑driven decision‑making and AI-enabled ways of working into operational processes while influencing senior leaders and driving cultural transformation across the organisation.

You excel at engaging a wide range of stakeholders across executive, technology, risk, and business communities, and you bring deep experience operating in governed and regulated environments. You have a strong foundation in data, AI, analytics, or digital transformation and understand both the technical landscape and business operations. Your expertise in responsible AI and governance ensures safe, ethical, and compliant deployment across the enterprise.

You are passionate about building capability at scale, from enhancing data literacy and AI fluency to developing best‑practice frameworks and uplift programmes. You’re experienced in overseeing pilots, maturing them into enterprise‑ready solutions, and driving adoption of emerging technologies, including AI. Adept at strategic planning and cross‑functional leadership, you also bring experience managing budgets, vendor relationships, and complex enterprise‑level initiatives.

About Us

We are committed to building a resilient, secure, and forward‑looking organisation. Operational Resilience is integral to how we protect our customers, our services, and our people.

As an inclusive employer and member owned mutual, we aim to reflect the diverse communities we serve and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We believe everyone should feel valued, respected, and celebrated for who they are, we want colleagues to feel this is a place they belong. A place to be you.

What do you get in return? As well as receiving a competitive annual salary based on above-market pay scales, our reward package includes:

Financial

• Car Allowance £4,944
• Corporate bonus scheme (on target 20%, up to a maximum 30%) 
• Pension scheme (up to 9% employer contribution) 
• Annual performance related pay reviews  
• Colleague mortgage scheme  
• Electric car salary sacrifice scheme  
• Life assurance (4x salary) and income protection  
• Access to our financial advisers  
• Access to a range of high street and online discounts

Work/Life Balance

• A 35-hour weekly contract - We are happy to talk flexible working and welcome discussions 
• 30 days’ annual leave + bank holidays 
• The option to buy and sell up to 5 days’ holiday   
• Hybrid working (typically 3 days’ home based) 
• Above statutory family leave entitlement - 3 months full pay, 3 months half pay, regardless of gender or route to parenthood

Health and Wellbeing

• Private medical insurance  
• Access to a health cash plan through a Medicash scheme  
• Access to an employee assistance programme  
• Free onsite gym at our Cobalt head office and access to discounted gym’s 
• Two paid volunteering days’ each year 
• Cycle to work scheme

Recognising there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to recruitment, we’re committed to ensuring every candidate has the opportunity to showcase their full potential throughout the recruitment process. We strive to make our processes as accessible as possible, if there are any ways in which we can provide support or make adjustments, we would love to discuss this with you, you can contact your Recruiter for this vacancy at [email protected]

Company:

Newcastle Building Society