Head of AI & Automation

Head of AI & Automation

Head of Automation Engineering 1

Head of AI & Automation

Reports to: Group Director, Enterprise Technology

Location: UK/Ireland/India, regular travel required

Role purpose:

As part of the Enterprise Technology function in Flutter Group, the Head of AI & Automation will establish and lead a diverse, multi-location, set of developer and engineering teams, focusing on the development of AI and Automation services that drive innovation and efficiency across all Flutter functions. The role will develop a clear strategy and deliver a roadmap of change for Flutter, establishing a SaaS/cloud-enabled AI and Automation function that can support the group's ambitions.

You will work with Group functions and all brands across Flutter, ensuring their requirements are understood and promoting knowledge share. You must be effective at articulating the business opportunity, promoting AI & automation enablement and associated methodologies for driving greater value and commercial gain. You should be comfortable working with multi-functional global teams in dynamic organisations, as the role will have interdependencies with our partner teams and our own architecture/engineering teams across various functions in various brands.

The right candidate will have experience working with enterprise organisations on large-scale modernisation and transformation projects. This will have involved a customer-obsessed and collaborative approach, coupled with a deep technical understanding to provide confidence and answer questions, an ability to engage and help crystallise business benefits of migrations, demonstrate a good understanding of AI and Automation solutions, and a passion for helping to transform technology.

Accountabilities:

• Responsible for building and leading Engineering teams that will provide global AI & Automation services, focusing on Generative and Agentic AI that power automonmous business operations, lowering risk, driving greater productivity and bringing value.
• Form an integral part of the Enterprise Technology leadership team, setting and driving our AI and Automation technology Strategy.
• Define appropriate AI and automation tooling requirements to support the overall Flutter ambition, leading on all procurement requirements and maintaining a cost-conscious approach throughout.
• Develop an AI CoE to drive governance (ensuring alignment with responsible AI and compliance frameworks), user education, and continuous improvement.
• Maintain close relationships with Data teams and establish frameworks for how the team can utilise data sources to enhance AI & Automation capabilities.
• Work closely with other Group functions, including HR, Comms, Finance, etc, to identify AI use cases.
• Deliver with a product mentality, focusing on the evolution of our tools, and communicating/promoting changes of new features and services to our users.
• Develop suitable operational processes, working closely with Service Management to ensure satisfactory service and operational support.
• Maintain close working relationships with Security teams (tech and assurance) to ensure our Enterprise IT is secure and meets governance requirements.
• Engage continuously with AI, Enterprise and Infrastructure/Cloud leaders across Flutter’s brands, encouraging and influencing alignment, whilst ensuring our group services meet their needs. Maintain a commercial focus and explore alignments across the group.
• Develop and attend the global AI Forum, ensuring brand alignment, standard process and governance of how we are using our tools and platforms across the Group.
• Deliver training, mentoring, consulting, and knowledge transfer to the team members.
• Establish appropriate processes/procedures, policies and reporting for all tooling and systems introduced.
• Coordinate day-to-day tasks and projects, ensuring all work is captured, prioritised and delivered using agile methodologies.
• Maintain full budget control, asset/inventory management and capacity of all resources.
• Assist architecture and engineering teams in the evaluation, analysis, design, and implementation programs and projects.

Competencies:

• Be Thoughtful: Constantly explores and analyses future scenarios and possibilities to help Flutter respond to change and shape the future; drives self and others to pursue opportunities that will create sustainable value for Flutter; contributes to the functional and the Flutter strategy, mapping and aligning efforts to strategic imperatives.
• Effective Communicator: Provides clarity on business goals; is effective in all types of communication; adjusts communication style to fit the audience; consistently communicates the mission, vision and values to inspire, energise and motivate others throughout Flutter; ensures others understand how their efforts positively impact the bigger picture; creates an environment that encourages effective communication and the sharing of diverse perspectives.
• Commercially Savvy: Makes it their business to be aware and anticipate emerging external factors and changing market dynamics; constantly explores and analyses future scenarios and possibilities to help Flutter respond to change and shape the future; has deep understanding of business drivers and the industry to guide decisions and lead others.
• Customer Obsessed: Builds and maintains good relationships with team members; champions the needs of customers and the importance of exceeding expectations; builds and delivers solutions that exceed customer expectations; prioritises customer satisfaction and builds commitment in others to provide outstanding service.
• Nimble: Is energised by new and unfamiliar situations and quickly adapts; advocates active experimentation and encourages others to be agile in their approach; is adaptable and flexible when developing others encouraging them to learn quickly when faced with new situations and be open to new ideas and ways of working; proactively shares lessons learned.
• Wins Together: Gains trust and support of others, generous with time, advice and knowledge; is able to establish and engage networks to get stuff done rather than depend on authority; seeks out opportunities to break down barriers and collaborate and partner across organisational boundaries.
• Resilient: Creates a climate where people are curious, resilient, driven, learn and adapt; handles and manages crises effectively; anticipates and shows the way forward during setbacks; builds energy in others to stick with it/ to stay on track / push through.

Experience:

• Experience of operating in a senior technology role within a fast-paced online/eCommerce organisation.
• Extensive experience of building, leading and transforming AI & Automaiton technology teams.
• Domain authority of AI and Automation technologies, with proven experience of developing SaaS/cloud technologies.
• Excellent knowledge of Robotic Process Automation (Workato, UiPath) and AI agents that can act autonomously, make decisions, and take actions to achieve goals.
• Strong knowledge of Data warehouses and lakes, and how these can be utilised in AI, Automation and Machine Learning.
• Good awareness and understanding of AWS Cloud and Security architecture and technologies, including current IT Security compliance and regulatory standards.
• Solid understanding of Service Management and Service Lifecycle frameworks.
• Working with multi-functional and remote teams, developing and mentoring team members to achieve the highest standards.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, ability to communicate effectively with all levels of audience including executive leadership.
• Powerful analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to develop solutions in new and creative ways.
• Ability to independently clarify and assess issues and effectively prioritize feature work.
• Competent in the field of business change, with an ability to inspire change across large organisations and ensure adoption of changes.
• A consistent track record of delivering solutions with an outcome/value focus, leading at scale to successfully deliver against strategic objectives.
• A background in a developer or engineering role is desirable.

Benefits:

• Uncapped Holiday Allowance (you read that right!)
• Enhanced Pension Scheme (please ask for your location, and we will share)
• Bonus Scheme
• Life Assurance
• Income protection
• Private healthcare (with option to add dependent)
• £/₤1,000 annual self-development learning fund & Access to thousands of Udemy courses
• Invest via the Company Share save Scheme, Discount vouchers, Volunteering days.
• Improved Parental Leave and paid time off for appointments.
• Reward portal eg. electric car scheme, gym membership discounts etc.
• Wellbeing scheme
• On-site Gym, Canteen and Gaming area plus many more!