Job Description

We're building out our AI Advisory & Talent team and we're looking for a senior

AI Strategist

who can work directly with executive teams to shape how GenAI shows up in their business - from first "aha" through to scaled adoption, secure and responsible.


You won't be writing code - but you will be the person who connects strategy, operating model, talent, data and technology into one coherent GenAI story.

Role Purpose:

The AI Strategist is a senior client-facing role within the AI Advisory & Talent value proposition.


Their core mission is to

turn GenAI potential into performance

- helping clients build the systems that deliver

meaningful, repeatable GenAI value, faster and more safely

.



They work with executive and senior leaders to:

Demystify GenAI

, Shape a

GenAI Vision and Strategy

specific to each client, Design a

GenAI Operating Model and integrated governance

, Build

Acceleration Plans / Roadmaps

optimised for adoption, Guide the

development and support of GenAI solutions

end-to-end, Embed

Secure & Responsible AI

,

insights

, and

structured change

into the way GenAI is adopted and scaled.

Position in the Organisation:

Reports to:

Head of AI Advisory & Talent

Works with:

+ C-suite and senior executives (CIO, CDO/CDAO, CHRO, CFO, COO, business heads) + AI Solution Architect
+ Data, AI, engineering and platform teams
+ Risk, Legal, Compliance, Security and Audit
+ HR, Learning & Talent, Change and Comms
+ PMO / Portfolio and Transformation offices

Key Responsibilities:

Demystifying GenAI & Executive Education

Design and deliver Demystifying GenAI sessions for executives and leadership teams. Explain: + Core GenAI concepts, capabilities and limitations
+ The business case and value levers for GenAI
+ Risk, governance and responsible AI considerations
Adapt content, examples and framing to the client's industry, maturity and concerns.

GenAI Vision & Strategy

Co-create a

GenAI Vision

tailored to each client's strategy and readiness. Lead the development of

GenAI Strategy

, including: + Strategic Intent and Keys to Winning
+ Quick Wins and lighthouse initiatives
+ Priority value pools and initiatives
+ OKRs and outcome metrics
+ Risk mitigation, guardrails and governance choices
Ensure the strategy is practical, owned by the client, and linked to existing corporate strategy and transformation agendas.

Use-Case Discovery & Value Shaping

Run

use-case discovery

with cross-functional teams, using structured canvases and workshops. Assess use cases for value, feasibility, risk and change impact. Shape and refine

business/value cases

and prioritisation backlogs.

Acceleration Plan / Roadmap Development

Develop

GenAI Acceleration Plans / Roadmaps

that: + Sequence initiatives logically and sustainably
+ Integrate technology, operating-model, capability and change streams
+ Include quick wins, scaling pathways and foundational investments
Tailor adoption paths to each client - not "one size fits all" - considering culture, risk, regulatory environment and history with prior transformations.

Developing & Supporting GenAI Solutions (E2E)

Partner with product, data and engineering teams to translate strategy into

concrete GenAI solutions

. Understand and guide the

end-to-end lifecycle

: + Problem framing and user journeys
+ Data availability and quality constraints
+ Solution and model design trade-offs
+ Evaluation, testing and acceptance criteria
+ Deployment, monitoring, support and continuous improvement
Help identify bottlenecks and structural issues in the E2E process, and recommend improvements.

Secure & Responsible AI and Integrated Governance

Advise on

Secure & Responsible AI

practices - from data access and privacy, to model risk, bias mitigation, explainability and human oversight. Co-design

integrated governance models

that: + Align risk, legal, compliance, security and audit with business and technology teams
+ Define decision forums, approval check-points and escalation paths
+ Integrate with existing governance (e.g. architecture boards, risk committees, portfolio boards).

GenAI Insights, KPIs, OKRs & Value Realisation

Define

GenAI Insights

and measurement frameworks (KPIs, OKRs, dashboards). Ensure insights cover: + Business outcomes (value, productivity, experience, risk)
+ Adoption and usage
+ Data and platform readiness
+ Risk and control adherence
Establish routines for reviewing insights and adjusting strategy, roadmap and change plans accordingly.

Quarterly Planning Leadership & Operating Rhythm

Lead or support

Quarterly Planning

sessions focused on GenAI - often integrated into existing planning ceremonies. Facilitate alignment on: + Priorities and trade-offs
+ Capacity, skills and dependencies
+ Risk and compliance implications
Ensure a consistent

operating rhythm

for GenAI that blends weekly progress, monthly capability milestones and quarterly strategic review.

Comms Plan Development & Structured Change Management

Co-develop

communication plans

with client communications and change teams, covering key audiences, messages, channels and cadence. Apply

structured change management

methods: + Stakeholder analysis and engagement planning
+ Change impact assessment and mitigation
+ Training, enablement and support structures
+ Feedback and continuous-improvement loops
Ensure change and comms are not afterthoughts but

core enablers of GenAI adoption

.

Practice Development & Capability Building

Contribute to the evolution of the

GenAI Keys to Winning Operating System(TM)

, including Demystifying content, strategy and roadmap patterns, governance and insights frameworks. Coach internal colleagues and client teams in GenAI strategy, operating models, governance and change. Capture and share case studies, lessons and repeatable patterns.

Experience & Background:

Essential

Typically 7-10+ years in a combination of: + Strategy / management consulting / digital / transformation roles, and + AI / analytics / data / GenAI-related initiatives.
Proven experience working directly with

executive and senior stakeholders

. Demonstrated capability in: + Vision and strategy development + Operating-model and/or governance design
+ Roadmap / acceleration planning
+ Workshop design and facilitation
+ Leading or contributing to change and adoption programmes.

Advantageous

Experience in highly regulated industries (e.g. financial services, telco, public sector) where

Secure & Responsible AI

and integrated governance are critical. Experience with Agile / SAFe, product operating models, and quarterly/PI planning cycles. Exposure to AI/ML platforms, MLOps, or enterprise GenAI tooling.

Skills & Competencies:

Technical & Conceptual

Strong understanding of

GenAI, AI and data concepts

, their potential and limitations. Ability to discuss the E2E lifecycle of GenAI solutions with technical and business stakeholders. Appreciation of security, privacy, risk and responsible AI requirements.

Business, Strategy & Consulting

Strong business acumen; able to connect GenAI ideas to real value, cost, risk and experience impacts. Skilled in

strategy design, prioritisation, OKR framing and roadmap development

. Comfortable with hypothesis-driven problem solving and structured narrative-building.

Leadership, Communication & Facilitation

Executive presence and confidence with senior audiences. Excellent storytelling and communication skills (written and verbal). Strong facilitation skills, able to lead Demystifying GenAI sessions, strategy workshops, roadmap co-design and quarterly planning.

Change, Comms & Influence

Familiar with

change management frameworks

and able to apply them pragmatically. Able to co-create and execute

communication plans

. Influences across organisational boundaries with empathy and clarity.

Mindset

Curious, pragmatic, systems thinker. Ethically grounded, with a bias towards

secure, responsible, human-centred AI

. Collaborative, low-ego, focused on

building client capability, not dependency

.

Keys to Winning in This Role:

The AI Strategist "wins" when clients move from

GenAI hype and experimentation

to a

clear, governed and value-producing GenAI Operating System

.

Demystify GenAI and build confidence

+ The case for GenAI in each client's context
+ Key GenAI concepts, patterns and risks
+ Typical use cases and anti-patterns
Lead

Demystifying GenAI

conversations and sessions that explain: Translate technical concepts into practical, business-relevant language that enables informed decisions.

Shape a client-specific GenAI Vision

Help leaders define a

clear, compelling GenAI Vision

grounded in their strategy, readiness and risk appetite - not a generic "AI-first" slogan. Ensure the vision includes what GenAI will (and will not) be used for, who it serves, and what transformation it implies for people and ways of working.

Craft robust GenAI Strategy

Work with leaders to define

Strategic Intent

,

Keys to Winning

, and

Quick Wins

that build belief early. Shape

priorities, OKRs, priority initiatives and risk mitigation approaches

across business, technology, data, risk, talent and change. Balance bold moves with safe, responsible experimentation.

Design tailored Acceleration Plans / Roadmaps

+ Culture and change appetite
+ Regulatory and risk environment
+ Data and platform maturity
Build

Acceleration Plans / Roadmaps

that are more than templates - tailored adoption plans that reflect each client's: Sequence work so that quick wins, foundational capability and operating-model shifts reinforce each other.

Guide development and support of GenAI solutions (E2E)

Understand the full

end-to-end GenAI solution lifecycle

: opportunity shaping, data readiness, model/solution design, evaluation, deployment, monitoring and ongoing support. Collaborate with technical teams to shape solution design, acceptance criteria, guardrails and support models - without needing to write code themselves.

Embed Secure & Responsible AI and Integrated Governance

Ensure

Secure & Responsible AI

is built into every recommendation: data protection, access control, model risk, bias, explainability, human-in-the-loop. Design

integrated governance

- pragmatic guardrails, decision forums, policies and controls that connect risk, legal, compliance, business and technical teams.

Build GenAI Insights and performance discipline

Define

GenAI Insights

- the metrics, dashboards and narrative that show where value, risk, adoption and readiness are moving. Shape

KPIs and OKRs

and help leaders interpret them to steer strategy, investment and change.

Lead Quarterly Planning & Rhythm

Shape and facilitate

quarterly planning

(often plugged into existing PI / QBR / portfolio rhythms) to align initiatives, sequencing, funding and capacity. Ensure GenAI priorities are realistic, integrated and revisited each quarter based on insights, risk and learning.

Drive Comms and Structured Change Management

Co-create

communication plans

that tell a clear, consistent GenAI story - why, what, how, when, and "what it means for me". Apply

structured change management

approaches to support adoption: stakeholder mapping, impact assessments, change plans, training and feedback loops. Note: As all iqbusiness roles require honesty in the handling of or access to cash, finances, financial systems, or confidential information, our recruitment process requires that the following background checks be completed: credit, criminal, ID, and qualification verification.

iqbusiness is committed to sustainable growth and transformation; we embrace diversity and employ previously disadvantaged individuals.