AI Strategist Job Description and Role Profile

The AI Strategist develops and directs organisation-wide AI strategy, translating business objectives into ethical, scalable AI solutions. Candidates should have a mix of strategic leadership, data and analytics knowledge, and experience working with cross-functional teams to deliver AI-driven outcomes.

AI Strategist Job Profile

The AI Strategist is accountable for defining the strategic vision for artificial intelligence within the organisation and for aligning AI initiatives with business goals. This role combines high-level strategy, governance and prioritisation with practical oversight of delivery to ensure solutions are viable, compliant and deliver measurable value.

The post holder will work closely with senior leaders, data and engineering teams, and business stakeholders to identify opportunities, set roadmaps and establish governance standards that support responsible adoption of AI across the organisation.

AI Strategist Job Description

The AI Strategist leads the development of an actionable AI roadmap, setting priorities that balance commercial benefit, technical feasibility and ethical considerations. They translate strategic objectives into coherent programmes and recommend investment priorities, measurement frameworks and capability building activities required to scale AI across functions.

Day-to-day work will involve stakeholder engagement at executive and operational levels, creating business cases, defining success metrics and coordinating multidisciplinary teams to deliver projects. The role requires oversight of governance, risk assessment and controls to ensure compliant and transparent AI deployment.

The AI Strategist is expected to monitor industry trends and regulatory developments, advise on policy and best practice, and support change management to embed AI capability and data-driven decision making throughout the organisation.

AI Strategist: Duties and Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the enterprise AI strategy and multi-year roadmap aligned to business objectives.
• Assess business processes to identify priority AI and analytics use cases with clear ROI and risk profiles.
• Develop business cases and investment proposals for AI initiatives with quantifiable benefits and timelines.
• Establish governance frameworks and ethical guidelines for responsible AI development and deployment.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams including data, engineering, product and business units to deliver AI programmes.
• Define success metrics, KPIs and performance measurement approaches for AI initiatives.
• Manage stakeholder relationships at senior levels to secure sponsorship and align expectations.
• Conduct risk assessments and ensure controls for data privacy, bias mitigation and model explainability.
• Prioritise AI projects based on strategic value, feasibility and resource constraints.
• Support capability building through training curricula, hiring guidance and knowledge sharing activities.
• Monitor external developments in AI, regulation and industry practice to inform strategic adjustments.
• Oversee vendor selection and third party relationships where external providers are engaged.
• Ensure integration of AI solutions with existing data architecture and operational processes.
• Drive continuous improvement by capturing lessons learnt and promoting reproducible delivery practices.

AI Strategist: Requirements and Qualifications

• Degree in computer science, data science, mathematics, engineering, business or a related discipline.
• Proven experience, typically 5 to 10 years, in strategy and delivery roles involving AI, analytics or data platforms.
• Strong understanding of machine learning concepts, data engineering and model lifecycle management.
• Experience developing business cases and prioritising technology investments with measurable outcomes.
• Knowledge of AI governance, ethics, regulatory requirements and risk management principles.
• Demonstrable stakeholder management and influencing skills at senior organisational levels.
• Excellent analytical, problem solving and decision making abilities with a business orientation.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and coordinating complex programmes across functions.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to present technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Familiarity with data privacy, security and compliance considerations relevant to AI solutions.
• Ability to translate strategic objectives into pragmatic implementation plans and measurable outputs.
• Experience with change management and capability building in large organisations.
• Professional integrity, intellectual curiosity and commitment to responsible AI practices.