Head of Data & AI

About Instant Impact:

Instant Impact helps organisations turn talent into a competitive advantage. We do this through three core solutions:

• Impact Talent: our embedded recruitment solution that blends expert in‐house teams with a modular, AI‐powered tech stack to build high‐performing TA functions and deliver consistent hiring outcomes.
• Impact X: our Executive Search solution, designed to connect organisations with exceptional senior leaders who drive transformation and growth.
• Impact Transformation: our embedded AI transformation solution. We place specialists inside our clients' businesses to design the strategy, implement the right tools, upskill teams, and unlock material productivity gains, leaving lasting capability, not just a slide deck.

How We Work

At Instant Impact, our approach is shaped by three core ways of working:

• Growth Mindset: We believe in continuous improvement, for ourselves, our teams, and our clients. Every challenge is a chance to learn, innovate, and raise the bar.
• Accountability: We own our commitments. From hitting SLAs to developing our people, we do what we say we'll do and we measure what matters.
• Pace & Collaboration: Speed wins, but not at the expense of quality. We work closely together across teams, with clients, and with candidates to move faster and smarter.

About the role

Instant Impact is hiring a Head of Data & AI to lead our organisation's data transformation and AI strategy, shaping the vision, architecture, and direction of a modern data and AI function. You will build our first unified data warehouse and introduce scalable AI capabilities that help teams work smarter, unlock value, and enhance analytics for clients.

You'll oversee data engineering, AI implementation, agentic system development, workflow automation, and data governance, working closely with stakeholders across the organisation and an offshore team. We're looking for a senior technical leader with deep engineering expertise, hands-on experience with modern AI technologies, and a proven ability to define strategy, build teams, and deliver production-ready data and AI products.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and oversee AI-driven solutions, including agentic systems, workflow automation, and LLM-powered applications.
• Lead the build and evolution of a unified data warehouse and modern data platform.
• Guide scalable data pipelines across Microsoft Fabric, Snowflake, and other platforms.
• Oversee reliable API integrations and data flow.
• Develop and deploy AI solutions using OpenAI and similar APIs.
• Drive experimental AI product development and internal productivity tools.
• Ensure data quality and validation within modern architecture models.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to gather requirements and communicate strategy.
• Support, coach, and grow UK-based and offshore team members.
• Maintain clear, high-quality documentation.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related field.
• 7+ years in data engineering, data architecture, or AI-focused roles.
• Strong experience with Microsoft Azure (Fabric, Data Factory, Azure SQL, Power BI).
• Experience with Snowflake, DBT, and modern cloud data warehouses.
• Hands-on work with agentic AI systems, automation frameworks, and generative AI.
• Proficiency in Python and SQL; strong data modelling and warehouse design skills.
• Experience with API integration and data ingestion frameworks.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement; 3+ years leading teams.

Nice to Have

OpenAI API experience; LLM deployment; low/no-code AI orchestration; OCR/NLP; Azure Functions/Kubernetes/Terraform; automation tools (n8n, Make.com, Zapier); HR tech experience; medallion architecture; Azure certifications.

Benefits

• Work from Anywhere Policy: Enjoy the flexibility to work from any location for up to 4 weeks each year.
• Private Health Insurance: Your health and well-being are a priority. Benefit from comprehensive private health insurance for peace of mind.
• Home Office Allowance: Create your perfect home workspace with a £200 allowance to enhance your comfort and productivity.
• Personal Development Fund: Invest in your growth with a £500 annual allowance for professional development. Explore courses, conferences, and more.
• Generous Time Off: Take time to recharge with 25 days of holiday, plus all Bank Holidays. Additionally, enjoy an Employee Enrichment Day and a Recharge Day each year.
• Clear Progression Path: Achieve your career goals with a clear progression structure designed to support your professional growth.
• Flexible Working Model: Experience the best of both worlds with the option to work from home or on-site with your client. Your work, your way.
• Team Incentives: Build strong bonds with your colleagues through team incentives, including weekend getaways, social events, and team lunches.
• Dedicated Development Time: Dedicate 10% of your working week to developing yourself, enhancing client relationships, and contributing to Instant Impact's success. Your growth drives our progress.

Why you should (& shouldn't) join Instant Impact

Instant Impact are talent specialists helping mid-sized businesses grow faster and hire smarter. Operating in over 35 countries, we partner with some of the world's most exciting companies—and we know our success starts with our people.

When you join Instant Impact, you'll be part of a team that's people-focused, valuing well-being, flexibility, and inclusion. We're open and transparent, sharing everything from our strategy to financials, so everyone sees the bigger picture.

We believe everyone is a leader, empowered to make informed decisions and own their impact. We thrive on feedback, love challenging the status quo, and constantly push for better—together.

Our standards are high because our ambitions are even higher. You'll be surrounded by talented, supportive colleagues and given the space to grow, lead, and do your best work.

If that sounds like your kind of environment—we'd love to hear from you.