AI CoE Lead

Why we're hiring:

WPP is at the forefront of the marketing and advertising industry's largest transformation. Our Global CIO is leading a significant evolution of our Enterprise Technology capabilities, bringing together over 2,500 technology professionals into an integrated global team. This team will play a crucial role in enabling the ongoing transformation of our agencies and functions. The AI CoE Lead is a senior leadership role responsible for incubation and adoption of enterprise AI by providing one front door, one architecture, and one set of guard-rails for WPP. 
You will establish and lead this critical function from the ground up, building a small specialist team, and leveraging key partnerships across WPP, to create a single view of AI activity and risk, reducing duplication and technical debt, building executive and audit confidence, and enabling faster, safer AI service launches.

 

What you'll be doing:

• Strategic Execution & Scope Delivery: You will be accountable for overseeing all AI activity across Enterprise Technology, including:
  • Agentic Solutions: Delivering agents and workflows for corporate functions such as HR New Joiner Onboarding and Technology Self-service.
  • AI Platforms and Software: Supporting the enterprise rollout of tools such as M365 Copilot, Workday AI, and ServiceNow AI.
  • Proof-of-Concepts & Experiments: Managing all experiments involving WPP data or users, such as conversational AI for data reports.
• Team Leadership & Capability Catalyst: Build, lead, and develop a small, expert team of AI specialists that acts as a "capability catalyst" for the organisation. You will foster a high-performance culture and be responsible for hiring and talent development, while guiding the team to prototype new solutions, share best practices, and "upskill the many."
• Governance & Compliance: Establish and run the enterprise AI governance framework to provide a single view of enterprise AI activity and risk. This includes implementing a process to run AI risk assessments, register each use-case, and set the appropriate intervention level. You will ensure the COE partners effectively with WPP Corporate Governance and WPP Open to manage a shared governance model.
• Demand & Portfolio Management: Establish and operate the "demand front-door" for all enterprise AI ideas. You will lead the triage process to clarify value, risk, and fit, and route ideas to the appropriate delivery teams. You will also partner with the PMO and cluster portfolios to prioritise AI work to ensure faster, safer AI service launches.
• Architecture & Patterns: Direct the team to maintain a library of approved AI reference designs and patterns, acting as the central authority to prevent "shadow architecture" and reduce duplication and technical debt.
• Stakeholder Management & Influence: Act as the functional leader for Enterprise AI, building strategic partnerships with senior stakeholders including Cluster CIOs, WPP Open leadership, and corporate function heads to provide executive and audit confidence.
• Resource Management: Manage the COE's resources, vendor relationships, and software licensing to ensure the cost-effective delivery of AI services and platforms.

 

Who you'll be working with:

The AI CoE Lead will report to the CIO Business Platforms and Corporate and liaise with stakeholders across WPP's Enterprise Technology function.

 

What you'll need:

• Strategic Leadership & Execution: A proven track record of leading specialist technology teams. Must demonstrate the ability to translate strategy into operational plans and foster a high-performance culture.
• Influential Leadership: Experience managing senior technical experts and specialist teams, with accountability for talent development. Proven ability to influence senior-level stakeholders and lead functions through transformation.
• Commercial Acumen: Demonstrable experience managing significant vendor relationships and driving cost-optimisation.
• Operational & Technical Expertise: Broad management knowledge and leadership capability to lead multiple job areas within the AI domain. Deep, mastery-level knowledge of the AI/ML landscape, including governance, architecture, and MLOps.
• Formal Qualifications: A University Degree or equivalent experience is required, with a minimum of 12+ years of prior relevant experience in technology leadership or AI/Data. A graduate-level education (e.g., Master's degree) is highly desirable.

Who you are:

You're open: We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are open-minded: to new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working.

You're optimistic: We believe in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures or our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with conviction: to try the new and to seek the unexpected.

You're extraordinary: we are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we provide extraordinary every day.

 

What we'll give you:

Passionate, inspired people – We aim to create a culture in which people can do extraordinary work.

Scale and opportunity – We offer the opportunity to create, influence and complete projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry.

Challenging and stimulating work – Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge?

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