AI & Automation Manager at Sword Group, Scotland Central Belt, 6 Months, £Contract Rate

Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions within the Energy, Public and Finance Sectors, driving transformational change within our clients. We use proven technology, specialist teams and domain expertise to build solid technical foundations across platforms, data, and business applications. We have a passion for using technology to solve business problems, working in partnership with our clients to help in achieving their goals.

About the Role:

This is a strategic leadership role at the centre of a major digital and data transformation. As the AI & Automation Manager, you’ll be responsible for building out a new, multi-vendor capability from the ground up, identifying and prioritising use cases, and overseeing successful delivery.

Working closely with the Head of Data & Analytics and key business leaders (including CIO-level), you'll drive automation and AI adoption across the enterprise. While this is not a hands-on development role, you'll need a strong technical grounding in automation and AI/ML technologies—particularly Microsoft Azure and Power Platform—to assess options, challenge assumptions, and guide decision-making.

Please note: This is an initial 6-month Inside IR35 contract. This role is based in the Central Belt of Scotland, with a preference for candidates who are already local or open to relocating due to team-building requirements. There is also potential for the role to transition into a permanent position thereafter.

As our AI & Automation Manager, you will:

• Build and lead a newly established AI & Automation capability, including third-party/vendor resources
• Define and manage a delivery roadmap of automation and AI/ML use cases
• Prioritise and manage use cases via Azure DevOps, overseeing delivery workflows and value realisation
• Guide discussions around platform/tool selection and scalability (with a core focus on Azure and Power Platform)
• Engage regularly with executive and senior stakeholders to drive alignment, adoption, and visibility
• Bring fresh ideas and challenge the status quo—this is a role for someone who adds value beyond the Microsoft toolset
• Lead with a strategic mindset while ensuring technical decisions are well-informed and grounded
• Champion change, collaboration, and data-led decision making across teams

Requirements

We’re looking for someone with both strategic and technical depth—a leader who can shape capability, influence at senior levels, and still dive deep enough to ensure delivery success.

You will ideally have:

• Experience delivering automation and/or AI/ML initiatives in enterprise or complex environments
• Strong understanding of Microsoft technologies including Azure, Azure DevOps, and Power Platform
• A solid grasp of AI/ML principles and frameworks (you won't be building models, but you must know how they work)
• Experience working with and managing multi-vendor setups or third-party partners
• Ability to assess tools and propose better solutions—open-minded, not just Microsoft-first
• Confident communicator who can work with both technical teams and exec-level stakeholders
• Familiarity with agile delivery practices and backlog management (e.g. SCRUM, sprint planning)
• Exposure to a range of data platforms, APIs, and integration points would be beneficial