AI Solutions Manager

Are you a data scientist who wants to take ideas out of notebooks and into the real world?

This is a rare chance to join a £1.2bn-turnover, not-for-profit organisation at the exact moment it builds its AI and advanced analytics capability from scratch.

The data function is brand new. The mandate is clear. The backing is real. And you'll be working directly with a CDO who has spent her career building serious data teams.

You're not inheriting someone else's mess. You're stepping into a blank slate.

Practical details

Salary: £75,000-£80,000

Benefits: Strong pension and healthcare

Working pattern: 3 days per week in the office - non-negotiable

Location: Candidates must be within ~50 miles of WR1

What makes this role genuinely interesting

This organisation operates across student accommodation, social housing and care homes. That means your work doesn't just end in dashboards, it affects buildings, services, partners and people's day-to-day lives.

Right now, the focus is on:

Understanding historic data properly

Using it to predict what's coming next

Turning quick, "down and dirty" proofs of concept into real operational change

Think predictive maintenance, service downtime reduction, smarter contracts, and eventually light-touch IoT-style use cases. If you've ever wanted to do the kind of work Landsec, innovation teams or physical-world data science groups do, this is that - just earlier and with more freedom.

What you'll actually be doing

Acting as the hands-on AI / advanced analytics lead within a newly formed data function

Building proof-of-concept models using historic and live operational data

Exploring predictive analytics and machine learning use cases that drive tangible outcomes

Working closely with BI Managers and SQL Developers who handle the core reporting layer

Translating analytical insight into something senior stakeholders can actually act on

Helping shape the future tech stack rather than being forced into an existing one

This is not a people-management role. You're not inheriting a team. You will be hands on, influence others, and help define what "good" looks like.

The tech (deliberately flexible)

They're currently working across:

Azure

SAP Datasphere

SAP Analytics Cloud

BI and SQL-heavy environments

But they are not wedded to a fixed stack. Strong fundamentals matter more than specific tools. If you can justify the approach and prove the value quickly, you'll be listened to.

This will suit you if you…

Are a data scientist or advanced analytics specialist with real, applied experience

Have delivered models that influenced decisions in the physical or operational world

Are comfortable working closely with BI teams rather than sitting in isolation

Enjoy ambiguity, quick wins and building something from nothing

Don't want to manage people yet, but want your work to matter

They're deliberately not looking for someone overly senior or heavily managerial