Second Wave AI JobsA Head of AI at a company outside the AI industry sets how AI is chosen, governed and rolled out across the organisation. They own the strategy and the rules, decide which projects go ahead, and report to senior leaders on the results. We read the 5 UK Head of AI ads on our site (posted between 18 Sep 2026 and 19 Oct 2026) to see where employers put the role, who it reports to and who it works with. 1 of the 5 states a reporting line, and 4 state pay.
Where the role sits
These are senior roles that sit close to the top. Brighton College's Director of AI is on the Senior Management Team and reports to the Head Master. The Local Pensions Partnership's Head of AI works with the Chief Technology Officer and the executive team. The workforce solutions business describes its AI Strategy Lead as its first dedicated AI leader.
| Role | Employer | Where it sits | Reports to | Works with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head of AI | Local Pensions Partnership | Senior role working with the CTO and executive team; chairs AI governance forums | Not stated | Chief Technology Officer, executive team, technology, change and project delivery teams, suppliers |
| Head of AI (contract) | UK investment firm (via Harnham) | Six-month contract across the firm and its portfolio companies | Not stated | Executive stakeholders, investment teams and portfolio company leaders |
| Director of AI | Brighton College | Senior Management Team; leads a new AI department and line manages teachers | Head Master (and reports to the Vice Principal on the AI strategy) | Deputy Head (Academic), academic departments, the Futures team, prep schools |
| Head of AI Adoption | techUK | Trade association; also runs a new AI Adoption Coalition across sector bodies | Not stated | Member companies and other trade associations |
| AI Strategy Lead | Workforce solutions business (via Tenth Revolution Group) | First dedicated AI leader in the business | Not stated | Senior leadership |
From the ad text, read on 25 Oct 2026. "Not stated" means the ad doesn't give a reporting line. Closed ads are shown without a link.
Reporting lines
1 of the 5 ads names a manager: Brighton College (Head Master (and reports to the Vice Principal on the AI strategy)). The other 4 leave it out. Decide it before you advertise: it sets the seniority and the pay, and tells candidates who will back them when a team pushes back.
How cross-functional it is
A Head of AI works with almost everyone, but the ads stress two groups: the executive team, who set direction, and the people who control risk. The Local Pensions Partnership's Head of AI chairs the AI governance forums and checks projects against risk appetite, legal duties and information governance. Brighton College's Director of AI leads the AI policies, covering academic integrity, data protection, safeguarding and ethics.
Day to day
- Write the AI strategy and roadmap, and get the executive team to agree it.
- Set up governance: who owns what, how projects are approved, and how risk and data protection are handled.
- Choose and prioritise AI projects, and check each one for value, risk and readiness.
- Work with technology, change and project teams so projects are resourced and delivered.
- Build staff skills and confidence, directly or through a team.
- Report results and set the measures of success.
The first 90 days
Some ads say what the person should have done by a set point:
- UK investment firm (via Harnham)'s Head of AI (contract) lists what it expects in the first six months: an AI maturity assessment across the firm and its main portfolio businesses, an agreed AI strategy and operating model, three to five high-value use cases launched, and governance, risk and compliance frameworks in place.
A first 90 days we would suggest, based on the duties in these ads:
- Days 1 to 30: meet the executive team, technology, risk, legal and data protection. List the AI tools and projects already running and who owns each.
- Days 31 to 60: draft the strategy, the governance model and a short list of priority projects, each with a measure of success.
- Days 61 to 90: get the executive team to agree the plan, set up the governance forum, and start the first projects.
What to pay
Of the 5 Head of AI ads we have listed (posted between 18 Sep 2026 and 19 Oct 2026), 4 (80%) state pay. The 3 that give an annual salary range run from £45,000 to £110,000. With 3 annual salaries we show the range, not a median. One contract role gives a day rate of £800 to £1,000. See the salary benchmarks.
How to assess candidates
Our suggestions:
- Ask how they would decide which of three competing AI projects goes first, and who they would involve.
- Ask what governance they set up last time, and what they would do differently.
- Ask how they would report AI results to a board that is sceptical about the spend.
Writing the ad
Use our Head of AI job description template. Put the pay, the reporting line and the first-year measures in it: they are the parts most often missing from the ads we read.
Advertise your Head of AI role
List it on Second Wave AI Jobs. We link straight to your own ad, so applications come to you.
Free to post until 31 Jan 2027, then paid. Founding employers keep launch pricing.
Questions
How do I hire a Head of AI?
Decide where the role sits and who it reports to, list the teams it will work with, set two or three first-year measures, and state the pay. Then advertise on your own careers site and on boards that list this work. Of the 5 UK Head of AI ads we have listed, 1 gives a reporting line and 4 state pay.
Who does a Head of AI report to?
It varies. In the ads we have listed: Brighton College, Head Master (and reports to the Vice Principal on the AI strategy). 4 of 5 ads don't say.
What does a Head of AI cost in the UK?
Of the 5 Head of AI ads we have listed (posted between 18 Sep 2026 and 19 Oct 2026), 4 (80%) state pay. The 3 that give an annual salary range run from £45,000 to £110,000. With 3 annual salaries we show the range, not a median. One contract role gives a day rate of £800 to £1,000.