Second Wave AI JobsAn AI automation lead or analyst finds work that tools can take off people's hands, then builds or specifies the fix and makes sure teams use it. The work mixes process mapping, hands-on building in tools such as Power Automate or Copilot Studio, and the rules for using AI safely. We read the 8 UK AI automation lead ads on our site (posted between 23 Sep 2026 and 23 Oct 2026) to see where employers put the role, who it reports to and who it works with. 2 of the 8 state a reporting line, and 3 state pay.
Where the role sits
Two of these ads place the role in IT or technology. Fisher German's lead joins the Systems team in IT, and WWF-UK's reports to the Director of Technology. Others sit where the work is: a law firm's knowledge team, or a central AI team, as at HSPG, where the AI Analyst reports to the AI Manager.
| Role | Employer | Where it sits | Reports to | Works with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI Automation & Governance Lead | Fisher German LLP | Systems team in IT; leads the AI Working Group | Not stated | The business, through the AI Working Group |
| AI & Automation Lead | WWF-UK | Technology; the charity's first dedicated AI and automation lead | Director of Technology | Data, security, privacy and technology colleagues, suppliers |
| Automation and AI Analyst (12-month contract) | Global law firm (via Deerfoot Recruitment) | Knowledge team at a global law firm (12-month fixed-term contract) | Not stated | Knowledge lawyers and practice groups |
| Process Improvement and Automation Lead | PHS Group | Group-wide improvement role with no direct reports (1-year fixed term) | Not stated | Senior stakeholders and operational teams across the group |
| Business Process Analyst – Automation & Discovery | LSEG | Discovery for automation; gives inputs to delivery but doesn't manage it | Not stated | DSM Business Services, operational experts, business architects and engineering |
| AI Analyst | HSPG | AI team, no direct reports | AI Manager | Every team, through office hours and training |
| Business Systems Analyst – AI adoption | Employer via Spectrum IT Recruitment | Business systems | Not stated | Business and technology teams |
| AI Acceleration Specialist | Neko Health | AI Acceleration, working as a consultant builder with teams across the company | Not stated | The teams that own each workflow |
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
2 of the 8 ads name a manager: WWF-UK (Director of Technology); HSPG (AI Manager). The other 6 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
The ads name the teams whose work is being changed, and half of them also name security, data protection or governance. WWF-UK's lead works across data, security, privacy and technology to set ownership, human oversight, testing and monitoring. Fisher German's lead runs the AI Working Group, manages the Copilot licences and checks adoption against professional rules from RICS.
Where the role stops
The ads differ on building. WWF-UK asks for software development skills. LSEG's analyst gives inputs to delivery but doesn't manage it, and works with engineering on anything that needs machine learning. PHS says its lead has no direct reports. Say how much building you expect, and who does the rest.
Day to day
- Map how work is done today and find the steps automation or AI could remove.
- Build workflows and small tools, or write clear requirements for a build team.
- Run pilots and move the ones that work into everyday use.
- Apply the rules on data protection, security and human checks to each solution.
- Help teams adopt what has been built and track whether it stays in use.
- Measure the time or money saved.
The first 90 days
Some ads say what the person should have done by a set point:
- HSPG's AI Analyst sets out 12-month outcomes: time saved across the business equal to three months of one person's work, logged in its AI wins tracker; average AI confidence of at least 7 out of 10, measured by a survey every two months from the first month; and three new tools built.
- Neko Health's AI Acceleration Specialist lists what it wants in the first 6 to 12 months, including at least two high-value workflows mapped and redesigned with the teams that own them, with a before-and-after in hours or money agreed with the owner.
A first 90 days we would suggest, based on the duties in these ads:
- Days 1 to 30: meet IT, security, data protection and the teams with the most manual work. Map three or four processes and note the hours they take.
- Days 31 to 60: build or specify fixes for the two with the clearest savings, inside the tools and rules already approved, and agree the before-and-after measure with each process owner.
- Days 61 to 90: put the first fix into everyday use, train the team, track whether it stays in use, and report the time saved.
What to pay
Of the 8 AI automation lead ads we have listed (posted between 23 Sep 2026 and 23 Oct 2026), 3 (38%) state pay. The 3 that give an annual salary range run from £50,000 to £80,000. With 3 annual salaries we show the range, not a median. See the salary benchmarks.
How to assess candidates
Our suggestions:
- Ask them to map one of your processes in the interview and say where they would start.
- Ask for one automation they built that people stopped using, and why.
- Ask how they would check a new AI workflow against your data protection rules before it goes live.
Writing the ad
Use our AI automation lead 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 AI automation lead 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 an AI automation lead?
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 8 UK AI automation lead ads we have listed, 2 give a reporting line and 3 state pay.
Who does an AI automation lead report to?
It varies. In the ads we have listed: WWF-UK, Director of Technology; HSPG, AI Manager. 6 of 8 ads don't say.
What does an AI automation lead cost in the UK?
Of the 8 AI automation lead ads we have listed (posted between 23 Sep 2026 and 23 Oct 2026), 3 (38%) state pay. The 3 that give an annual salary range run from £50,000 to £80,000. With 3 annual salaries we show the range, not a median.