Finance AI and Automation Implementation Lead

This role offers an excellent opportunity for an individual looking to deliver practical AI and automation change within a fast-paced and evolving Finance environment. The successful candidate will play a key role in delivering the agreed Finance AI and Automation roadmap, turning approved initiatives into implemented and measurable improvements across the Finance function.

The role will focus heavily on execution, creating clear delivery plans, coordinating Finance and central teams, managing risks and dependencies and ensuring solutions are tested, adopted and deliver the intended benefits.

The role will work with Finance, Technology, Data and Product teams but will not own wider AI strategy or technical solution design. Success will be measured by delivery pace, adoption and benefits realised., * Roadmap Delivery: Implementation of agreed Finance AI and automation initiatives through to deployment, adoption and benefit realisation.

• Requirements Coordination: Work with Finance process owners to confirm business requirements, operational impacts, controls and acceptance criteria.
• Delivery Planning: Translate roadmap priorities into clear delivery plans with defined scope, milestones, owners, dependencies, risks and success measures.
• Delivery Management: Maintain momentum across initiatives, track progress against plan and resolve or esc
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Work closely with Technology, Data, Product and third-party partners to ensure Finance requirements are delivered effectively.
• Controls and Governance: Ensure appropriate controls, audit trails, access management, data quality checks and escalation routes are in place before implementation.
• Testing and Readiness: Coordinate testing, user acceptance and operational readiness, ensuring outputs are validated before go-live.
• Implementation and Adoption: Lead communications, training, documentation and handover activity to embed new ways of working across Finance.
• Risk and Dependency Management: Identify and manage delivery risks, dependencies, operational impacts and control concerns, escalating where required.
• Benefits Tracking: Measure and report delivered outcomes, including time saved, reduced errors, stronger controls and improved cycle times.
• Scope Management: Maintain focus on agreed roadmap outcomes and prevent unnecessary expansion, redesign or over-engineering.
• Stakeholder Management: Build strong relationships across Finance and central teams to support timely decisions and maintain delivery momentum.

• GCSE Mathematics and English required.
• Intermediate to advanced Excel skills required, including formulas, pivot tables and data analysis.
• Experience delivering process improvement, automation, AI-enabled change or data-led transformation within a Finance function.
• Strong understanding of Finance processes such as reconciliations, accounts payable, accounts receivable, reporting, controls or month-end close.
• Experience working with Technology, Data or Product teams to deliver system or process change.
• Experience with tools such as Power Automate, Power BI, UiPath, Alteryx, D365, Microsoft Copilot or similar is desirable.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to translate business requirements into practical delivery plans.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and organisational skills.
• Experience working within a fast-paced, high-volume or multi-entity finance environment would be advantageous.

• Competitive salary + annual bonus
• Flexible hybrid working
• Career development opportunities
• 25 days holiday (increasing to 28 after 5 years)
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity pay
• 1 day paid charity day
• Company events and incentives
• 3x salary death in service benefit
• Pension scheme
• Private Medical Insurance or Healthcare Cash Plan
• Free breakfast and beverages