AI Adoption Expert, Travel Services Platform (3-month Contract with Possible Extension)

Client: Our client is a leading international company in the travel and lifestyle services sector, headquartered in London. The company serves millions of customers worldwide, providing exclusive travel privileges and benefits through its flagship loyalty program, which offers access to airport business lounges around the world. Position overview: This position focuses on leading AI strategy and innovation for a major international travel and lifestyle organization. You will work with executive stakeholders, guide the development of AI capabilities and support the evolution of AI adoption across the business. The work combines strategic consulting, hands on leadership within an AI Center of Excellence and organizational enablement to support meaningful AI transformation. This is a contract based engagement that offers a flexible format while contributing to long term AI initiatives. The role is hybrid and requires the ability to visit the client’s office in London, at least 1 time per week. Responsibilities: Serve as the primary AI consultant to the client, understanding their business challenges and identifying opportunities for AI-driven innovations. Develop and drive the AI strategy aligned with client goals, facilitating innovation and best practices through the AI Center of Excellence. Lead the assessment, prioritization, and roadmap planning of AI initiatives. Collaborate with cross-functional teams including product owners, data scientists, engineers, and business stakeholders to scope, design, and deliver AI solutions. Provide expert guidance on AI technologies, frameworks, and architectures suitable for the client’s environment. Ensure AI projects meet business objectives, maintain technical quality, and follow ethical AI principles. Mentor and lead AI COE team members to build internal AI capabilities and knowledge sharing. Stay abreast of AI trends, tools, and emerging technologies to advise on continuous improvement and innovation. Manage stakeholder expectations, communicate roadmap progress, benefits, risks, and delivery outcomes consistently. Champion AI adoption across the client organization through workshops, demos, and enablement sessions that build enthusiasm and reduce resistance to AI-driven ways of working. Define and track KPIs, adoption metrics, and ROI frameworks to quantify the business impact of AI initiatives and communicate value to executive stakeholders. Establish AI governance frameworks, usage policies, and guardrails to ensure responsible, consistent AI adoption at the organizational level. Guide the evolution toward an Agentic SDLC model, integrating AI agents into software development workflows and redefining team roles, ceremonies, and delivery practices as AI capabilities mature. Drive change management efforts to help teams transition from traditional to AI augmented and agent orchestrated ways of working. 7+ years of experience in AI consulting, solution architecture, or related roles, ideally with leadership responsibilities. Proven expertise in AI/ML technologies, frameworks, and best practices. Strong track record of driving AI initiatives from ideation through design and implementation in enterprise environments. Experience working directly with clients and executive leadership to translate business needs into AI solutions. Hands-on collaboration experience with development teams and data scientists. Solid understanding of AI ethics, data privacy, and responsible AI principles. Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills. Ability to work in complex, fast-moving environments and manage multiple priorities. Advanced degree in Computer Science, AI, Data Science, or related fields preferred. Experience designing and delivering AI training, enablement programs, or internal advocacy initiatives that drive measurable adoption. Familiarity with AI governance frameworks and organizational policy development for responsible AI use. Understanding of how AI is reshaping the software development lifecycle, including emerging Agentic SDLC methodologies and AI-native delivery practices. Nice to have: Experience building or leading Centers of Excellence or CoE-like structures. Familiarity with cloud AI platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and AI lifecycle management tools. Exposure to AI-augmented or agent-orchestrated software delivery models and their impact on team structures and workflows.