Director of AI & Innovation

Job Description

The Role

The Director of AI & Innovation is responsible for identifying, incubating and scaling emerging AI, technology and innovation opportunities that drive business transformation, customer value, operational efficiency and competitive advantage across CIL and Group functions.

Forming part of the Technology & Data Leadership Team, this role leads the organisation's AI and innovation agenda, ensuring new ideas, technologies, partnerships and ways of working are translated into measurable business outcomes through scalable, governed and commercially viable solutions.

The role acts as a bridge between emerging technology, external innovation ecosystems, operating companies and enterprise execution, fostering collaboration across the Group while strengthening relationships with partners, service providers, startups and innovators across the travel, loyalty and customer engagement ecosystem.

Success measures and KPIs: number of AI and innovation initiatives successfully transitioned into scalable operational or commercial capabilities; measurable business value generated from AI, innovation and ecosystem partnerships; reduction in time from experimentation to operational deployment; increased adoption of AI-enabled workflows, automation and innovation practices across teams; strength and effectiveness of external innovation partnerships and ecosystem collaboration; and strong governance, compliance and risk outcomes for AI and innovation initiatives.

Key relationships: member of the Technology & Data Leadership Team. Key partners: VP of Analytics; VP of Platform Ecosystem; Director of Data, ML & AI Engineering; Product, Commercial, Partnerships and Operations Leadership Teams; Data Governance, Security, Risk and Assurance; Operating Company leadership teams; and external innovation partners, startups, vendors and ecosystem providers.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and lead the enterprise AI and innovation strategy aligned to company priorities and long-term business objectives.
• Identify, evaluate and prioritise high-value opportunities across AI, intelligent automation, digital experiences, customer engagement, and data-driven products and services.
• Drive the adoption of practical AI capabilities across the organisation, accelerating productivity, operational efficiency, insight generation and customer value creation.
• Lead innovation initiatives that strengthen collaboration across Group companies and Operating Companies, enabling reuse of successful AI and digital capabilities while reducing duplication.
• Build strategic relationships with AI vendors, startups, travel ecosystem partners, fintechs, loyalty innovators and technology providers to accelerate innovation and bring emerging capabilities into the organisation.
• Maintain awareness of developments in AI, travel technology, customer engagement, loyalty and digital services, translating emerging trends into practical business opportunities.
• Develop innovation roadmaps, pilots and investment cases that support scalable experimentation, rapid learning and measurable value realisation.
• Lead the Innovation Labs capability, creating a structured environment for experimentation, prototyping and rapid validation of new ideas and technologies.
• Establish frameworks to accelerate the transition from proof-of-concept to scalable operational capabilities and commercial opportunities.
• Drive practical experimentation across AI, intelligent automation, customer experience innovation, digital engagement, operational efficiency and partner-enabled services.
• Ensure innovation activity remains focused on tangible business value, operational impact and strategic differentiation.
• Partner with business, product, analytics and engineering teams to embed AI and innovation into products, workflows and decision-making processes.
• Promote AI literacy and responsible innovation practices across the organisation.
• Support Operating Companies in identifying and adopting AI-enabled and innovation-led capabilities while maintaining alignment with Group standards and platforms.
• Champion the use of AI and automation to improve internal productivity, engineering efficiency, customer experience and operational effectiveness.
• Establish and embed responsible AI and innovation principles, ensuring solutions are ethical, explainable, secure and compliant.
• Partner with Data Governance, Security, Risk, Legal and Assurance teams to manage innovation-related risks and regulatory obligations.
• Ensure appropriate governance, monitoring and controls are applied to experimentation and production solutions.
• Maintain oversight of third-party innovation partners, AI vendors and associated technology risks.
• Work closely with the VP of Analytics to align innovation initiatives with insight priorities, customer value opportunities and business outcomes.
• Partner with the VP of Platform Ecosystem and Director of Data, ML & AI Engineering to ensure innovation is enabled by scalable enterprise platforms and reusable capabilities.
• Collaborate with Product, Commercial, Partnerships and Operations leadership to embed innovation and AI-driven opportunities into strategic roadmaps.
• Foster stronger collaboration and innovation sharing across Operating Companies and business units, identifying opportunities to reuse capabilities, scale successful initiatives and reduce duplication across the Group.
• Build and lead a high-performing AI & Innovation team with strong technical, commercial and strategic capability.
• Foster a culture of experimentation, learning, collaboration and responsible innovation.
• Develop organisational capability in AI and innovation, helping teams confidently adopt emerging technologies and new ways of working.
• Create and nurture external innovation networks across the travel, loyalty, fintech and technology ecosystems to bring new ideas, partnerships and capabilities into the organisation.
• Act as a visible innovation leader across the Group, promoting curiosity, strategic thinking and customer-centric innovation.

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours

Essential

• Significant leadership experience across innovation, AI, digital transformation and adopting emerging technologies.
• Experience identifying and scaling AI and innovation initiatives within complex organisations.
• Strong understanding of modern AI technologies, intelligent automation, digital ecosystems and emerging customer engagement trends.
• Experience working across business, product, engineering, analytics and commercial functions to deliver transformation outcomes.
• Demonstrated success managing innovation portfolios, strategic partnerships and external ecosystems.
• Strong strategic and commercial thinking, with the ability to connect AI, emerging technology and innovation to measurable business value.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and executive communication skills.
• Strong understanding of responsible AI, governance and risk management principles.
• Ability to operate effectively in ambiguity and rapidly evolving environments.
• Balance of visionary thinking and pragmatic execution.

Reward & Benefits: What's in it for me?

We want our people to feel recognised, supported and able to thrive both at work and beyond it.

We offer a competitive reward package designed to support your financial, physical and mental wellbeing, alongside opportunities to learn, develop and be recognised for the contribution you make. Benefits vary by role and location, and full details will be shared as part of the application process.

Equal opportunities: Our commitment to inclusion

Collinson Group is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and experiences, and believe that different perspectives make our business stronger.

About Us

Collinson Group is powered by a culture of innovation, collaboration, and integrity. Our employee experience brings together everything that makes us unique: our strong values, our commitment to sustainability, our recognition programmes, and our inclusive culture. Most importantly, it’s our people who make the difference. At Collinson Group, we’re curious, hardworking, humble, and focused on creating impact together, which is why we’re proud to be recognised as a top workplace.

Why work here?

Better journeys start here — including your own.

Join a growing global business where you can solve meaningful challenges, collaborate with talented people around the world and help shape the future of travel, loyalty and customer experience.

Bring your perspective, grow beyond your role and make an impact that reaches beyond profit.

Your next journey could start here

Our Culture

At Collinson Group, our culture is shaped by how we work as much as what we achieve. We are curious, ambitious and grounded, and we believe the strongest ideas are built together.

Our values — Do the Right Thing, Take Action, One Team and Act Smarter — guide the decisions we make, the way we treat one another and how we deliver for our clients, customers and partners.

We want everyone to have the opportunity to do meaningful work and fulfil their potential. Through learning and development, recognition, wellbeing, inclusion and our commitment to sustainability and community impact, we create an environment where people can grow, contribute and feel that they belong.