AI Skills Lead

The University of Manchester - Unit M

Job reference: PSX-029672

Salary: UoM Grade 7 £47,389 - £58,225 per annum depending on experience

Faculty/Organisational Unit: Professional Services

Location: Oxford Road

Employment type: Fixed Term

Division/Team: Unit M

Hours Per Week: 35 hours per week/ 1.0 FTE

Closing date: 28/09/2025

Contract Duration: 60 months

School/Directorate: Unit M

Our Commitment to Inclusion: We’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and lived experiences, especially those who are underrepresented in tech and leadership roles. If you're excited about this role but unsure whether you meet every requirement please apply anyway. We value potential as much as experience.

Lead the University into the AI Future: Whether it’s the way we work, learn, discover or make decisions, artificial Intelligence is changing society. At the University of Manchester, we’re positively embracing the opportunity AI presents, to transform the organisation boldly and responsibly.

We’ve been pioneers before. We’re doing it again. The University of Manchester has always stood at the forefront of progress. We helped usher in the computer age in 1948 with the world’s first stored-program computer “The Baby” and Alan Turing helped shape what would become the foundations of AI right here on campus. Home to 25 Nobel laureates, and in the city that helped shape the industrial revolution we’ve always been a place where innovation meets impact.

Manchester 2035 is our long-term strategy to be recognised globally for our research, learning, and civic contribution and AI has a critical role to play, transforming how we teach and learn, reimagining research practices and reshaping operations.

We’re exploring how this fast-moving technology can support our mission: to advance knowledge, transform lives, and make a difference on a global scale.

Artificial Intelligence is already reshaping how we learn, research, and work, but we’re at the early stages of this journey. AI is starting to touch every part of university life, from how we support students, to how we conduct research, to how our professional services operate. But for AI to make a real difference, people across the University need the skills, confidence, and curiosity to use it well.

That’s why we’re looking for an AI Skills Lead: to help our community build the confidence and capability to use AI in informed, inclusive and impactful ways.

The Role: As our AI Skills Lead, you’ll drive the University’s learning strategy for AI and data literacy, working across faculties and functions to ensure that every colleague and student is equipped to understand, engage with, and use AI meaningfully.

This is your opportunity to shape how one of the UK’s leading research universities harnesses AI to drive innovation, enhance education, and transform operations.

We’re looking for someone to lead the development of AI and data literacy across the University. Someone who can connect the dots between strategy and action, between emerging technologies and real-world challenges, and most importantly, between people.

What you will be doing: You’ll be part of a small, high-impact Skunkworks innovation team, reporting directly to our Director of AI Innovation and influencing strategy across the institution.

This is a new and evolving role, so you’ll have plenty of space to shape it, but some of the things you might find yourself doing include:

• Designing a University-wide approach to AI skills from short-term needs to long-term capability
• Working with teams across research, teaching, and operations to understand their learning goals
• Supporting academic and professional services colleagues to build AI into their own work
• Building or sourcing learning content and resources that are inclusive, engaging, and accessible
• Nurturing a culture of experimentation encouraging teams to explore, test, and share what works
• Keeping up to date with how AI is developing and what it means for the sector
• Connecting with partners, peers, and innovators across higher education and beyond

We are flexible, collaborative, and focused on impact. It’s a space where ideas are welcomed, failure is part of the process, and progress is made together.

What You’ll Bring: This isn’t a ‘training manager’ role. It’s for someone who can think strategically, engage widely, and lead boldly. We’re less interested in ticking every box than we are in finding someone with the right mindset: someone who is curious, thoughtful, and able to bring people with them.

Ideally, we are expecting to see:

• Deep understanding of AI technologies and their application
• Experience designing and delivering large-scale digital or AI learning strategies
• Ability to build stakeholder buy-in and shape complex, cross-institutional initiatives
• Excellent communication able to translate complex concepts into accessible, engaging content
• Experience leading learning and development programmes in diverse environments
• A consultative mindset comfortable identifying capability gaps and co-creating solutions
• Knowledge of ethical and legal frameworks surrounding AI adoption
• Strong project leadership and stakeholder engagement skills

Not essential but desirable:

• Experience in a higher education setting
• Understanding of AI regulation, data governance, and sustainable tech practices
• Relevant qualifications (e.g. MSc, CIPD, TAP, or equivalent industry experience)

Why Join Manchester? We’re a university with global reach and local impact from advancing materials science and medicine to shaping responsible innovation. Our AI Innovation team works directly with senior leaders, technologists, and educators to bring smart, scalable, ethical AI into everyday university life. We believe in learning by doing and in building a digital future that puts people first. You’ll join a collaborative culture that encourages experimentation, supports ambition, and values diversity in all its forms.

What You’ll Get: 29 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and December closure days; Generous pension scheme; Flexible and hybrid working; Access to a wide range of staff benefits, including discounts, wellbeing support, and development programmes; The chance to lead change in one of the UK’s most forward-looking universities; Explore full benefits: www.manchester.ac.uk/connect/jobs/benefits-working-here

We anticipate shortlisting will take place week commencing 29th September. Interviews are currently scheduled for 13th October 2025. If you have any queries or for informal enquiries please contact Michael.platt@manchester.ac.uk.