Digital Innovation Programme Lead

Digital Innovation Programme Lead

Role Purpose

This is a newly created role leading John Paul Construction's AI-first digital transformation programmes. The role holder is personally responsible for business analysis and requirements definition across business and digital transformation initiatives, and for programme managing their delivery.

The role will take on oversight of new digital innovation programmes implemented from 2027 onwards. As John Paul Construction builds its capability in this area, the scope of the role may extend to include an integrated approach to physical AI (robotics) with agentic AI.

Reporting to the Group Innovation Director, this is a highly visible role working across business functions, IT and senior leadership to translate strategy into embedded, adopted change.

Key Responsibilities

Digital Innovation Leadership

• Establish and maintain a prioritised portfolio of future digital innovation, AI, automation opportunities aligned with JPC's business strategy.
• Assess JPC-owned operational standards, approved process and template assets, technology capabilities and strategic priorities to identify future opportunities for AI-enabled improvement.
• Review business processes and lead discovery workshops with business functions to identify, prioritise and develop opportunities for improvement, automation and agentic AI adoption.
• Prepare business cases for proposed digital innovation & AI initiatives, covering strategic fit, scope, expected benefits, costs, delivery approach and return on investment.
• Present recommendations to Group Leadership to ensure strategic fit and approval for execution.
• Develop the digital innovation roadmap, with clear sequencing, dependencies, investment requirements and decision points.
• Own and programme-manage the approved digital innovation roadmap, applying an AI-first approach to identifying and delivering improvement initiatives.
• Define clear outcomes, milestones, accountabilities, budgets, risks, dependencies and decision-making arrangements for each approved initiative.
• Maintain accurate programme documentation, budget controls and executive reporting.

Digital Innovation & Agentic AI Programme Management

• Translate business needs into clear outcomes and requirements that can be understood by IT, data specialists, AI architects and delivery partners.
• Work with IT to agree a clear Statement of Work for each initiative, and take project management oversight of delivery, supported by the IT function.
• Work with external AI vendors and specialist consultants supporting delivery, beyond the internal IT Statement of Work process.
• Work with business owners to define acceptance criteria, testing expectations, operating controls and measurable adoption outcomes.
• Ensure new digital innovation solutions are delivered in line with data protection requirements and responsible AI principles, including appropriate human oversight of automated decisions.
• Maintain a risk an issues log for digital innovation initiatives, escalating promptly where adoption stalls or delivery risk arises.
• As the organisation builds capability in this area, provide oversight of the future integration of physical AI (robotics) with agentic AI systems.
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Team Leadership, Capability Building and Funding Compliance

• Represent the digital innovation agenda to business function leaders and the wider organisation, building engagement and buy-in across the organisation.
• Work with business owners and change specialists to embed new tools and ways of working, with sustained ownership in the relevant function.
• Oversee the development and deployment of training and upskilling materials, detailed content may be developed by a future Change Manager or other designated resource.
• Establish the governance, ownership, adoption measures and benefits-tracking.
• Maintain accurate, contemporaneous documentation of transformation and AI initiatives to support claims for external funding, grants or R&D incentives as required.

Person Specification

Essential

• Proven experience leading business transformation or change programmes within a complex, multi-site organisation.
• Strong business analysis skills, with experience gathering, defining and documenting business and functional requirements for transformation or technology initiatives.
• Practical understanding of digital transformation and emerging automation/AI technologies, with the ability to translate business needs into clear technical requirements.
• Strong programme and project management skills, with experience overseeing delivery through cross-functional teams.
• Experience developing business cases, including budgets, return on investment and cost analysis, for senior leadership or board approval.
• Experience engaging and influencing stakeholders at all levels, including senior leadership.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear governance and reporting documentation.
• Degree qualification in business, engineering, technology or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.

Desirable

• Experience within the construction, engineering or a related project-based sector.
• Formal project or programme management qualification (e.g. PMP, PRINCE2, Agile/Scrum).
• Experience contributing to grant-funded or R&D tax incentive programmes.
• Familiarity with agentic AI, and process automation.
• Awareness of physical AI/robotics and its potential integration with agentic AI systems.
• Understanding of GDPR and data governance principles as they apply to automated systems.
• Ability to build and lead a small team over time, as the role and associated programmes evolve
  

Success Measures

• Adoption rates of agentic AI solutions across target functions.
• Delivery of the agentic AI roadmap against agreed milestones.
• Benefits realised (efficiency, cost, quality) from digital and business transformation initiatives.
• Quality and completeness of documentation supporting funding and grant claims.
• Quality and timeliness of business cases submitted for approval, and adherence to approved programme budgets.

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Pension contribution
• Generous Relocation Allowance (where applicable),
• Career progression opportunities within a growing business
• Opportunity to work on high-profile and technically challenging projects
• Supportive and collaborative working environment

We fully embrace the right of all employees to work in an environment that ensures equal opportunity and treatment with dignity and respect.