Executive Head - Group AI Factory

## \n\nWhen it comes to putting people first, we\u0027re number 1. \n\nThe number 1 Top Employer in South Africa. \nCertified by the Top Employer Institute 2026.\n\n## Role Purpose/Business Unit: \n\nWe employ individuals who are as passionate about customers as we are. We are truly Customer Obsessed, which means that we are passionate about exceeding customer expectations; work relentlessly to really understand the customer; look at decisions through the customer\u2019s eyes and take personal accountability for the customer experience. We are looking for exceptional AI technical leader with deep expertise in Big Data Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Intelligent Automation (IA) and Generative / Agentic AI application to help shape Vodacom\u2019s AI-native future.\n\n \nThe Group AI Factory Executive Head is a senior technical leadership role responsible for steering the design, build, and scalable deployment of AI services across Vodacom Group markets. This role will spearhead the AI Factory \u2014 the central engine for delivering reusable, high-impact AI services aligned to Vodacom\u2019s three strategic AI impact pillars: Customer Experience (CX), Monetization, and Productivity \u2014 driving measurable impact and positioning Vodacom as an AI-native organisation by 2030.\n\n## Your responsibilities will include:\n\nAI Factory Technical Leadership \n\u2022 Provide executive technical AI leadership for the AI Factory, setting the vision, roadmap, and delivery priorities for centrally built AI services across Vodacom Group markets. \n\u2022 Lead the end-to-end design, development, and operationalisation of reusable AI services in the AI services library, spanning CX, Monetization, and Productivity AI Impact Pillars across domains. \n\u2022 Drive alignment of the AI Factory deliverables with Vodacom\u2019s Group AI strategy, the Vodafone Group GenAI framework and Tech enablement strategy for AI. \n\u2022 Serve as a senior thought leader, contributing industry insights and shaping Vodacom\u2019s positioning as a pioneer in AI innovation across Africa and the Vodafone ecosystem.\n\n \nAI Services Design, Build \u0026 Reusability \n\u2022 Architect and deliver scalable, reusable AI services that can be rapidly adopted and adapted across all Vodacom Group markets, reducing time to value and maximising impact. \n\u2022 Establish and maintain a unified AI services repository with robust governance, operational frameworks, and lifecycle management processes to ensure compliance, consistency, and efficiency. \n\u2022 Drive tangible efficiency gains through scaled deployments of classical, GenAI, agentic AI solutions in line with Vodacom\u2019s Technology framework. \n\u2022 Champion AI Factory best practices across all key business domains including SCM, Technology, Network, CX, CVM, Enterprise, Channels ensuring alignment with strategic AI business cases.\n\n \nCross-Market Adoption \u0026 Value Delivery \n\u2022 Lead successful AI services adoption across Vodacom Group markets \u2014 South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, DRC, Mozambique, Lesotho and Ethiopia \u2014 to maximise value capture and impact at scale. \n\u2022 Work closely with in-market AI and Tech team to ensure effective implementation, localisation, and adaptation of centrally built AI services. \n\u2022 Define and track KPIs for AI Factory output, measuring diffusion rates, adoption rates, time-to-value, model efficacy across use case categories. \n\u2022 Collaborate with the Group Data and Analytics teams to provide evidence-based insights that drive strategic decisions leveraging new AI technologies.\n\n## \n\nAI Partnerships, Ecosystem \u0026 Innovation \n\u2022 Build and manage strategic AI partnerships with Hyperscalers (AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Huawei) to strengthen AI delivery capability, accelerate prototype development, and leverage cloud-native AI tooling. \n\u2022 Contribute to and leverage the Vodafone Group AI ecosystem, driving synergies, re-use of standardised AI frameworks, and global best practice sharing. \n\u2022 Evaluate and integrate emerging AI technologies, including agentic AI, multimodal models, and real-time decisioning platforms, to maintain Vodacom\u2019s competitive advantage. \n\u2022 Represent Vodacom Group in AI forums, industry bodies, and partner engagements to build thought leadership and strategic relationships.\n\n \nPeople, Culture \u0026 Capability Building \n\u2022 Lead, inspire, and develop a high-performing AI Factory squads made up of data scientists, AI engineers, MLOps practitioners, and solution architects. \n\u2022 Foster a culture of innovation, experimentation, and continuous learning, with a focus on responsible and ethical AI development. \n\u2022 Drive AI literacy and capability uplift across Vodacom Group markets, enabling broader adoption and embedment of AI in day-to-day operations. \n\u2022 Mentor and develop senior data scientists and AI leads within the Group Big Data, AI \u0026 IA function.\n\n## The ideal candidate for this role will have: \n\n\u2022 Bachelor\u2019s degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Engineering, Mathematics a relevant quantitative field as a minimum qualification (essential) \u2013 Master\u2019s degree will be advantageous. \n\u2022 Relevant executive leadership or management certification is advantageous (e.g., MBA or equivalent).\n\n \nExperience \n\u2022 A minimum of 10 \u2013 15 years of progressive experience in AI, Data Science, or related fields, with at least 5 years in a senior technical leadership or executive role. \n\u2022 Proven track record of designing and delivering large-scale AI products, platforms, or services in a complex, multinational or multi-market environment. \n\u2022 Deep hands-on experience in GenAI, Large Language Models (LLMs), Agentic AI, and real-time AI decisioning systems. \n\u2022 Extensive experience building, managing, and scaling AI/ML teams across diverse, cross-functional environments. \n\u2022 Experience working with or within Hyperscaler ecosystems (AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure) at an enterprise or strategic partnership level. \n\u2022 Demonstrated success in driving adoption and commercialisation of AI use cases with measurable business impact (e.g., revenue uplift, cost savings, CX improvements). \n\u2022 Familiarity with AI governance, ethics, and regulatory compliance frameworks at scale.\n\n \nTechnical Expertise \n\u2022 Expert-level proficiency in Python and/or other relevant AI/ML programming languages (R, Scala, Java). \n\u2022 Deep knowledge of machine learning and deep learning frameworks including PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, H2O, and XGBoost. \n\u2022 Expertise in LLM architecture, fine-tuning, prompt engineering, and RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) patterns. \n\u2022 Hands-on experience with MLOps and LLMOps \u2014 including CI/CD pipelines, model versioning, monitoring, and drift detection \u2014 using tools such as MLflow, Kubeflow, or SageMaker. \n\u2022 Strong cloud-native AI deployment experience across AWS (SageMaker, Glue, Athena, Lambda, OpenSearch), GCP, and/or Azure ML. \n\u2022 Proficiency in containerisation and orchestration technologies including Docker and Kubernetes. \n\u2022 Experience with real-time and batch inference architectures, recommendation systems, NLP, and computer vision at scale. \n\u2022 Working knowledge of data engineering platforms, structured (SQL) and unstructured data tools (PySpark, NoSQL, streaming frameworks such as Kafka or Flink). \n\u2022 Familiarity with advanced analytics visualisation tools such as Tableau, Power BI, Apache Superset, Grafana, or Plotly.\n\n## \n\nLeadership \u0026 Behavioural Competencies \n\u2022 Exceptional executive leadership presence with the ability to influence and engage C-suite stakeholders, market CEOs, and global partners. \n\u2022 Design and systems thinking in relation to AI and Machine Learning ecosystems at an enterprise scale. \n\u2022 Entrepreneurial mindset with a bias for action, pace, and delivery in ambiguous, fast-changing environments. \n\u2022 Outstanding communication and storytelling skills \u2014 able to present complex technical content to both technical and non-technical audiences with impact. \n\u2022 Demonstrated ability to build, motivate, and retain high-performing, diverse technical teams. \n\u2022 Customer-obsessed approach: passionate about leveraging AI to exceed customer expectations and create genuine user value. \n\u2022 High ethical standards with a commitment to responsible AI development, fairness, and transparency.\n\n \nClosing date for Applications: 29 April 2026\n\n \nThe base location for this role is Midrand, Vodacom Campus. \n\n \nThe company\u0027s approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply. \nVodacom is committed to an organisational culture that recognises, appreciates, and values diversity \u0026 inclusion.\n