Job Description

AI Change and Adoption Manager – Hybrid Working London/Home

The AI Change and Adoption Manager will lead the change approach for the AI Centre of Excellence, helping Sainsbury’s turn AI ambition into confident, responsible and measurable adoption across the business. The role is focused on building awareness, trust and confidence in AI, shaping the narrative and engagement approach, and ensuring colleagues understand how to use AI safely and effectively in everyday ways of working, leading to meaningful adoption of AI across the business.

Working across Data & Analytics, Technology, Change & Transformation and wider business teams, the AI Change and Adoption Manager role will deliver practical change activity including stakeholder engagement, communications, readiness planning, champion networks, communities of practice and adoption measurement. It requires someone who can operate with autonomy in a fast-paced, matrixed environment, influence senior stakeholders, manage ambiguity and bring strong change management, facilitation, communication and organisational skills, alongside curiosity and confidence in AI.

What I am accountable for

• Define, own and deliver Change Management & Adoption methodologies for the AI Centre of Excellence and for AI more widely across Sainsbury’s.
• Support the Head of AI CoE in delivering all aspects of the change plan, including stakeholder analysis, change impact assessment, training, business readiness, communications and engagement.
• Lead and implement the vision and narrative on the case for change that resonates with colleagues at all levels for AI.
• Drive the adoption of AI across Sainsbury’s.
• Build the profile and presence of the AI CoE across Sainsbury’s, so colleagues know what it does, what it offers and how to work with it, owning its internal presence from the intranet and knowledge base through to guidance and FAQs.
• Showcase AI success across the business, running a proactive communications and storytelling plan, including events, showcases and success stories, that builds awareness, confidence and appetite for AI at every level, from the shop floor to the Board.
• Diagnose the cultural and behavioural barriers that exist in relation to AI and create change interventions to address them.
• Foster collaboration by building and running an AI community of practice and a network of AI champions, and by running company-wide AI events to share learning across the business.
• Define and track success measures focused on adoption, cultural outcomes and sentiment, using adoption KPIs and simple dashboards to monitor readiness and adjust change activity where needed.
• Ensure plans are value-driven, driving KPIs on outputs, impacts and benefits to provide tangible, measurable outcomes, and manage these throughout the change management process.
• Produce high-quality change materials, including presentations, training material and written communications.
• Support responsible and safe AI adoption, working closely with AI Governance and Assurance so that change and compliance stay aligned.
• Provide challenge, guidance and support to senior stakeholders and colleagues across the business as a Business Change subject-matter expert, influencing at all levels on AI strategy and deliverables.

What I need to show

• Familiarity with AI tools and maturity models, and being AI-fluent.
• Ability to innovate and implement change, combining strategic and analytical perspectives with a pragmatic approach, coming up with the most successful ways of delivering the change to the business and our colleagues
• Excellent communication, relationship, facilitation and motivational skills.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think strategically.

What I need to know

• Highly experienced in specific Change Management roles
• Evidence of successfully delivering large-scale change initiatives of significant complexity, with multiple stakeholders and broad impact, within technology, AI or a similar space.
• Evidence of delivering and embedding cultural change and/or organisational change.
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership and manage projects from start to finish.
• Strong focus on execution and ability to manage ambiguity.

Essential

• Highly experienced in Change Management roles and delivering AI-driven change initiatives.
• Evidence of successfully delivering large-scale change initiatives of significant complexity, with multiple stakeholders and broad impact within AI
• Familiarity with AI tools and maturity models, and being AI-fluent.
• Excellent stakeholder management, relationship, facilitation and motivational skills.

Desirable

• Experience building and running champion networks or communities of practice.
• Familiarity with adoption-measurement approaches and digital adoption tooling.
• A professional change management certification, or equivalent practical grounding in a recognised change methodology.

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At Sainsbury’s, data sits at the heart of how we operate, innovate and serve our customers. Our Data & Analytics team is building a technically advanced, commercially focused and impactful capability, powering our Next Level Strategy and helping to create a Sainsbury’s powered by industry leading AI algorithms. We use data, technology and advanced analytics to drive better decisions across the business, from forecasting and optimisation to experimentation, personalisation and machine learning. With one of the richest retail datasets In the UK and a portfolio spanning Sainsbury’s, Argos, Habitat and Nectar, the opportunity to innovate is huge. Here, you’ll tackle complex challenges at scale, create measurable impact and grow quickly alongside brilliant colleagues. People who thrive with us combine business understanding, technical expertise and curiosity, with a natural instinct for problem-solving. Join us and help shape the future of retail through data and AI.

We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer so you’ll be welcomed whoever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new — whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business - and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working. When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits. Here are some of them:

Starting off with colleague discount, you'll be able to save 10% on your shopping online and instore at Sainsbury's, Argos, TU and Habitat, and we regularly increase the discount to 15% at points during the year. We've also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover. You'll also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance-related bonus of up to 20% of salary, depending on how we perform.

Your wellbeing is important to us too. You'll receive an annual holiday allowance, and you can buy up to an additional week's holiday, and we provide private healthcare. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, interest free car loan of up to £10k, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, salary advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. And if you ever need it there is also an Employee Assistance Programme.

Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave.

Please see www.sainsburys.jobs for a range of our benefits (note, length of service and eligibility criteria may apply).