Greggs
Head of Data & AI
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We have an exciting opportunity for a Head of Data and AI at Greggs.
We’re looking for someone who will be instrumental in evolving our strategy to embed in Greggs, the AI capability to take us to the next stage. Together with the IT & Business Change Director, you will define and deliver Greggs' AI strategy and enable agentic AI as a core part of how the business operates.
Leading the evolution of data, analytics and decision-making capabilities, you will drive organisation wide adoption, deliver measurable business value, and help create a truly AI enabled culture across Greggs.
We can offer:
- Management Bonus Scheme which is worth up to 30% of your salary
- Pension scheme with matching employer contributions up to 7%
- Company car or car allowance
- Colleague discount, up to 50% off our own-produced products
- Profit share - We want everyone to share in the success of the business, so we distribute 10% of our profits to all our colleagues who have at least 6-month service, or more, each year
- 25 days (5 weeks) annual leave, pro-rated, increasing with service (in addition to bank holidays), plus 1 additional floating day
- The opportunity to purchase additional annual leave twice a year
- Colleague share plans, giving you the opportunity to save and invest in Greggs, with the chance to buy Greggs shares at a discounted rate
- Private Medical Insurance which is free for you and subsidised for your dependants
- Income Protection should you become unable to work due to long-term sickness
- Death in service benefit which provides a lump-sum payment equal to 4 times your year's salary
- Virtual GP, Physiotherapy and Lifestyle Consultations - we provide access to a fantastic total wellbeing app for you and your family
- Employee Assistance Programme - we provide all colleagues with access to an EAP helpline providing mental health support as well as financial and legal support
- Savings and discounts, including digital gift card discounts, online cashback, in-store and online coupons and lifestyle offers
- Career progression and learning and development opportunities
- A company who cares about our communities; the environment and being a better business! Click here to read about The Greggs Pledge
- Colleague Networks - internal groups where colleagues and their allies can share their own experiences, offer feedback on the way we do things at Greggs, and provide support to one another
About the role
- This is a full-time role, however flexibility in this will be considered
- We know that having a work-life balance is important, so we offer our colleagues as much flexibility as possible in line with the needs of their role
- The base location for this role is Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE12 8EW
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What you'll do
AI strategy & transformation
- Define and deliver Greggs' AI strategy, taking the business from AI experimentation to controlled, scalable and sustainable delivery, with agentic AI at the heart of the opportunity
- Own and deliver the machine learning roadmap, business case and operating model for AI, securing Operating Board investment to deliver meaningful business outcomes
- Identify, prioritise and scale AI opportunities across Greggs, embedding AI into the way the business operates and makes decisions
- Act as a catalyst for change, helping colleagues across the organisation understand, adopt and maximise the value of AI
AI capability & governance
- Lead and grow Greggs' AI capability, including AI Product, Data Science, AI Productivity and AI Governance
- Establish the frameworks, governance and controls required to ensure AI is deployed responsibly, balancing innovation with appropriate risk management
- Drive AI capability across the organisation through initiatives such as our AI Academy, AI Champions network and adoption programmes for knowledge workers
Data, analytics & decision intelligence
- Provide leadership for Greggs' established Data Platform, Business Intelligence, Data Science and Analytics teams, ensuring reliable, scalable and trusted data services
- Continue the evolution of Greggs' Databricks platform and analytics capability, helping the business become increasingly insight and decision-led
- Ensure data foundations, governance and reporting capabilities support the organisation's wider AI ambitions
Master Data & business enablement
- Lead Greggs' Master Data function, maintaining high-quality, trusted data that supports operational excellence and strategic decision making
- Oversee the Business Analysis and business-aligned delivery teams, ensuring a clear link between business challenges, AI opportunities and measurable outcomes
- Work closely with technology, product and business leaders across functions including Retail, People, Property, Finance, Supply Chain and Commercial to shape priorities and deliver value
Leadership
- Build and inspire high-performing teams, creating a culture of innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement
- Act as Greggs' leading voice on Data and AI, influencing stakeholders at all levels and helping shape the future direction of the business
- Be passionate about the opportunities that are ahead for us
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About you
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This is a rare opportunity to build on our existing foundations and lead a new AI capability within a major UK consumer brand, not manage an existing one. We're looking for a strategic leader who can translate AI potential into business value, drive organisation-wide change, and influence at the highest levels and demonstrate:
- A credible and influential leader, confident operating at Executive and Operating Board level, to secure alignment, sponsorship and commitment
- An exceptional stakeholder manager, able to collaborate and build strong partnerships across business functions to shape priorities and drive change
- A People-focused leader, experienced in developing high-performing teams, fostering innovation and embedding new ways of working
- Deep, hands on experience of agentic AI, machine learning and AI deployment in production environments, ideally including building an AI or Data Science capability from the ground up
- A proven track record of developing compelling business cases, securing Board-level investment and translating AI strategy into measurable business outcomes
- Comfortable acting as the organisation's leading voice on AI and data, influencing senior stakeholders across a large and complex business.
- Demonstrable experience leading business transformation and embedding new ways of working through technology and AI
- Significant leadership experience within a large-scale Data, Analytics and/or AI function in a consumer-facing, retail, hospitality or FMCG environment
- Strong understanding of modern cloud data platforms (such as Databricks), business intelligence, data governance and master data management
- Experience building, scaling and leading high-performing teams, including creating entirely new capabilities and functions
- Proven ability to work effectively with technology, engineering and product teams to deliver strategic business objectives
About Greggs
Here at Greggs, we love what we do, and we have fun! What makes us so special is our culture - how we behave and support each other. Everyone's welcome at Greggs. Whatever their background, preferences or beliefs we want all of our colleagues to feel welcome and able to be themselves at work. You can read more about us here: Greggs Careers | About Greggs.
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