AI change lead

Vacancy details

Salary:

£77,676

Hours:

35 hours per week

Contract:

12 Month Fixed Term Contract / Secondment Opportunity

Closing date:

08:00 on Monday 26 October 2026

About us

We are a scrutiny body that supports improvement. That means we look at the quality of care in Scotland to ensure it meets high standards. We are responsible for providing assurance and protection for people who experience care services, their families, carers and the wider public. Our vision is that people across Scotland experience high-quality care that meets their needs, rights and choices.

Our values

1. Person-centred: we put people, empathy, compassion, and kindness at the heart of everything we do

2. Respect: we value everyone's dignity and are respectful in everything we do

3. Equity: we embrace diversity and nurture an inclusive environment where everyone is supported to achieve equal outcomes

4. Integrity: we act impartially, fairly, and consistently, upholding transparency and accountability in all our actions

5. Impact: we focus on making a positive impact for everyone experiencing care in Scotland whilst ensuring our work delivers the best value to the public

Work-life balance

Our desire is to achieve an effective and balanced way of working, which enables us to meet organisational needs and achieve a work-life balance that promotes wellbeing and collaboration opportunities. Our hybrid working policy gives you the flexibility to mix working from home with attendance at your base office and other work locations, spending no more than 60% of your working time working from home, measured over a four-week period.

Starting salary

New employees start at the minimum salary for the grade. Find out about our generous benefits package.

Secondment Opportunity

We are open to considering applications on a secondment basis for suitable candidates. Any secondment arrangement will be subject to agreement with the successful candidate’s current employer.

About the role

Reporting to the head of IT service delivery, this newly created role offers a unique opportunity to shape how the Care Inspectorate embraces and adopts Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the organisation.

As our AI change lead, you will provide visible leadership for the people and organisational aspects of AI-enabled transformation. You will translate the Care Inspectorate's ambitions for AI into a practical and sustainable change and adoption strategy, bringing together governance, technology, service redesign, learning, communication and culture change.

Working collaboratively with senior leaders, operational teams, digital, data and IT colleagues, information governance, learning and development, communications, staff representatives and external partners, you will identify and manage the impacts of AI-driven change across the organisation. You will create the conditions for successful adoption by ensuring colleagues are engaged early, equipped with the right knowledge and skills, and confident in using AI responsibly, ethically and effectively.

This is a rare opportunity to establish and develop a new role, influencing how AI is embedded across the Care Inspectorate and helping to shape the future of our services. If you are passionate about leading change, building capability and supporting innovation that delivers real impact, we would love to hear from you.

You will:

• Develop and deliver an organisation-wide AI change, engagement and adoption plan aligned with the Digital, Data and AI Strategy
• Assess the people, process, culture and capability impacts of proposed AI initiatives and translate these into clear change interventions
• Build effective relationships with leaders, managers, staff networks and service teams, creating ownership and advocacy for change
• Establish and support a network of AI champions to encourage peer learning, responsible experimentation and the sharing of good practice
• Design and coordinate communications, engagement, learning and guidance that build confidence and practical AI capability
• Work with service areas to identify, prioritise and shape AI use cases that address genuine business needs and deliver measurable public value
• Ensure change activity reflects AI governance, information governance, cyber security, equality, accessibility, ethics and records-management requirements
• Identify and address resistance, barriers, dependencies and unintended impacts, escalating material risks where appropriate
• Define adoption measures, benefits and feedback mechanisms, using evidence and user insight to improve the approach
• Provide clear updates, advice and recommendations to programme governance, senior leaders and other decision-making groups
• Contribute to procurement, supplier engagement and assurance activity where AI-related change, training or adoption services are required
• The role will work flexibly across services and programmes, balancing strategic leadership with hands-on delivery. Some travel to Care Inspectorate offices across Scotland may be required.

You will find more information in the job profile and person specification below.

About you

You will bring a strong track record of leading complex organisational change and helping people adopt new technology or ways of working. You will need a sound understanding of AI’s opportunities, limitations and risks, together with the credibility to work across professional, operational and technical boundaries. 

You will be an inclusive and persuasive communicator who can turn strategic ambition into practical action. You will combine curiosity and pace with sound judgement, empathy and a structured approach to delivery. 

You will have: 

• Substantial experience of leading organisational change, digital adoption or service transformation in a complex environment 
• Experience of developing and delivering change, stakeholder engagement, communication and learning plans 
• A strong understanding of change management principles and the factors that influence successful adoption 
• The ability to engage, influence and constructively challenge senior leaders, managers, professional specialists and frontline colleagues 
• Experience of facilitating workshops, translating complex issues into accessible messages and supporting informed decision-making 
• An understanding of responsible AI, data protection, equality, ethics and risk in an organisational context 
• Strong planning, analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage priorities and dependencies 
• Experience of defining outcomes, monitoring adoption and using insight to demonstrate benefits and improve delivery 
• A collaborative, user-centred approach and a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.

You will hold a relevant qualification or be able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and experience. A recognised qualification in change management, programme delivery, learning and development or a related field would be advantageous. 

What you'll bring

You will be passionate about helping people embrace change and confident in turning ambitious ideas into practical improvements that make a real difference. You'll have a proven track record of leading complex organisational change, supporting colleagues through transformation, and driving the successful adoption of new technologies and ways of working.

While you do not need to be an AI technical specialist, a good grounding in technology and an understanding of how digital systems and data work would be beneficial. You will have a strong understanding of the opportunities, challenges and risks that AI presents in today's workplace. Most importantly, you will be able to build trust and credibility with a wide range of stakeholders, bringing people together across professional, operational and technical teams to achieve shared goals.

We're looking for someone who combines strategic thinking with a hands-on approach. You'll be a skilled communicator who can simplify complex concepts, inspire confidence, and help colleagues understand not only what is changing, but why it matters. Curious, collaborative and outcomes-focused, you'll balance pace and innovation with sound judgement, empathy and a structured approach to delivery.

You'll bring experience in:

• Leading large-scale organisational change, digital adoption programmes or service transformation within complex organisations.
• Developing and delivering change strategies, stakeholder engagement plans, communications and learning initiatives that support successful adoption.
• Applying change management principles to help individuals and teams adapt to new ways of working.
• Building effective relationships and influencing senior leaders, managers, specialists and frontline colleagues to achieve positive outcomes.
• Designing and facilitating workshops, translating complex information into accessible messages, and enabling informed decision-making.
• Embedding user-centred approaches that place people at the heart of change and continuous improvement.

Knowledge and skills you'll offer:

• A strong understanding of change management methodologies and the factors that drive successful and sustainable change.
• Awareness of responsible AI, including considerations around data protection, ethics, equality, governance and risk.
• Excellent planning, analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and dependencies.
• Experience of defining success measures, monitoring adoption, evaluating impact and using insights to demonstrate benefits and improve delivery.
• A collaborative mindset, a commitment to continuous learning, and a genuine enthusiasm for helping people adapt and thrive in a changing environment.

Why this role matters

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape how our organisation adopts emerging technologies and delivers meaningful change. You'll play a key role in ensuring that innovation is embraced confidently, responsibly and successfully, helping colleagues build the skills, confidence and capabilities needed for the future.

Next steps

If you would like more information or an informal chat about the role, please contact recruitment. If you believe that your skills, experience and motivation make you a suitable candidate for this post, please complete our online application form  by 08:00 on Monday 26th October 2026.