Purpose of the post

This role is a key member of the BHF Data Science Centre leadership team, providing strategic leadership and expert guidance on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced deep learning methods in data-driven cardiometabolic research. Working closely with the Centre’s leadership team, particularly the Data Science Team Leads, HDR UK’s AI Advisor, and the wider cardiometabolic and data science communities, the postholder will help identify and prioritise strategic opportunities and support the development of products, services and capabilities that enable high-quality, AI-enabled research and outcomes. Through this work, they will support the delivery of research that demonstrates tangible impact on cardiovascular and metabolic health at both national and international levels.

The successful candidate will possess substantial expertise in the development, evaluation, validation and implementation of AI methodologies and products for health and biomedical research. They will maintain a strong understanding of the rapidly evolving AI landscape, remaining at the forefront of emerging approaches, technologies and best practices within both the AI and healthcare research communities. The postholder will provide thought leadership and influence policy on the opportunities and challenges associated with the adoption of AI in health research, including issues relating to data quality, privacy and re-identification risks, governance, ethics, reproducibility and translation into practice. They will also have a comprehensive understanding of the UK and international AI ecosystem, including emerging capabilities, partnerships and initiatives, and will play a pivotal role in fostering collaboration across academia, healthcare, industry and the wider research community. Through their leadership, they will help ensure that the Centre remains at the leading edge of AI innovation, accelerating the delivery of impactful cardiometabolic research that improves clinical practice and patient outcomes.

Main responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of the Centre’s AI technology strategy, including partnering approaches with the AI industry. Develop and implement delivery plans, ensuring clear alignment with organisational priorities, national healthcare strategies and emerging technological developments. This will include defining objectives, milestones, deliverables, success measures and reporting frameworks.

• Provide strategic leadership for the development and use of AI across cardiometabolic healthcare research and innovation ecosystems, bringing together clinicians, researchers, data scientists, healthcare providers, patients, public contributors, industry partners, regulators and policymakers to prioritise data products and services for the cardiometabolic community. The postholder will foster a culture of collaboration and innovation, using strong influencing, negotiation and stakeholder management skills to build consensus and drive impact.

• Identify, bring in and develop AI talent to the centre through a combination of hiring, upskilling of staff (especially the Data Science and Engineering team) and partnership with both academic institutions and industry.

• Build and sustain partnerships across healthcare, academia, technology and life sciences sectors to accelerate AI innovation, development and implementation. This includes working with NHS organisations, universities, research institutes, industry partners, professional societies, patients and public representatives, and regulatory bodies to identify opportunities, overcome barriers and enable the responsible adoption of AI technologies.

• Work collaboratively with clinical, research, digital and operational leaders to identify and prioritise high-impact AI use cases and programmes, supporting the translation of advanced methodologies into practical healthcare applications. The postholder will work with researchers in the development and delivery of exemplar projects, ensuring solutions are scalable, sustainable and address real-world healthcare challenges.

• Contribute to and lead funding applications, strategic business cases and investment proposals that support AI innovation, infrastructure and service development and collaborative programmes. The postholder will identify funding opportunities and build compelling cases for investment from public, charitable and commercial sources.

• Work with communications, development and delivery teams to articulate the vision, impact and achievements of AI initiatives, ensuring that key milestones, outcomes and lessons learned are effectively communicated to stakeholders, funders, policymakers and the wider public.

• Champion the development and adoption of trustworthy, ethical and transparent AI approaches, ensuring alignment with regulatory, governance, information security and responsible innovation frameworks. The postholder will promote best practice in AI governance, explainability, fairness, safety and public trust across all activities.

• Stay abreast of emerging developments in AI, data science and digital health, assessing their relevance and potential impact on healthcare delivery and research, and providing thought leadership on future opportunities, challenges and strategic priorities.

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