Job vacancy: AI and Automation Manager, Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Milton Keynes

Job summary

Main area: Digital and Data - IT Operations
Grade: Band 8a
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref: 430-CORP26-580A

Employer: Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: IT Technical Services (Dept)
Town: Milton Keynes
Salary: £57,528 - £64,750 Per annum
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 21/08/2026 23:59

AI and Automation Manager

Band 8a

At Milton Keynes University Hospital, you will be welcomed into a friendly and supportive environment where teamwork and respect are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to live our Trust values and behaviours every day, creating a culture where everyone feels heard and valued.

MKUH staff's Motivation and Involvement scores are among the highest in our peer group, showing that our people feel inspired and included in decision-making (Staff Survey, 2024).

Our benefits

We believe in recognising and rewarding the amazing contribution of our staff and that is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, work-life balance, and professional growth, including:

Free on-site parking including EV charging
Complimentary refreshments
Flexible working arrangements
Discounted gym membership
Salary sacrifice car scheme
Generous annual leave, with the option to bank holiday entitlement
Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme
On-site nursery (charges apply)
A wide-ranging staff health and wellbeing programme including EAP
VIVUP products to support your mental, physical, and financial Wellbeing

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will act as the Trust subject matter expert for AI and automation, ensuring safe, ethical and evidence-based adoption aligned to Trust priorities, NHS digital strategy, information governance, clinical safety and regulatory standards.

• Act as the Trust specialist lead for AI and automation, providing expert advice to senior clinical, operational and digital leaders.

• Communicate highly complex, sensitive or contentious AI, automation, risk and benefits information to technical and non-technical audiences, including formal presentations to groups.

• Negotiate priorities, resources and delivery approaches with service leads, suppliers and partner organisations where requirements may be complex or competing.

• Build confidence in AI and automation through clear engagement, transparency, training and multidisciplinary collaboration.

• Lead identification, assessment and prioritisation of AI and automation use cases using evidence, workflow analysis, benefits appraisal and risk assessment.

• Interpret complex technical, clinical, operational and data issues where there may be conflicting evidence, no precedent, or significant safety and governance implications.

• Assess risks relating to clinical safety, bias, equality, privacy, cyber security, supplier assurance, model performance and operational change.

• Use data analysis, modelling and evaluation methods to demonstrate benefits, adoption, performance and safe ongoing use.

• Develop and maintain the Trust AI and automation roadmap, translating strategy into prioritised programmes, deliverables, milestones and resource plans.

• Plan and coordinate a broad range of complex activities across clinical and non-clinical services, adjusting plans in response to changing operational priorities.

• Lead programme and project delivery using appropriate agile, waterfall or hybrid methods, ensuring dependency, risk, issue and change controls are effective.

• Ensure AI and automation initiatives integrate with EPR, clinical documentation, workflow, data, infrastructure and reporting systems.

Please refer to the Job Description for further details

Person specification

Qualifications and knowledge

Essential criteria

Level 7 qualification (master’s) in a relevant subject such as IT, Computer Science, Data Science, Health Informatics or equivalent experience with evidence of the rigorous research in the specialist subject area.
Evidence of continued professional development in digital, data, AI, automation, transformation, governance or leadership.
Project or programme management qualification, such as PRINCE2, Agile, MSP, or equivalent experience.
Highly developed specialist knowledge of AI, automation technologies such as RPA, NLP, machine learning, workflow automation and their safe application in healthcare.
Knowledge of NHS digital strategy, AI governance, clinical safety, information governance, cyber security and relevant regulatory considerations.

Experience

Essential criteria

Experience leading or managing AI, automation, digital workflow, data or complex IM&T solutions in a complex organisation.
Experience delivering digital programmes/projects across clinical and non-clinical services with measurable benefits.
Experience managing staff, work allocation, appraisal, development and performance.

Desirable criteria

Experience working with clinical systems, EPRs, digital documentation, integration, reporting or workflow systems
Experience in the NHS or wider public sector.

Skills

Essential criteria

Strong leadership, programme management, stakeholder management and team development skills.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, including assessment of complex risks, options and benefits.
Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, accessible language for clinical, operational and executive audiences.
Ability to influence, negotiate and secure agreement where priorities are complex or contentious.

Desirable criteria

Experience using data analysis, modelling, reporting or evaluation tools to support decision making and benefits realisation.

Personal and people development

Essential criteria

Ability to lead, motivate, coach and develop staff and multidisciplinary teams.
Commitment to continuous improvement, responsible innovation, equality, diversity and inclusion.
Supports development of digital skills and AI literacy across the organisation.

Communication

Essential criteria

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including formal reports, business cases, presentations and training.
Ability to build effective working relationships with clinicians, operational leaders, suppliers and partner organisations.

We believe success lies in the diversity of our employees and are committed to promoting equality, encouraging diversity and embracing inclusion. We welcome applications from everyone interested in working for us.

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

MKUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of MKUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.

By applying for this role, you accept if successful, that information from your application will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system. Your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which aims at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.

Applications, offers of employment and contracts may be withdrawn or terminated if it is found that fraudulent statements were made or fraudulent documents provided during the recruitment process. Additional possible consequences include referral to professional bodies or criminal sanctions.