AI Models Manager

Who We Are

VOIS (Vodafone Intelligent Solutions) is a strategic arm of Vodafone Group Plc, creating value for customers by delivering intelligent solutions through Talent, Technology & Transformation.

As the largest shared services organisation in the global telco industry with 30,000 FTE, our portfolio of next-generation solutions and services are designed in partnership with customers across Vodafone Group, local markets, and partner markets to simplify and drive growth. With our strategic partner Accenture, we work alongside our Vodafone customers, other Telco and tech companies to drive transformation, meet the challenges of our industry and ensure we stay relevant and resilient. This partnership is a unique, industry-first model which brings together the best of in-house and 3rd party capability.

We work with customers across 28 countries from 10 VOIS locations: Albania, Egypt, Hungary, India, Romania, Spain, Turkey, UK, Germany, Ireland, and with a network of teams in Czech Republic, Italy, Greece, and Portugal.

#VOIS #BeUnrivalled #CreateTheFuture

About This Role

We are seeking an experienced AI Models Lead to serve as the scientific and deep technology anchor of the AI Tower. This role is responsible for developing, fine-tuning, training, validating and governing advanced AI and machine learning models, including Large Language Models (LLMs), Small Language Models (SLMs) and predictive models. The successful candidate will lead high-value experimentation and pilot delivery, providing deep technical leadership across model engineering, data science, vendor strategy and AI innovation while working closely with product and platform teams to enable scalable solutions.

What You’ll Do

Lead the strategy for model selection, fine-tuning and training using approaches such as PEFT and LoRA on proprietary telecommunications data
Deliver high-complexity proof of concepts and pilot programmes for emerging AI use cases and support successful transition into production environments
Provide leadership and subject matter expertise across data science, statistical modelling, machine learning and AI algorithms
Define and oversee model governance frameworks, including model drift monitoring, hallucination measurement, performance evaluation and accuracy tracking
Evaluate and recommend the optimal mix of proprietary, open-source and vendor-based AI models, including solutions from Microsoft, Google, OpenAI and Mistral
Collaborate with platform engineering teams to ensure models are deployable, scalable and operationally effective
Lead distributed teams of machine learning engineers, data scientists and researchers across a complex multinational environment
Manage model training compute budgets, including GPU utilisation and research and development investments
Drive continuous innovation by evaluating emerging developments in AI, model optimisation, quantisation and related technologies
Deliver measurable outcomes including pilot-to-production conversion, model performance improvements, faster delivery cycles and accelerated time to market

Who You Are

Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Mathematics, Physics or a related discipline
Deep expertise in Data Science, Machine Learning and Deep Learning, including Transformer architectures
Expert proficiency in Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow and the Hugging Face ecosystem
Experience with Vertex AI Model Garden and custom model training pipelines
Strong understanding of model fine-tuning techniques such as PEFT and LoRA
Demonstrated ability to translate complex business challenges into data science and machine learning solutions
Experience leading highly skilled technical teams within agile and matrix-based organisations
Proven track record of delivering AI and machine learning initiatives across global and distributed teams
Experience building collaborative relationships with technology partners and vendors
Knowledge of model monitoring, governance, validation and performance optimisation practices
Published research or a proven record of delivering complex machine learning systems would be advantageous

Not a perfect fit?

Concerned you may not meet every requirement? Vodafone is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. If you are excited about this role but your experience does not align exactly with every aspect of the job description, you are encouraged to apply. You may be the right candidate for this or another opportunity, and the recruitment team will support you in exploring where your skills fit best.

What's In It For You

Opportunity to shape AI model strategy and innovation within a global telecommunications environment
Exposure to advanced AI technologies, large-scale datasets and cutting-edge machine learning research
Ability to influence enterprise AI product development from experimentation through to production
Collaboration with global technology teams, product organisations and strategic industry partners
Leadership responsibility across specialised teams of machine learning engineers, researchers and data scientists
Opportunity to drive meaningful business impact through pioneering AI solutions

What Skills You Will Learn

Advanced AI model lifecycle management and governance
Vendor and multi-model strategy across open-source and commercial AI ecosystems
Large-scale AI solution delivery within an enterprise environment
AI platform integration and production readiness practices
Strategic management of AI infrastructure, compute resources and research investments
Cross-functional leadership across product, engineering and data science domains

VOIS Equal Opportunity Employer Commitment

Vodafone recognises and celebrates the value of diversity in building a workforce that reflects the customers and communities it serves. No form of discrimination is tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, discrimination based on race, colour, age, veteran status, gen