Lead Business AI Engineer

Who are we?

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities - work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering - you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Job Title: Lead Business AI Engineer

Location: UK - Remote

Role Summary:

We are looking for a Lead Business AI Engineer to spearhead the development of AI-powered business solutions using Microsoft’s enterprise AI tools. In this team lead role, you will guide a small team of AI Engineers in creating and deploying automation and Copilot-based solutions within our Microsoft 365 environment. You will combine hands-on technical problem solving (in a low-code context) with people leadership and delivery oversight to ensure our AI projects are delivered successfully, efficiently, and in line with business needs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Team Leadership: Lead and mentor a team of AI engineers, managing day-to-day work allocation, ensuring high-quality output, and fostering professional growth. Conduct technical reviews and provide guidance to maintain best practices in solution development.
• AI Solution Delivery: Oversee the development and deployment of AI-driven business process enhancements using Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio and Azure Foundry. Ensure projects are delivered on time and meet defined requirements and quality standards.
• Technical Oversight (Low-Code Focus): Architect and guide solution approaches leveraging low-code / no-code components (Power Platform, Azure AI services) rather than bespoke coding. Step in with hands-on support for complex Copilot orchestrations or integration challenges to unblock the team when needed.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Product Owners to clarify requirements and with Solution Architects to align with established architecture patterns. Coordinate with the AI Business Solution Manager to ensure alignment with overall AI strategy and governance.
• Quality & Standards: Champion best practices in secure, compliant AI solution development within the Microsoft ecosystem. Ensure all team outputs align with organisational policies for data security and responsible AI use.

Required Skills & Experience:

• AI & Automation Expertise: Proven experience delivering business automation or AI-based solutions using Microsoft technologies (e.g. Power Apps, Power Automate, Microsoft 365 / Office 365, Azure Foundry). Experience with generative AI/Copilot features or similar AI assistants is highly advantageous.
• Technical Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead or mentor technical teams. Experience coordinating software/solution delivery (e.g. planning tasks, reviewing work, ensuring quality) in a collaborative environment.
• Microsoft Stack Knowledge: Strong familiarity with Microsoft Azure cloud services (especially Azure AI / Azure OpenAI, cognitive services) and the Microsoft 365 platform. Comfortable working in a low-code environment, integrating AI services without heavy custom coding.
• Problem Solving & Communication: Excellent problem-solving skills, with a hands-on approach to resolving technical challenges. Strong communicator able to engage with both technical colleagues and business stakeholders, translating needs into solution designs and articulating progress.

Desirable Skills:

• Power Platform & Copilot certifications (e.g. PL-600 Power Platform Solution Architect Expert, AI-900 Azure AI Fundamentals) or equivalent experience configuring and extending Microsoft’s AI/Power Platform tools.
• Experience deploying or managing AI-driven solutions within enterprise business applications (e.g. automating workflows in Teams/SharePoint using Copilot or similar).
• Familiarity with ITIL or similar frameworks for service operations, given the role’s oversight of solution reliability and support (in partnership with IT Operations teams).

What We Offer:

• A leadership role at the forefront of Microsoft AI (Copilot) adoption within our organisation.
• Collaboration with a dedicated, cross-functional team (Product, Architecture, Business Solutions) to deliver impactful AI capabilities.
• A supportive environment with opportunities for career growth and ongoing training in Microsoft’s latest AI technologies.

Join us to lead a high-performing AI engineering team and drive real business transformation through Microsoft’s cutting-edge AI and automation tools.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity - there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new

• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges

• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application - if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.