Sports Leave
Healthy Lifestyle Allowance
Hybrid Working

Data, Digital & AI Lead

Salary £80,000
Location London / Loughborough / Manchester
Mergefield Title {Mergefield Value}
Mergefield Title {Mergefield Value}

This is a Temporary, Full Time vacancy that will close in {x} days at {xx:xx} BST.

Closing date: 19 April 2026

Interview date: 6th/7th/8th May 2026

Who are UK Sport?

We are the UK’s trusted high-performance experts, powering our greatest athletes, teams and sports to achieve extraordinary success on the world stage. Through National Lottery and Government investment, we support Olympic and Paralympic sports to reach ‑world leading‑ potential — and help bring the world’s biggest sporting events to the UK.

Our purpose is to lead high-performance‑ sport to enable extraordinary moments that enrich lives.
We are on a mission to create the greatest decade of sporting moments — inspiring, reaching and uniting the nation.

About the role

This is a unique and high impact opportunity to transform how the UK’s ‑high-performance system uses data, digital tools‑ and artificial intelligence.

As Data, Digital & AI Lead, you will lead the strategic delivery of the People and Performance pillars of UK Sport’s Data, Digital & AI Strategy  — shaping how athletes, coaches and practitioners learn, connect, collaborate and make decisions.

From building early AI‑driven prototypes, to developing systemwide digital capabilities, through to driving long‑-term‑ planning for LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032  — your work will directly influence the future of UK high-‑performance sport.

This role is for someone who thrives in complexity, sees the possibilities of modern technology, and is energised by shaping a bold, insight ‑driven future.

What you’ll lead

Strategic Leadership

  • Lead delivery of the People and Performance pillars of the UK Sport Data, Digital & AI Strategy
  • Translate strategic ambitions into clear, practical implementation plans
  • Shape system‑wide digital and data direction while supporting the Growth & Productivity pillars

Digital Delivery & Innovation

  • Deliver early high‑value digital and AI solutions, including MVPs and proofs of concept
  • Prioritise opportunities that can drive performance impact — including the LA28 cycle
  • Guide build‑vs‑buy decisions, sequencing, and readiness

System & Stakeholder Engagement

  • Work collaboratively with partners including UKSI, NGBs, Home Nations, BOA and BPA
  • Drive adoption of system tools such as the Performance Hub and system membership models
  • Support alignment with long-‑term system planning for Brisbane 2032

Partnerships & Supplier Management

  • Develop strong, values ‑aligned relationships with technology and delivery partners
  • Oversee supplier ecosystems to ensure strong performance, value for money and ethical AI practice

Collaboration, Governance & Impact

  • Embed best practice in digital governance, data ethics and trust across the system
  • Demonstrate measurable system impact and ROI for digital and AI initiatives
  • Contribute to building a culture of shared learning, insight and evidence ‑based decisions

About you

You’re a strategic, forward thinking leader with a strong track record of delivering transformation in complex environments. You build relationships easily, influence effectively and move comfortably between ‑high level system strategy and hand‑s ‑on delivery.

You’ll bring:

  • Experience working in complex, multi‑stakeholder environments
  • Strong strategic thinking — able to turn ideas into clear, actionable plans
  • Proven ability to lead complex programmes and drive change at pace
  • Excellent communication and influencing skills
  • Confidence working with technical, commercial and delivery partners
  • Experience leading or contributing to interdisciplinary teams

Even better if you also have:

  • Leadership experience across digital, data or AI transformation
  • Understanding of high-performance or elite performance environment‑s
  • Experience designing or implementing digital/data operating models
  • Knowledge of AI ethics, data governance or modern digital delivery practices

UK Sport is the nation’s trusted high-performance experts, powering our greatest athletes, teams, sports, and events to achieve positive success.

Through strategic leadership and investment of National Lottery and Government funds since 1997, UK Sport has transformed the high-performance sporting system, winning more Olympic and Paralympic medals than ever before and is recognised as one of the top nations in the world for event hosting capabilities.

At UK Sport we will utilise the following the tools to support you on your own personal journey to success:

  • Ways of Working Framework – UK Sport’s Ways of Working centres around a central employee engagement plan, where we work and when we work, encouraging mutual trust and respect to create a flexible approach to works with your lifestyle.
  • Access to ‘The Learning Arena’ – Drive your own development through access to our World Class Digital Learning experience used by the UK’s High-Performance Coaches, Athletes and Practitioners. 
  • Enhanced Induction Programme – Ensuring you touch every part of the business and an introduction with our CEO within your first three months.

  • 30 days Annual Leave + all UK Bank Holidays.
  • Holiday Buy & Sell Scheme – Buy extra holiday for that holiday of a lifetime, to spend extra time with your loved ones or sell up to 5 days if that’s a more practical option for you and your lifestyle.
  • Enhanced Family Leave – up to 26 weeks full pay for parents with 12 months’ service or more, and inclusive policies to cover baby loss, fertility treatment and menopause. 
  • Enhanced Sick Leave – up to 6 months at full pay from day one.
  • Sports Leave – up to 4 days off to be a competitor or an official, encouraging you to give back to the sporting community.
  • Compassionate Leave - up to 5 days’ time off to support the loss or serious illness of loved ones. 
  • Emergency Leave – up to 5 days’ full pay to cover life’s unplanned events.
  • Healthy Lifestyle Allowance - up to £50 a month encouraging our employees to pursue sport, hobbies and development opportunities.
  • Pension – UK Sport matches 10% of your annual salary into your pension to help you save for the future.
  • Employee Support – We know it’s sometimes helpful to talk to someone impartial. UK Sport provides all employees with access to confidential assistance and therapy through fully trained counsellors on any personal and financial matters they may face.
  • Travelling to Work – Whether you choose to take the train or cycle to one of our offices, UK Sport can support a season ticket loan or purchasing a bike through the Cycle to Work scheme.

With all our office-based roles available across any of our Manchester, Loughborough or London offices, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace culture where difference is embraced, and exceptional talents can flourish. We strongly encourage applicants from all backgrounds and walks of life, and we’re interested to hear from people that may require flexible working patterns or may want to work less than a full-time contract. 

As we strive to ensure our workforce is more reflective of UK society, we particularly welcome applications from people with ethnically diverse backgrounds or with a disability or long term health condition as these groups are currently underrepresented at UK Sport.

We guarantee interviews to applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role if:

  • They have a physical or mental impairment that has a “substantial” and “long-term” negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities, or
  • Who do not identify as White British/English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish

To qualify, you need to demonstrate in your application that you meet the minimum criteria for the role and belong to one of the above groups. If you have a disability, please contact us to discuss any adjustments you may need at interview or in the role, if successful.

It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the minimum job criteria. For example, in certain recruitment situations, such as an extremely high number of applications that have opted into the scheme and high-peak times, we may have to limit the overall number of interviews offered to all candidates.

UK SPORT IS PROUD TO BE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER. At UK Sport we are determined to lead by example, striving to be a role model organisation in all we do in equality, diversity and inclusion, from leadership to delivery.

Pride & Passion

Commitment to excellence

Integrity and openness

Working together

We have three modern and accessible offices available to all UK Sport Staff:

London 6th Floor, 10 South Colonnade, London, E14 4PU

Loughborough Pavilion 3 Level 2 Sport Park, 3 Oakwood Drive, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3QF

Manchester - 299 Alan Turing Way, Manchester, M11 3BS

10% Pension Employer contribution

30 days' annual leave

Hybrid Working

Retail discounts

and more!

Alternatively, please sign in with...


Published

Not Published

Closing

in X days

{Expiry}