VP of Data and AI

Shape how Data and AI power the future of workforce solutions

Location: The Netherlands or the United Kingdom | Global scope: EU, UK, US & APAC 

Are you an experienced Data and AI leader who thrives in an international environment with diverse stakeholders and complex technology landscapes? Do you combine strategic thinking with strong execution and the ability to translate data into real business value? 

We are looking for a Global VP of Data & AI to define and lead our global Data & AI strategy, turning data into a strategic asset and embedding AI across products, platforms, and operations. 

Your impact

In this role, you will define and execute a global Data & AI strategy aligned with business priorities and the Product & Technology vision of HeadFirst Group and Impellam Group. 

A key priority will be establishing a scalable global data platform designed as an internal product, with clear ownership, service levels, and adoption metrics. You will define the roadmap for the platform and ensure it enables trusted, accessible, and high-quality data across regions. Working closely with engineering, architecture, and infrastructure teams, you will ensure the platform supports both operational systems and advanced analytics use cases. 

Building on that foundation, you will lead the adoption of AI across products and operations, defining the organization's approach to machine learning and AI at scale. This includes shaping the model lifecycle from experimentation to production, guiding build-versus-buy decisions for AI capabilities, and establishing responsible AI and model governance standards. You will identify high-value AI use cases across the platform, including talent matching, recruiter workflows, forecasting, pricing optimization, and decision support, while ensuring solutions are scalable, secure, and commercially meaningful. 

Acting as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, you will help translate data and AI capabilities into measurable commercial impact. You will strengthen the organization's analytics maturity, promote self-service analytics, and improve data literacy across teams, enabling better insights and faster decision-making across the business. 

Operating in a complex multi-regional structure, you will work closely with product, engineering, and regional leadership teams to ensure consistent data standards while enabling local teams to operate effectively. 

Within the first 18–24 months, you will have established a clear and trusted global Data & AI strategy, delivered the next phase of our enterprise data platform, and embedded AI capabilities into key products and workflows. You will have strengthened data accessibility across the organization, increased adoption of self-service analytics, and created measurable commercial impact through improved client insights, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision making. 

What will you do?

• Develop and lead the global Data & AI strategy aligned with business and product priorities;

• Develop and scale the organization's global data platform, architecture, and governance model;

• Drive the adoption of AI across products and internal operations;

• Establish clear data governance, ownership, and quality standards across the organization;

• Develop advanced analytics capabilities that support better commercial and operational decision-making;

• Define the operating model for Data & AI, including governance, prioritization, and investment frameworks;

• Build and lead a high-performing global Data & AI organization;

• Work closely with product, engineering, and regional leadership teams to align priorities and deliver measurable impact.

About HeadFirst Group & Impellam Group

HeadFirst Group and Impellam Group operate at the center of the international workforce solutions market, supporting organizations in sourcing and managing their external workforce.

Following the merger with Impellam Group in London, our international footprint has expanded significantly across Europe, the UK, the US, and APAC. As the organization continues to evolve into a more technology and data-driven business, Data & AI will play an increasingly important role in how we innovate, operate, and deliver value to clients.

This role is central to building that global capability.

Location & Application

This role can be fulfilled from either the Netherlands or the United Kingdom. Local employment terms and benefits will apply based on the country of employment. 

Interested? Apply directly via the application button or contact us for more information.

What we expect from you

You are a senior Data & AI leader with a strong strategic mindset and the ability to build and scale capabilities in complex international organizations. You combine deep technical understanding with strong commercial judgment and know how to translate data and AI capabilities into measurable business outcomes. You are comfortable working closely with product and commercial leadership to support client value creation, pricing models, and data-driven product innovation.