Principal - AI, Leadership Practice

The opportunity 

How AI is used is not inevitable. The outcomes it creates are being shaped by the choices leaders make.

AI is likely to be the most consequential amplifier of power since industrialisation. Yet much of the response remains narrow, focused on adoption, efficiency and productivity. We believe the real challenge, and opportunity, is much bigger.

The competitive reality is stark. The compounding advantages to organisations that move early and move seriously on AI will be decisive. Yet most are still treating this as a technology question rather than a leadership question, optimising at the edges when what's needed is a fundamental reimagination of how they create value, how they organise, and what their organisations are for.

At the same time, leaders are being asked to make consequential decisions about AI without the space, the language, or the support to think them through. Decisions about who benefits, who is displaced, and what kind of future they are building with the most powerful technology of their lifetimes. This should worry all of us.

This role sits at the centre of our response: translating our distinctive thinking on AI and leadership into client-ready propositions, and converting growing demand into high-quality engagements. You will work directly with senior leaders on how to lead through this shift with both competitive force and moral ambition - because this moment demands both, held together.

This role is about building and scaling Forward Institute’s AI leadership offer.

It combines three core elements:

The role requires someone who is comfortable operating with autonomy, working across strategy, business development and delivery.

You will work closely with the CEO and Managing Director to translate our distinctive thinking on AI and leadership into propositions and engagements for our partners.

2. Shape and convert client opportunities

3. Deliver high quality AI leadership projects

4. Explore partnerships and contribute to thought leadership

The initial phase of the role will focus on turning momentum into a clear and credible offer. 

Success in the first 6 months looks like:

Success within 12–18 months:

This is a strategic and commercial role at the heart of a growing area of our work. We are looking for someone with strong commercial instinct, intellectual rigour, and a genuine obsession with how AI will reshape organisations, leadership and society.

You will have experience of building and growing a new proposition and the confidence to take it into the market. You are as comfortable winning work as you are delivering it.

Mindset

Capabilities

Experience

Shaping a better future through responsible leadership.

We are a leadership organisation with a single founding conviction: the future will be shaped by the quality of leadership at the top of our most important organisations.

We work with senior leaders across society - from FTSE boards and global companies to central government, the military and national institutions. Our clients are the people whose decisions shape markets, allocate capital, set policy, and determine the direction of the organisations that millions of people depend on.

The world is at an inflection point. The decisions being made right now - about AI, about climate, about the shape of our institutions and economies - will set the direction for a generation. Yet the leadership model that most organisations still run on - built for stability, focused on optimisation, designed to manage rather than to direct - is not fit for a world where the future is genuinely up for grabs.

We call what's needed responsible leadership: the creative and courageous use of power to shape a better future.

Through our advisory practice, leadership programmes and a growing community of more than 1,500 senior leaders, we help organisations close the gap between the leadership they have and the leadership this moment demands. Founded in 2015 and non-profit by design, we combine intellectual and commercial rigour with the relational depth that comes from a decade of working at the most senior levels.

We are a small, ambitious organisation working at the intersection of leadership, responsibility and some of the most significant challenges of our time. The people who thrive here are those who are intellectually curious, have a possibility-driven mindset and who genuinely want to build a better future. 

How we work

We place a strong emphasis on learning. We regularly step back from our work to reflect, challenge our thinking, and learn from one another. This creates an environment where ideas are taken seriously, and where people are expected to think clearly and contribute.

We work closely and collaboratively across the organisation. The standard is high, but so is the level of support. People take ownership of their work, while also investing in each other’s development.

The culture

There is a strong sense of possibility in what we are building. We work with senior leaders on complex, often unresolved challenges. This requires curiosity, openness and a willingness to engage with difficult questions.

Our culture is thoughtful, committed and grounded. We take the work seriously, but aim to do so in a way that is human and supportive.

Benefits include:

To apply,  please send your CV and a video (maximum 90 seconds) answering the following question:

Tell us how you think leaders should approach the challenge of AI. What do you think most organisations are getting wrong, and should be doing differently?

We are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment practices. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences.

We want to make this process as inclusive and accessible as possible. If you have any access needs or specific requirements, please get in touch with fran.carver@forward.institute

Applications for this role are on a rolling basis, closing the 25th May.  

You must have the right to work in the UK. 

If this isn’t quite the right role for you, but you are interested in joining our team, we will also be looking for a Principal and Lead in our Practice, as well as a Partnerships Associate. Please look out on our website for these, or reach out to fran.carver@forward.institute