AI Proposition Manager

Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire – hybrid working, with regular travel to client and partner meetings
Salary: £65,000–£85,000 per annum, dependent on experience
Contract: Full-time, permanent (part-time or fractional arrangements will be considered for the right candidate)
Security Clearance: Current SC clearance or eligibility to obtain it is essential

The Opportunity

Copello is working with a specialist consultancy to recruit an AI Assurance Proposition Manager to lead the development and commercialisation of a new AI governance and assurance offering.

Our client works with organisations across Defence, Government and the wider commercial sector, bringing together specialist expertise to solve complex challenges. As the business continues to grow, it is expanding into new markets where organisations face increasingly complex requirements around the safe, reliable and compliant deployment of artificial intelligence.

The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in establishing and growing this new proposition, working closely with a specialist technology partner to bring an AI quality and risk management platform to market.

The platform is designed to determine the assurance requirements for individual AI deployments and maintain appropriate controls throughout their lifecycle, helping organisations translate specialist expertise into a structured, repeatable and auditable process.

While Defence and Government will provide an important foundation, the ambition is to develop a proposition with relevance across multiple sectors, including financial services, healthcare, critical infrastructure, technology and other regulated industries.

The platform supports three progressive levels of assurance, aligned with ISO/IEC 42001, ISO/IEC 23894 and ISO/IEC 42005:

• Impact assessment: Classifies the potential impact of an AI deployment and determines the appropriate assurance pathway.

• Risk assessment: Identifies the essential controls, mitigations and conditions required to proceed.

• Lifecycle control: Establishes and maintains controls across the AI lifecycle, supported by an audit-ready evidence record.

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a proposition from an early stage, shaping its commercial offering, defining its route to market and building the client relationships and pipeline needed to establish a sustainable revenue stream.

The Role

As AI Assurance Proposition Manager, you will own the development and commercialisation of the AI governance and assurance proposition, working in close partnership with the platform provider and the consultancy's leadership and delivery teams.

You will define the service offering, identify target markets, establish the commercial model and lead go-to-market activity. You will also build the relationships and sales pipeline required to convert the opportunity into a successful, revenue-generating business proposition.

The role requires a combination of product or proposition management, commercial development and stakeholder engagement. You will need to be equally comfortable shaping a new offering, engaging with technical specialists and presenting a compelling commercial case to prospective clients.

Key Responsibilities

Partnership and Proposition Development

• Act as the primary day-to-day contact for the technology partner, developing effective working relationships across its teams.

• Translate the platform's assurance capabilities into a clearly defined and commercially viable service offering, including scope, delivery model, pricing and market differentiation.

• Develop a strong working understanding of the AI governance and regulatory landscape relevant to target sectors, including ISO/IEC 42001, ISO/IEC 23894, ISO/IEC 42005, the EU AI Act, UK AI regulation and sector-specific requirements.

• Work collaboratively with the technology partner to align platform capabilities with customer requirements and commercial opportunities.

• Establish a compelling value proposition that differentiates the offering within the developing AI assurance market.

Go-to-Market and Business Development

• Identify and prioritise target sectors and customer segments, building on existing Defence and Government opportunities while expanding into other regulated industries.

• Develop and own the go-to-market strategy, including target markets, positioning, messaging, sales collateral and launch priorities.

• Build, manage and develop a pipeline of prospective clients across the identified sectors.

• Lead early-stage client conversations, opportunity qualification, proposal development and relevant bid activity.

• Represent the business and its AI assurance proposition at client meetings, industry events and partner engagements.

• Develop relationships with prospective customers, industry stakeholders and potential channel partners to support market entry and growth.

Product Ownership and Delivery

• Own the roadmap and prioritisation of the service offering, incorporating customer feedback, emerging market requirements and developments in the underlying platform.

• Work closely with the technology partner to influence platform development and ensure alignment with commercial priorities.

• Coordinate with internal delivery teams to ensure client engagements are appropriately scoped, resourced and deliverable.

• Establish a structured approach to capturing client feedback, tracking engagement outcomes and continuously improving the proposition.

• Maintain clear and accurate records of the commercial pipeline, client engagements and proposition performance.

Commercial Management and Reporting

• Develop the business case for the proposition, including revenue forecasts, pricing assumptions and commercial targets.

• Track performance against agreed pipeline, revenue and growth milestones.

• Provide regular updates to the Managing Director on progress, commercial performance, opportunities and risks.

• Identify opportunities to improve the commercial model, expand the service offering and increase market penetration.

Person Specification

Essential Requirements

• Proven experience in product management, product ownership, proposition development or a closely related commercial role.

• Experience contributing to the launch or development of a new product, service, partnership or commercial offering.

• Strong commercial acumen, with the confidence to develop and own a business case, pricing model and revenue targets.

• Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management skills, with the credibility to engage effectively with technology partners and senior client stakeholders.

• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, compelling commercial propositions for non-specialist buyers.

• A genuine interest in AI governance, risk, safety or compliance, together with the ability and motivation to develop specialist knowledge quickly.

• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the confidence to engage with senior leaders, partners and clients.

• A proactive, entrepreneurial approach and the ability to operate autonomously in a small, growing consultancy.

• Current SC Security Check clearance or eligibility to obtain it.

Desirable Experience

• Direct experience in AI governance, AI safety, technology risk or compliance.

• Familiarity with relevant frameworks and legislation, including ISO/IEC 42001, the EU AI Act or the NIST AI Risk Management Framework.

• Experience selling or developing partnerships across two or more of the following sectors: Defence, Government, financial services, healthcare, critical infrastructure or other regulated industries.

• A recognised product management qualification, such as Certified Scrum Product Owner, or experience in technology partnerships and channel business development.

• An established professional network within the AI governance, risk or compliance community, ideally spanning multiple sectors.

Salary and Package

The salary range for this position is £65,000–£85,000 per annum, dependent on experience, alongside a performance-related element linked to pipeline development and revenue milestones.

Given the early-stage nature of the proposition, part-time or fractional arrangements may also be considered for an exceptional candidate who can demonstrate a strong case for an alternative engagement model during the initial development phase.

Security Clearance

This position requires SC Security Check clearance due to the nature of the consultancy's Defence and Government client base.

Candidates must hold current SC clearance or be readily eligible to obtain it. Eligibility will be assessed in line with the relevant security clearance requirements, including the applicable prerequisites for Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance.

How to Apply

Copello is managing this recruitment process on behalf of its client.

To express your interest, please submit your CV and a short covering note outlining your relevant experience and interest in the opportunity to your Copello recruitment contact.

Applications will be reviewed against the requirements of the position, with particular emphasis on commercial proposition development, product ownership, stakeholder engagement and the ability to establish a new offering in a developing market.