Lead Specialist, AI Scientist

Job Title: Lead Specialist, AI Scientist

Career Architecture Tier: E30 (Expert Individual Contributor)

Location: Poznan, Poland (Hybrid)

Role Qualifier: LLM/Agents or Machine Learning

Salary : 25-29k PLN / month gross

Currently, we are looking for candidates with proficiency and experience in at least one of the following areas: LLMs, SLMs, agents / Machine learning (deep learning, computer vision, reinforcement learning, etc.)

Drive the future of AI Transformation ** ** at Pearson as part of ‘AI Centre for Enablement team (AI C4E)’. Inspire innovation. Empower learning.

Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, is hiring a Lead Specialist, AI Scientist for our Office of Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) to play a key role in AI C4E team at Pearson .

Why This Role Matters:

Are you passionate about shaping the future of AI in enterprise environments? Do you thrive at the intersection of strategy, technology, and transformation? Join our AI Center for Enablement (C4E) and be part of a mission-driven team that’s driving the impactful AI innovation across the organization.

This is more than a job—it’s a chance to lead the AI movement, influence enterprise-wide decisions, and empower teams to unlock the full potential of artificial intelligence.

In this key position , you will apply your expertise to translate Pearson’s AI C4E strategy into impactful research and technical exploration. You will lead hands-on investigations into emerging AI techniques, build experimental systems and tools, and contribute to the development of AI-first features that inform future product directions. By collaborating with stakeholders across Pearson and combining your AI and engineering skills, curiosity-driven experimentation, and strategic thinking, you will help shape a forward-looking AI ecosystem that supports innovation in learning and helps people realize the lives they imagine through learning.

As a key member at OCTO AI C4E and Pearson, you will be expected to embody, and role model our leadership dimensions:

Live Our Purpose: You align your values, actions, and goals with Pearson’s mission. You inspire others by articulating a compelling vision, connecting daily work to our broader purpose, and making decisions that reflect a deep understanding of our strategy.

Simplify the Complexity: You navigate ambiguity and distill complexity into clear, actionable plans. You help teams understand how their work contributes to strategic goals, enabling focus, clarity, and effective execution in a dynamic environment.

Carry Our Culture: You foster a culture of customer centricity, high performance, and exceptional collaboration. You lead with integrity, empower others, and build inclusive, high-performing teams that reflect Pearson’s values and behaviors.

Deliver Results: You set ambitious goals and execute with quality, precision, and speed. You hold yourself and others accountable for outcomes, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and delivering measurable impact for learners and stakeholders.

What You’ll Do

Build Prototypes That Matter

• Lead the design and development of PoCs and prototypes that demonstrate the potential of emerging AI technologies in content generation, assessment, and innovative AI-driven personalised learning experiences.
• Translate conceptual ideas into working demos contributing to the development of both AI components for innovative concepts, while also building and demonstrating applications with fully integrated front-end interfaces and back-end systems.

Drive R&D Leadership

• Act as a hands-on technical lead across R&D efforts, setting standards for code quality, scalability, and experimentation.
• Guide decisions and mentor junior peers through complex challenges.

Collaborate Across Boundaries

• Partner closely with product managers, designers, researchers, and business stakeholders to shape use cases and validate feasibility.
• Facilitate conversations with non-technical audiences, translating their needs into PoC ideas, and R&D results into business impact.

Explore Emerging AI/ML

• Stay ahead of trends in ML, GenAI, LLMs, and AI tooling to identify opportunities for innovation.
• Evaluate new models, frameworks, libraries, and platforms for rapid prototyping and experimentation.
• Share insights and learnings with the broader AI community to foster continuous improvement.

Who You Are:

• A pragmatic researcher and builder with deep expertise in AI/ML.
• A technical leader who thrives in ambiguity and can drive clarity through execution.
• A collaborator who bridges the gap between technical and non-technical teams.
• A curious innovator who’s passionate about pushing the boundaries of what AI can do.

What You Bring

• Strong proficiency in at least one of the following AI/ML areas, with expertise across both being highly advantageous:
• LLMs, SLMs, Agents
• Machine Learning (Deep Learning, Computer Vision, Reinforcement Learning, etc.)
• Experience with public cloud platforms and their AI-related services.
• Understanding of AI/ML applications in the educational content contexts.
• Ability to lead technical efforts and mentor peers in a fast-paced R&D environment.
• Excellent communication skills and comfort working with cross-functional stakeholders.

What You’ll Gain:

• A front-row seat to enterprise AI transformation.
• Opportunities to influence strategy and accelerate product innovation.
• A collaborative, inclusive, and innovation-driven culture.
• Access to cutting-edge tools, platforms, and thought leadership.

Why Pearson?

At Pearson, we don’t just build careers—we accelerate them. Known for our strong culture of internal mobility and leadership development, we offer a clear path to broader strategic and executive roles. This position provides visibility into the Chief Technology Office, with direct engagement with the CTO and the Technology Leadership Team—giving you a seat at the table where decisions shape the future.

We believe great work deserves great rewards. That’s why we offer some of the most competitive benefits in the industry—designed to support the diverse needs of our people and their families. Explore ourBenefits.

At Pearson, we’re reimagining learning through technology. If you're a tech visionary who thrives in complexity, leads with purpose, and is excited by the challenge of enabling AI at scale to drive real-world impact— we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today and imagine the impact you can make.

#LI-MG1

Who we are:

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. To learn more: We are Pearson.

Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com.

Job: Data Engineering

Job Family: TECHNOLOGY

Organization: OCTO

Schedule: FULL_TIME

Workplace Type: Hybrid

Req ID: 24434