Advanced Specialist, Program Manager

The opportunity

Pearson is transforming how 160 million learners and thousands of employees experience AI — and we need someone to make that change land with people, not just on systems. This role leads enterprise AI change management for Pearson, owning the communities, content, and communications that turn our AI strategy into everyday action across every business unit.

Reporting directly to the AI Strategy & Governance lead in the AI Center for Enablement, you will be the S&G function's authority on change management and AI literacy — working through influence across HR, Corporate communications, Brand, and Business Units.

What you'll do

• Lead change. Design and own Pearson's enterprise AI change management strategy — stakeholder analysis, readiness planning, and execution for major AI rollouts, governance changes, and tool adoptions.
• Own the community. Build and run the AI Adoption Partners Programme — Pearson's embedded AI ambassador network — from role design and onboarding through curriculum, community management, and outcomes measurement (targeting ≥80% of partners reporting they feel equipped).
• Build the content. Create persona-based AI literacy resources — guides, toolkits, playbooks, and training — that make responsible AI accessible and motivating for every employee level and function.
• Shape the narrative. Craft and coordinate the internal AI change communications calendar alongside Brand/CMC, translating complex AI strategy into clear, compelling narratives using Smart Brevity principles — ensuring messaging is concise, actionable, and easy to apply for executives, managers, and frontline staff.
• Measure what matters. Track adoption health through KPI dashboards and surveys; synthesise insights; and report programme performance to senior leadership and the AI Strategy Council.
• Work across the enterprise. Coordinate with HR, L&D, Legal, and Business Unit leaders to align the adoption programme to Pearson's people strategy and ensure it scales across geographies.

What you'll bring

• Enterprise change ownership. You have designed, launched, and measured change programmes at scale in a large, complex organisation — you have owned programmes, not just supported them.
• Methodology fluency. You know a structured change framework deeply — PROSCI ADKAR, Kotter, APMG, or equivalent — and can adapt it to AI and digital transformation contexts.
• Community-building. You have built and sustained ambassador networks, change champion cohorts, or adoption programmes that become more self-sufficient over time.
• Communication excellence. You translate technical or strategic complexity into clear, high-impact narratives that drive action across all audiences. You apply Smart Brevity to cut through noise while maintaining accuracy, and you demonstrate exceptional attention to detail in everything you produce.
• Precision and standards. You hold a high bar for quality — producing communications that are concise, consistent, and error-free, with strong attention to detail and alignment to brand and governance standards.
• Cross-functional influence. You have coordinated across HR, L&D, Communications, and Business Units in a matrixed environment, building alignment without formal authority.
• AI literacy. You understand AI well enough to design credible content — conversant in AI tools, responsible use principles, and what good and poor AI adoption looks like in practice.

It would be great if you also have

• PROSCI Certification (CCMP) or equivalent — APMG Change Management Practitioner, ACMP CCMP.
• Hands-on experience with enterprise AI tools (Microsoft 365 Copilot, GitHub Copilot) or familiarity with AI governance frameworks (Responsible AI, NIST AI RMF).
• Experience designing digital or blended learning content, or working with LMS platforms.
• A background in education, EdTech, or another purpose-driven, learner-centred sector