Next seeks visionary technology leader for Head of AI and Data Science position within online business

UK omnichannel fashion retailer Next is looking to fill a role in its online business that focuses on agentic and AI shopping.

In a LinkedIn post, Kash Mahmood, Director of E-commerce at Next, said: "We’re evolving how millions of people shop, and we need a visionary technical leader to help us build what’s next. A very exciting role in our online business: we are looking for a Head of AI/ Data Science, focusing on search and discovery to join our team in Leicestershire. This is a rare, high-impact opportunity to own the intelligence layer behind a global retail engine serving over three million daily customers across 80+ international websites."

He added: "You won't just be maintaining systems; you will be leading our transition from traditional search to AI powered and agent-assisted discovery. You will own the science and architecture behind: Search Relevance & Ranking: Developing the models that determine how products are surfaced globally; Next-Gen AI: Moving conversational and agentic shopping from experimentation to large-scale production; Global Personalisation: Building systems that adapt to varied languages, catalogs, and customer behaviours."

"We are looking for a deeply technical leader who thrives at the intersection of machine learning and large-scale systems. Ideally, you bring: A proven track record in search, recommendations, or ranking at scale; Expertise in LLM powered and agentic systems, with the pragmatism to make them scalable and reliable; The ability to lead and mentor a high performing team of data scientists and AI engineers; A focus on measurable impact, balancing technical elegance with commercial objectives like conversion and engagement."

"Product discovery is the heartbeat of our customer experience. Are you ready to join the largest online fashion business in the UK. and one of the fastest growing globally - with a super exciting role in the heart of agentic and AI shopping?"

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

AI will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.