Guide
Types of AI Roles You Can Hire: Skills and When You Need Them
There are six main AI roles: machine learning engineer, data scientist, automation specialist, AI content strategist, AI governance lead and AI product manager. Most small firms should start with an automation specialist. The table below shows what each role does and when it fits.
How do the roles compare?
| Role | What they do | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Machine learning engineer | Builds, trains and deploys models | AI is core to your product |
| Data scientist | Finds patterns and builds forecasts from data | You have a lot of clean data and a clear question |
| Automation specialist | Connects AI tools to your systems | You want routine work to run on its own |
| AI content strategist | Plans and checks AI produced content | You publish a lot and want it consistent |
| AI governance lead | Keeps AI use lawful, safe and recorded | AI touches personal data or key decisions |
| AI product manager | Decides what to build and for whom | You are building AI features for customers |
What does each role need to know?
Machine learning engineer
Programming, model training and putting models into use. See hiring machine learning engineers.
Data scientist
Statistics, data cleaning and clear reporting.
Automation specialist
Tools such as Make, n8n, Zapier or Power Automate, plus the business process they are automating. This is the role we build for clients most often.
AI content strategist
Writing, editing and quality checks. They know where AI helps and where a person must write. See AI content strategists.
AI governance lead
UK GDPR, risk assessment and policy writing.
AI product manager
Product planning, user needs and working with engineers.
Which role should I hire first?
Pick by the problem, not the title.
If staff lose hours to repeat tasks, you need an automation specialist
If you want to forecast demand from your sales data, you need a data scientist
If you are building a product with AI inside, you need a machine learning engineer
If you worry about safety and compliance, you need governance support
Should I hire, contract or use an agency?
Hire a permanent employee when the work is ongoing. Use a contractor for a defined project. Use an agency when you want a result and not a person on your payroll. Our guide on how to hire an AI expert in the UK compares these routes.
Common questions
Can one person do all of these?
In a small firm, one person may cover two or three. That is common, and fine for early work.
Do I need a data scientist for automation?
No. Most automation needs an automation specialist, not a data scientist.
What is the difference between an AI expert and a developer?
A developer writes software. An AI expert works with AI systems and models, and many are also developers.
Where do I find these people?
Through recruiters, networks and agencies. We supply AI and automation specialists. See AI Recruitment.
What if I only need the work done once?
Use an agency or a contractor, and skip the hire.
How HAeX can help
We can build the system, or place the person who runs it. Browse the Hire an Expert page, or talk to us about AI automation.
Talk through which role you need
The first call is free. We tell you which role fits the job, or whether a build does the job instead.