Director, Artificial Intelligence (AI) (Virtual, US, 99999)

The Director, Artificial Intelligence, will own and deliver the division’s AI-driven value creation agenda. This leader is accountable for identifying, prioritizing, deploying, and scaling AI initiatives that drive measurable revenue growth, margin expansion, productivity improvement, and compliance strength. This is a business leadership role that uses AI as a lever - not a technical specialist role.

HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT:

• Financial Impact Ownership
  • Deliver defined annual AI-driven EBITDA improvement targets.
  • Build and manage a prioritized AI value portfolio aligned with division strategy.
  • Allocate AI-related investment within approved capital envelope based on ROI and risk.
  • Present AI value creation progress during division operating reviews.
  • Kill, pivot, or scale initiatives based on measurable performance thresholds.
• Growth & Commercial Enablement
  • Identify AI-enabled revenue growth opportunities (pricing optimization, product differentiation, service models, installed base monetization).
  • Partner with commercial and product leaders to embed AI into customer-facing workflows.
  • Support development of AI-enabled products and digital service offerings.
• Operational Margin Expansion
  • Lead deployment of AI-enabled workflow automation and process redesign across operations and SG&A.
  • Reduce cycle time, scrap, rework, inventory, and administrative inefficiencies.
  • Standardize and scale proven AI use cases across business units.
  • Ensure AI adoption translates into sustained operating discipline.
• Governance, Risk & Compliance
  • Ensure all AI initiatives comply with enterprise AI governance, cybersecurity, data privacy, and regulatory standards.
  • Monitor AI solution reliability, performance, and risk exposure.
  • Serve as the division escalation point for AI-related risk and compliance matters.
  • Align divisional initiatives with broader enterprise architecture and platform strategy.
• Organizational Capability & Adoption
  • Build AI literacy across division leadership, managers, and high-potential talent.
  • Translate AI concepts into practical operating behaviors for commercial, operations, and functional teams.
  • Establish adoption standards and accountability mechanisms tied to measurable outcomes.
  • Develop a network of functional AI champions within the division.
  • Embed AI-enabled decision-making into operating rhythms (forecasting, pricing reviews, production planning, customer engagement).
• External Partnerships & Vendor Leverage
  • Identify and evaluate external AI technology partners aligned with divisional value priorities.
  • Structure pilots and commercial agreements to accelerate time-to-value while minimizing risk.
  • Define performance expectations and scalability requirements tied to business outcomes.
  • Rationalize vendor landscape to avoid redundant platforms and fragmented solutions.
  • Ensure third-party tools integrate with enterprise governance and architectural standards.

SUCCESS METRICS:

• Sustained, measurable EBITDA contribution from AI initiatives.
• Embedded AI-enabled workflows across commercial and operational functions.
• Increased adoption rate across teams.
• Replicable use cases scaled across business units.
• Reduced operational friction and improved compliance discipline.
• Contribution to Enterprise AI roadmap.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

This role requires a business operator with strong digital fluency.

Required Experience

• 7+ years in business leadership, operations, product management, analytics, or technology-enabled transformation
• Demonstrated ownership of financial outcomes (revenue growth, cost reduction, margin expansion)
• Experience prioritizing investments and managing tradeoffs under capital constraints
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence senior stakeholders
• Working knowledge of AI, advanced analytics, and modern digital platforms

Preferred

• Experience deploying AI or advanced analytics solutions in an enterprise setting
• Experience working with external technology vendors and negotiating commercial terms
• Exposure to industrial, manufacturing, or engineered product environments
• Experience operating within enterprise governance frameworks.

Deep technical model-building expertise is not required. The leader must understand AI sufficiently to translate capability into business value.

OTHER SKILLS & COMPETENCIES:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Self-starter with strong organizational skills, ability to multitask and attention to detail
• Ability to communicate with all levels of management including senior executives
• Proven ability to work independently as well as in a team environment

TRAVEL: Up to 50%