AI Implementation & Solutions Associate Director

About the Role

Protiviti is looking for a Technology Consulting Associate Director to join our growing Enterprise Data Analytics and AI team. The Factory Associate Director will lead the client and engagement lifecycle for AI Factory opportunities, from initial qualification and solution shaping through contracting, delivery, and follow-on planning. This role requires a combination of consulting, sales, project management, and technical leadership.

You will work closely with clients, account teams, AI architects, engineers, and other specialists to define achievable project scopes, prepare proposals and statements of work, manage delivery, and maintain strong client relationships. Although programming will not be the primary day-to-day responsibility, you must be well versed in AI solution development and capable of contributing directly to architecture, prototyping, programming, troubleshooting, and solution refinement when needed.

Responsibilities

• Client Development and Sales Support
  • Pursue business development opportunities and identify strategies to obtain new work or clientele.
  • Partner with account teams to qualify AI opportunities and determine their fit for the Factory delivery model.
  • Lead discovery conversations to understand client objectives, users, workflows, data, systems, constraints, and expected value.
  • Help clients define a focused initial use case that can be demonstrated and evaluated through a prototype or pilot.
  • Prepare proposals, statements of work, estimates, presentations, and other pursuit materials.
  • Define project scope, deliverables, milestones, responsibilities, assumptions, exclusions, and acceptance criteria.
  • Present the Factory’s capabilities and delivery approach to client executives and technical stakeholders.
  • Identify opportunities to transition successful Factory engagements into pilots, production implementations, or broader transformation initiatives.
• Client and Engagement Management
  • Serve as a primary client contact throughout the engagement.
  • Establish project governance, communication expectations, delivery cadence, and decision-making processes.
  • Manage scope, schedule, budget, resources, risks, dependencies, issues, and stakeholder expectations.
  • Facilitate project kickoffs, working sessions, status meetings, demonstrations, feedback reviews, and executive updates.
  • Coordinate cross-functional teams that may include AI engineers, solution architects, designers, data specialists, industry SMEs, risk professionals, and change specialists.
  • Translate client feedback into clear, prioritized direction for the delivery team.
  • Identify and address scope changes before they affect project commitments.
  • Manage engagement financials and support forecasting, invoicing, and other project administration.
  • Ensure that projects conclude with documented outcomes, recommendations, and an agreed path forward.
• AI Solution Delivery and Technical Leadership
  • Understand how AI-enabled applications are designed, developed, tested, deployed, and integrated into client environments.
  • Guide the development of prototypes and pilots that address real-world business problems and demonstrate measurable value.
  • Evaluate technical feasibility, delivery complexity, data readiness, integration needs, and implementation risks.
  • Work with cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud to support AI solution delivery.
  • Apply knowledge of generative AI, machine learning, agentic systems, retrieval-augmented generation, APIs, data integration, and modern application architectures.
  • Use programming languages and frameworks relevant to AI application development, including Python, JavaScript or TypeScript, and Node.js.
  • Understand backend services, APIs, application logic, data pipelines, and frontend application development.
  • Review solution architectures, implementation approaches, and technical deliverables.
  • Contribute hands-on to architecture, programming, prototyping, troubleshooting, or solution refinement when needed.
  • Support the transition of prototypes into integrated pilots or scalable operational solutions.
  • Apply Responsible AI, security, data privacy, access control, and governance considerations throughout delivery.
• Factory Leadership and Operations
  • Maintain visibility into the Factory opportunity pipeline, active engagements, upcoming demand, and team capacity.
  • Coordinate staffing and project assignments with Factory leadership and technical leads.
  • Help prioritize engagements based on client need, strategic value, readiness, and available resources.
  • Establish consistent delivery practices, templates, quality standards, and project checkpoints.
  • Coach engineers and other team members on client communication, delivery expectations, and consulting practices.
  • Capture reusable assets, delivery patterns, lessons learned, and estimates that improve future engagements.
  • Monitor client satisfaction, delivery performance, and the progression of Factory work into follow-on opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Data Science, Business, or a related discipline; equivalent professional experience will also be considered.
• 9+ years of experience designing, delivering, or managing technology, data, automation, software, or AI solutions.
• Demonstrated experience managing client engagements and multidisciplinary delivery teams.
• Experience supporting sales pursuits and developing proposals, estimates, and statements of work.
• Experience managing project scope, schedules, budgets, resources, risks, and engagement financials.
• Hands-on experience with generative AI experimentation, prototyping, or AI-enabled application development.
• Track record of owning client relationships and managing multi-workstream engagements from kickoff through delivery.
• Working proficiency in Python and/or JavaScript or TypeScript, with the ability to understand, review, and contribute to application code.
• Experience with at least one major cloud platform, such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud.
• Strong executive communication, facilitation, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience in consulting or another client-service environment is strongly preferred.
• Experience managing rapid prototypes, proofs of concept, pilots, or agile software delivery is preferred.
• Relevant cloud, AI, agile, or project management certifications are preferred.

Skills

• Passion for building trusted relationships with client executives, business stakeholders, and technology leaders.
• Ability to help clients solve complex business challenges through innovative AI-enabled solutions and deliver exceptional client experiences.
• Excellence in developing new business opportunities, supporting sales pursuits, and expanding client relationships through networking, collaboration, and strategic engagement.
• Strong ability to communicate complex technical concepts effectively and translate AI capabilities into meaningful business value for diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, drive successful client outcomes, and foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning.

Work Environment

Protiviti practices a hybrid model, combining in-person work with remote flexibility. The ratio of remote to in-person requirements varies by client, project, team, and other business factors. You may work in local Protiviti offices or on client sites, which can include local or out-of-state travel based on project needs and client requests.

Pay

Starting salary range: $162,000.00 - $276,000.00. Placement in the range depends on experience, skills, and geographic work location.

Annual bonus target opportunity: 16% of base salary.

Estimated total cash range (base salary + bonus): $187,920.00 - $320,160.00.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverages.
• FSA and HSA healthcare accounts.
• Life and accident insurance.
• Adoption and fertility assistance.
• Paid parental leave up to 10 weeks.
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage.
• 401(k) savings and investment plan with a 50% employer match on the first 6% of contributions.
• Choice Time Off (CTO) for vacation, personal needs, and sick time (up to 20 days per calendar year for new hires).
• Up to 11 paid holidays per calendar year.

For more details, visit Protiviti’s benefit highlights.