Director, Applied AI Solutions

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI-powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high-performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities. At Lumen, you’ll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what’s next, where performance, security, and resilience matter. This is a high accountability environment where bold ideas drive real innovation for our customers, partners, and industry.

About the role

Lumen is seeking technical AI leaders to drive the development and delivery of high-impact AI solutions across the enterprise. As Director, Applied AI Solutions, you will partner with business, product, engineering, and technology leaders to identify opportunities, shape AI strategies, and deliver scalable solutions that improve customer experience, operational efficiency, and business outcomes. You will lead a team of Applied AI Scientists while serving as a hands-on technical authority across AI architecture, experimentation, model evaluation, agentic systems, and production deployment. This role combines deep AI expertise, product thinking, and leadership to translate emerging AI capabilities into measurable business value.

Responsibilities

• Lead AI strategy, execution, and outcomes for assigned business workstreams.
• Partner with leaders to identify, prioritize, and shape high-value AI opportunities.
• Guide technical decisions across machine learning, agentic AI, retrieval systems, evaluation, safety, reliability, and cost.
• Drive rapid experimentation, productization, and enterprise-scale deployment of AI solutions.
• Build and lead a high-performing team of Applied AI Scientists.
• Establish best practices, frameworks, and operational mechanisms that accelerate AI adoption across Lumen.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in AI, machine learning, applied science, or related disciplines.
• 5+ years leading AI, machine learning, or multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Proven experience delivering AI solutions from concept through production with measurable business impact.
• Strong expertise in machine learning, statistics, experimentation, model evaluation, and agentic AI systems.
• Hands-on experience with modern AI technologies including LLMs, RAG, orchestration frameworks, MLOps/LLMOps, and Python-based ML ecosystems.
• Ability to balance technical depth, product strategy, and stakeholder leadership in fast-paced environments.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills with executive and technical audiences.

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in computer science, AI, machine learning, statistics, operations research, or related field.
• Experience operating AI solutions at enterprise scale or in regulated, security-sensitive environments.
• Experience building reusable AI foundations, evaluation platforms, governance, and enterprise knowledge systems.

Pay

This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary by location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience, and other relevant factors.

• $152,066 - $253,444 in these states: AL, AR, AZ, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MO, MS, MT, ND, NE, NM, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, WI, WV, WY
• $159,670 - $266,116 in these states: CO, HI, MI, MN, NC, NH, NV, OR, RI
• $167,273 - $278,789 in these states: AK, CA, CT, DC, DE, IL, MA, MD, NJ, NY, TX, VA, WA

Benefits

Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of health, life, and voluntary lifestyle benefits, as well as other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional, and financial wellbeing. Additional details about our bonus structure (short-term incentives, long-term incentives, and/or sales compensation) will be provided during the selection process.