Director, Artificial Intelligence

About Us

Samsonite is the worldwide leader in superior travel bags, luggage, and accessories, combining notable style with the latest design technology and the utmost attention to quality and durability. For over 100 years, Samsonite has leveraged its rich heritage to create unparalleled products that fulfill the travel lifestyle needs of conscious movers everywhere. With a portfolio of brands including Samsonite, Tumi, American Tourister, High Sierra, Gregory, Hartmann, and Lipault Paris, our products are sold in over 100 countries in North America, Asia, Europe, and Latin America through our company-operated retail stores, websites, and a variety of retail partners.

Job Description

We are building the next generation of AI-enabled capabilities to elevate consumer experience, sharpen operations, and scale innovation across a global, multi-brand portfolio. We are seeking a Director of AI to help shape and accelerate this transformation - a role at the intersection of applied AI, enterprise platform delivery, and global business transformation, translating enterprise strategy into shipped outcomes. Reporting to the CIO, the Director is accountable for execution and measurable business impact. A successful candidate will partner closely with the regional IT leaders, business function heads, and AI champions to ensure consistent delivery across our multi-brand, multi-region portfolio.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, AI, or a related field.
• 8–12 years of progressive technology experience, including 4+ years leading AI/ML delivery teams.
• Demonstrated track record shipping AI and GenAI solutions into production at scale, with quantifiable business outcomes.
• Hands-on expertise in machine learning, NLP, and Generative AI - including LLMs, RAG, prompt engineering, AI agents, model evaluation, AI workflow orchestration, and responsible AI.
• Direct experience with major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP); comfort using AI tools, copilots, and agentic workflows to accelerate delivery.
• Experience leading distributed delivery teams in matrixed, multi-region organizations.
• Working knowledge of AI governance, ethics, and regulatory frameworks (EU AI Act, GDPR, and emerging US/APAC regulations).

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Global retail, consumer goods, fashion, or omnichannel environments - ideally in a multi-brand portfolio.
• Building or scaling consumer-facing AI experiences (conversational assistants, agentic commerce, personalization, recommendation systems).
• AI-driven marketing capabilities - content/creative generation, AI-led advertising, and AI-driven discovery and search optimization.
• Activating enterprise AI tooling and copilots at scale across a global workforce.
• Operating within or alongside large-scale ERP or digital transformation programs (e.g., SAP S/4HANA migrations).
• Thinks like a product leader, delivers like an engineering leader, and communicates like a transformation lead.
• Is deeply curious about AI but pragmatic about deploying it in real enterprise workflows.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and creates structure where none exists.
• Has strong judgment about when to use AI, when not to use AI, and how to evaluate AI responsibly.
• Is comfortable influencing without authority and aligning stakeholders across business, IT, compliance, and operations.