Director of AI and Automation

About the role

This is a 6-month contract role with potential to convert to full-time employment or to be hired directly, depending on the candidate and business needs. The position is hybrid with 2–3 days on-site in Nashville, TN each week. Compensation is offered on a W2 basis at $90–$100 per hour, or as a salaried direct-hire package of $165K–$180K plus bonus and stock.

Work authorization: U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents (green card holders), or other individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Partner with business leaders to translate operational needs into analytics, AI, and automation solutions.
• Develop and execute the roadmap for AI, analytics, reporting, and automation initiatives.
• Lead BI and reporting strategy, including dashboards, metrics, KPIs, and self-service analytics.
• Identify, prioritize, and deliver AI use cases that create measurable business value.
• Establish governance standards for responsible AI, data quality, model oversight, privacy, security, and compliance.
• Lead automation initiatives that improve process efficiency, reduce manual work, and support scalable operations.
• Manage project portfolios, budgets, vendor relationships, and delivery timelines for AI and automation programs.
• Build organizational capability through standards, training, adoption support, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Lead and develop teams responsible for analytics, data engineering, AI solutions, and automation delivery.

Skills and experience

• 8+ years of progressive experience in technology, analytics, AI, automation, data, or digital transformation.
• 3+ years of leadership experience managing teams, programs, or enterprise initiatives.
• Experience leading BI/reporting, analytics platforms, automation programs, or AI-enabled solutions.
• Pragmatic experience with data governance, AI governance, security, privacy, and responsible technology practices.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to executive, business, and operational stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success delivering measurable business outcomes through technology-enabled transformation.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in operationally complex environments.
• Familiarity with machine learning, generative AI, robotic process automation, workflow automation, cloud platforms, and modern data architecture.
• Experience with change management, adoption planning, and enterprise capability building.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical benefits
• Competitive pay
• 401(k) retirement plan