Director of AI and Data

Responsibilities

• Mature and evolve the company's AI and data strategy aligned with business goals, with a strong focus on customer retention, customer experience, and teammate retention
• Translate the strategy into a sequenced execution plan and roadmap, balancing strategic direction with hands-on build work given the team's early stage of infrastructure
• Identify opportunities for AI-driven transformation across the company's family of brands and technology landscape
• Stay ahead of emerging AI trends, technologies, and regulatory requirements
• Serve as the primary advisor for AI tool selection across business functions
• Develop and maintain a recommended AI tool set for roles across the business based on security, compliance usability, and ROI
• Own the buildout of data infrastructure directly, working hands-on within the team's Microsoft Fabric, Azure, and Synapse environment
• Partner directly with cross-functional teams to gather AI use case requests, then personally build and deliver those solutions end to end
• Lead migration of data infrastructure from on-prem to cloud
• Lead sourcing and evaluation of AI tools and platforms
• Build and recruit a high performing AI and data team as the capability and needs grow
• Drive talent acquisition, training, and career development for teammates
• Foster a collaborative and innovative environment within the IT organization and across the brands
• Partner with business leaders across teams to identify AI and data use cases and deliver measurable outcomes directly
• Communicate strategy, progress, and outcomes to executive leadership and key stakeholders in a clear and compelling manner

Requirements

• Must reside within the greater Atlanta, GA metro area and be willing to commute onsite Monday-Friday
• Required Skills: Strong team leader with skills in strategic planning, goal setting, process development, budgeting, and creating opportunities for professional development within technology teams
• Ability to translate the latest AI developments, trends, and business needs into a clear, actionable roadmap
• Ability to collaborate with business leads, understand business strategy/processes, and look for innovative solutions to drive business enhancements
• Balances experimentation with practical delivery, understanding how to turn AI application into measurable business value
• Comfortable leading organizational change management and adoption of new AI technologies
• Committed to responsible AI practices, compliance, and risk management
• Excellent communication, leadership, and strategic thinking abilities with a problem-solving aptitude
• Strong executive communication with ability to convey complex technical topics in easy-to-understand business terms
• Comfortable with autonomy, learning, and building from scratch while teaching and educating others in the process
• Genuinely hands-on: comfortable being in the data directly, personally building pipelines, agent solutions, and reporting infrastructure

Preferred Skills

• Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science, Data Science, Engineering, or related technical field
• 8 years in data, AI, or Machine Learning roles
• 5 years in leadership position managing cross-function teams and delivering technical solutions at enterprise scale
• Experience as a technical expert in engineering, data analytics, BI, machine learning, data science, etc. prior to leadership/management
• Hands-on expertise with Microsoft Fabric, Azure, and Synapse
• Proven track record of delivering enterprise solutions and building teams from scratch
• Work effectively with all levels of management up to and including Division Directors and VPs
• Strong understanding of AI ethics, governance, and regulatory compliance