VP of AI Strategy

Key Outcomes

• Develop and communicate an AI strategy that has wide alignment and support across the organization.
• Build and maintain an iterative roadmap of AI transformation initiatives across and within our teams.
• Develop a robust AI learning program, including regular 'step change' training and frequent AI demos relevant to each team.
• Infuse the organization with frequent insights into developments in AI relevant to each team, and push all of us to grasp what’s already possible, or coming soon.
• Owning the AI transformation operating cadence — run the meeting rhythm and reporting forums (AI-Exec, AI-PD, and related working groups) that keep teams aligned on sequencing and dependencies.
• Come in with 'big ears' and proactively listen to ICs on the ground before recommending major changes — map what’s actually happening versus what leadership believes is happening, and deliver candid recommendations on where AI adoption stands and should be going.
• Partner with Engineering on tooling operations — triage tool requests and keep the org current on the AI tooling landscape (without owning technical build decisions).
• Stand up the org’s first AI adoption and impact measurement framework.
• Build strong working relationships with the org’s existing AI leads as a thought partner.

The Most Important Core Competencies

• Leading through influence, not authority — proven ability to convince senior stakeholders and drive cross-functional alignment with no direct reporting line over them.
• Program/product management rigor — can build and run a recurring cadence that holds multiple functions accountable to a shared plan.
• Senior-management-level credibility — prior experience operating at a level where you’ve directly partnered with or advised C-suite/VP stakeholders (e.g. in a role as Chief of Staff, senior program/product management, or equivalent).
• Uniquely strong AI fluency and bleeding-edge awareness — maintains a real external network of AI practitioners and tools, and translates outside developments into internal recommendations.
• Technical literacy and credibility: may not be a PM or engineer, but can easily understand and contribute to in-depth, technical PD discussions.

Target Experience

• 6–8+ years within a fast-moving tech organization.
• Demonstrated experience operating at senior-management level, or in a Chief of Staff-type role which leads through influence, not authority, at a senior level.
• Direct experience helping an organization adopt a significant new technology or way of working, ideally including an AI adoption initiative in the last 1–2 years.
• Experience in program/product management, strategy operations, or Chief of Staff–type roles, is a plus but not required.
• Communications/Ops team exposure is a plus, not required.