Playing an essential role in the U.S. economy, Fannie Mae is foundational to housing finance. Here, your expertise can help fuel purpose-driven innovation that expands access to homeownership and affordable rental housing across the country. Join Fannie Mae to grow your career and help people find a place to call home.

Job Description

As Head of AI and Data Science, you will build and lead the AI Accelerator and serve as a strategic partner to business leaders across Fannie Mae to identify high-value opportunities where AI can improve decision-making, increase efficiency, and create meaningful enterprise impact. You will help translate these opportunities into clearly defined problem statements and testable solutions, lead rapid prototyping and value assessment, and recommend priorities for investment based on business value, feasibility, and strategic alignment.

This role is central to building a scalable applied AI capability at Fannie Mae. You will develop talent, establish repeatable ways of working, and create the conditions for strong experimentation, disciplined evaluation, and measurable outcomes. While this role does not own implementation, you will partner closely with AI Engineering and AI Governance to help scale successful solutions in a thoughtful, responsible, and effective way.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead enterprise AI opportunity strategy, partnering with business leaders across Fannie Mae to identify high-impact opportunities where AI can advance strategic priorities, improve decision quality, and deliver measurable business value at scale.
• Drive an end-to-end applied AI lifecycle from opportunity shaping through prototype, evaluation, prioritization, and transition to implementation, with a focus on speed, practicality, and enterprise value.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing AI Data Science function, including setting direction, attracting top talent, coaching leaders, and fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Lead the AI Data Science team in rapidly translating ideas into prototypes and evidence-based investment recommendations.
• Develop and implement a consistent, scalable approach to ROI and value assessment so opportunities can be prioritized based on measurable business outcomes, strategic relevance, and implementation readiness.
• Identify, prioritize, and champion transformational opportunities that help Fannie Mae achieve its business objectives through the thoughtful application of artificial intelligence.
• Establish repeatable patterns, standards, and ways of working for experimentation, model evaluation, and value measurement that improve the quality, speed, and consistency of AI efforts across the enterprise.
• Evaluate the impact of AI initiatives over time by measuring business value created, assessing outcomes, and refining prioritization criteria based on results.
• Bring deep knowledge of AI methods, tools, and market developments to expand how business leaders think about opportunity identification, solution design, and prototyping.
• In partnership with the SVP, Artificial Intelligence, help define and evolve Fannie Mae’s AI operating model to improve execution efficiency, value creation, and enterprise adoption over time.
• Partner with technology teams across Application Development, Data, AI Platforms, Cybersecurity, and related functions to coordinate the transition of successful solutions into implementation in alignment with enterprise standards, governance, and technology requirements.
• Partner with AI Engineering and AI Governance to help scale successful solutions responsibly, efficiently, and in accordance with enterprise risk and control expectations.
• Partner with leaders across the organization to strengthen AI fluency and ensure the right capabilities and skill sets are developed and embedded over time.
• Build organizational capability by developing talent, establishing scalable practices, and creating an environment where AI practitioners can grow and deliver at a high level.
• Provide input to key technology leaders on AI tooling and platform opportunities based on business needs, demand patterns, and market trends.
• Champion adoption of AI across Fannie Mae, including both enterprise-grade solutions and employee-facing tools that improve efficiency, decision-making, and business impact.

Candidate Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in strategy, technology, innovation, or transformation roles, with experience leading AI, data, or digital transformations.
• Strong technical acumen, with demonstrated understanding of AI concepts (e.g., machine learning, generative AI, natural language processing), AI platform components and their enterprise applications.
• High level expertise in AI, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing, with 5+ years experience in AI projects
• Proven track record of driving large-scale change or adoption programs within a complex, global organization.
• Exceptional collaboration and communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to influence and align diverse stakeholders from both technical and non-technical backgrounds, and across all levels of the organization, including executive leadership.
• Ability to work across matrixed teams and influence without direct authority
• Adaptability and willingness to learn and thrive in a fast-paced environment. •
• Experience working within a complex, global organization within Financial Services preferred.
• Build relationships with, and influence, senior stakeholders by building consensus through clear and direct communication tactics, whilst being intellectually agile, transparent and flexible.
• Be an energetic, efficient and resourceful leader and team player.
• Focus relentlessly on continuous improvement; identify opportunities for innovation and performance development.
• Foster a strategic and collaborative culture; engender confidence and trust while also garnering respect and credibility.
• Be resilient and adaptive in the face of a rapidly evolving market.
• Thrive in fast-paced environment and follow-through management by being action oriented while rolling up their sleeves to get the job done.
• Make informed, well-considered decisions in ambiguous situations

Target Pay Range: $300,000 - 400,000

Qualifications

Cloud Computing, Data Analytics, Data Science, Innovation Management, Problem Solving, Project Management, Risk Management, Software Development

Education:

The future is what you make it to be. Discover compelling opportunities at Fanniemae.com/careers.

For most roles, employees are expected to work onsite on a regular basis at their designated office location. In-office work cadence is determined by your manager. Proximity within a reasonable commute to your designated office location is preferred unless the job is noted as open to remote.

Fannie Mae is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity/gender expression, marital or parental status, or any other protected factor. Fannie Mae is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment, unless to do so would cause undue hardship to the company. If you need assistance using our online system and/or you need a reasonable accommodation related to the hiring/application process, please complete this form.

The hiring range for this role is set forth below. Final salaries will generally vary within that range based on factors that include but are not limited to, skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and other relevant qualifications. This position is eligible to participate in a Fannie Mae incentive program (subject to the terms of the program). As part of our comprehensive benefits package, Fannie Mae offers a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle, and other benefits and perks that enhance an employee's physical, mental, emotional, and financial well-being. See more here.