AI Strategy Director

Description:

A large, globally operating financial services firm is looking for the person who will sit directly beside their Chief AI Officer and own the AI agenda across the US. This role is equal parts strategist, builder, and operator — responsible for shaping where the organization bets on AI, standing up the practice to deliver it, and making sure that what gets built actually works in production and at scale.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the CAIO's primary partner in defining and executing the US AI strategy — owning the translation from vision to operational roadmap
• Build and manage an external AI innovation pipeline — engaging vendors, research groups, and emerging tech providers aligned to the firm's strategic priorities
• Lead the productization of internal AI initiatives — taking agentic pilots and proof-of-concepts through to scalable, reusable internal tools
• Coordinate cross-functionally with infrastructure, data, and compliance teams to embed AI innovations into core enterprise platforms
• Own commercial oversight — vendor contracts, SLAs, budget governance, and delivery frameworks that keep the innovation program accountable
• Define and maintain the firm's responsible AI standards for external partnerships — model risk, data privacy, regulatory alignment, and governance
• Represent the AI function internally across US business units and externally with ecosystem partners, positioning the firm as a credible AI-native operator

What you bring:

• Background in fund administration, asset management, or financial services ( mandatory )
• 15+ years in AI, technology strategy, or innovation leadership — with a track record of moving from strategy to shipped, production-grade AI solutions
• Deep familiarity with the enterprise AI vendor landscape — LLM platforms, RAG architectures, vector DBs, agentic frameworks — with the technical credibility to evaluate them seriously
• Experience embedding AI into large, complex, regulated enterprise environments — financial services, professional services, or equivalent
• Strong commercial instincts — able to negotiate vendor agreements, define KPIs, manage budgets, and hold external partners to delivery standards
• Proven ability to operate at the intersection of AI innovation and enterprise governance — responsible AI, model risk, compliance, and data privacy are not afterthoughts for you
• Executive communication and stakeholder management skills — comfortable presenting AI strategy to C-suite, board, and business unit leaders
• Track record leading cross-functional AI programs from pilot to scale — not just scoping them, actually delivering them

Nice to have

• Experience building or scaling an internal AI Center of Excellence or practice
• Hands-on exposure to agentic AI systems, multi-model orchestration, or AI workflow automation in enterprise settings
• Familiarity with global AI regulatory developments — EU AI Act, SEC guidance, model risk management frameworks
• Prior experience as a CAIO, VP of AI, or senior AI strategy role in a complex, matrixed organization