Director of Artificial Intelligence

Director of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Overview

A rapidly growing, innovation-driven telecommunications and fiber infrastructure company is seeking a Director of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to lead the development and execution of its enterprise-wide AI strategy.

This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for both designing and building AI capabilities from the ground up while also shaping the long-term vision for how AI transforms the organization. The Director will initially operate as an individual contributor, with a mandate to build and scale a high-impact AI team (4–5 members) over time.

The ideal candidate combines technical depth, business acumen, and execution capability, with a passion for leveraging AI to drive competitive advantage across customer experience, operations, and revenue growth.

Key Responsibilities

AI Strategy & Vision

• Define and lead the enterprise-wide AI roadmap aligned with business objectives
• Identify high-impact AI opportunities across:
• Sales & revenue generation
• Customer experience & personalization
• Customer service & support automation
• Network operations & infrastructure optimization
• Establish a framework for prioritizing AI initiatives based on ROI, feasibility, and scalability

Hands-On Development & Implementation

• Design, build, and deploy AI/ML models, tools, and workflows
• Develop prototypes and production-grade solutions across multiple business functions
• Work directly with data, systems, and engineering teams to integrate AI into core platforms
• Evaluate and implement modern AI technologies (LLMs, predictive models, automation tools, etc.)

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with stakeholders across product, operations, IT, customer success, and sales
• Translate business challenges into AI-driven solutions
• Serve as the internal subject matter expert on AI capabilities and best practices

Team Buildout & Leadership

• Recruit, hire, and mentor a high-performing AI team (data scientists, ML engineers, etc.)
• Establish development standards, tooling, and processes for AI delivery
• Foster a culture of experimentation, speed, and measurable impact

Data & Infrastructure Enablement

• Assess and enhance data readiness, governance, and architecture to support AI initiatives
• Collaborate with engineering teams to ensure scalable and secure AI deployment

Innovation & Industry Leadership

• Stay ahead of emerging AI trends and technologies
• Position the organization as a leader in AI within the telecommunications and infrastructure space
• Identify opportunities to embed AI into core products and services

Qualifications

Required

• 8–12+ years of experience in AI, machine learning, or data science roles
• Proven track record of building and deploying AI solutions in production environments
• Experience working in hands-on technical roles (not purely managerial)
• Strong programming experience (Python, ML frameworks, APIs, etc.)
• Experience with modern AI technologies including:
• Large Language Models (LLMs)
• Predictive analytics & machine learning
• Automation and AI-driven workflows
• Ability to operate as a builder and strategist simultaneously

Preferred

• Experience in telecommunications, infrastructure, SaaS, or technology-driven industries
• Experience building AI functions or teams from scratch
• Familiarity with customer-facing AI applications (chatbots, personalization, CX optimization)
• Exposure to network data, IoT, or infrastructure-related analytics is a plus

Key Attributes

• Builder mentality – thrives in a “0 to 1” environment
• Highly hands-on – comfortable coding, prototyping, and deploying solutions
• Business-minded technologist – connects AI initiatives directly to revenue and customer impact
• Entrepreneurial – operates with urgency, ownership, and creativity
• Collaborative influencer – able to drive adoption across non-technical teams

What Success Looks Like

• AI initiatives are deployed across core business functions within the first 6–12 months
• Measurable improvements in customer experience, operational efficiency, and revenue growth
• A high-performing AI team is built and delivering scalable solutions
• The organization establishes itself as an AI-forward leader in telecom infrastructure