Director of Data & AI

Job: Director of Data & AI
Location: Cleveland, OH – onsite
Duration: Direct Hire/Perm
Description:

About the Role

Our client is looking for a Director of Data & AI to build and lead our data intelligence and artificial intelligence capability. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can translate supply chain and logistics operating challenges — inventory optimization, demand forecasting, warehouse throughput, supplier risk, pricing — into a modern data and AI roadmap, and who can lead a team to deliver it.

You will own the strategy, architecture, and governance for data and AI across the organization, working closely with the VP of IT, business unit leaders, and our SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud program to ensure data and AI investments are built on a clean, governed foundation and deliver measurable business value.

What You'll Do
Set the data & AI strategy. Define and lead a multi-year roadmap for data intelligence, machine learning, and AI/agentic AI capabilities aligned to supply chain, warehouse, and manufacturing priorities.
Build the data foundation. Own enterprise data architecture, data engineering pipelines, and data governance standards (data quality, lineage, master data, security, and compliance) across SAP S/4HANA and adjacent systems.
Lead AI and machine learning delivery. Direct the design, development, and deployment of ML models, predictive analytics, and agentic AI solutions for use cases such as demand planning, inventory optimization, logistics/warehouse operations, and supplier/customer intelligence.
Architect for scale. Define the technical architecture spanning cloud and edge computing environments, ensuring solutions are secure, scalable, and cost-effective across distributed manufacturing and distribution sites.
Establish governance and trust. Stand up data governance and AI governance frameworks — policies, standards, and review processes that ensure data integrity, model performance, ethical AI use, and regulatory compliance.
Lead and grow the team. Hire, mentor, and manage a team of data engineers, data scientists, and ML/AI practitioners; foster a culture of technical excellence and business partnership.
Partner across the business. Work directly with supply chain, operations, finance, and plant leadership to identify high-value use cases, build business cases, and drive adoption of data and AI solutions.
Manage vendors and platforms. Evaluate and manage relationships with cloud, AI/ML, and analytics platform vendors; make build-vs-buy recommendations.
Communicate to executives. Present strategy, progress, and business impact to senior leadership and the President in clear, non-technical terms; build organizational buy-in for data-driven decision-making.

What You Bring
Required:
8+ years of progressive experience in data, analytics, or AI leadership roles, including 3+ years managing teams
Direct experience in the supply chain, logistics, or manufacturing industry, with a strong understanding of demand planning, inventory, warehouse, and distribution operations
Proven expertise in data intelligence, machine learning, and data science — from problem framing through model deployment and monitoring
Strong background in data governance (data quality, master data management, metadata, lineage, privacy/compliance) and data engineering (pipelines, data platforms, ETL/ELT, data warehousing/lakehouse architectures)
Working knowledge of AI and agentic AI architecture — designing multi-agent or autonomous AI systems, prompt/orchestration frameworks, and responsible AI practices
Experience architecting solutions across cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and edge computing environments for distributed operations
Excellent communication skills — able to translate technical concepts into business language for executives and operational leaders
Demonstrated team leadership — hiring, developing, and managing high-performing technical teams
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Data Science, Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred)
Preferred:
Experience with SAP S/4HANA data models and integration, or other major ERP platforms
Familiarity with modern AI/ML tooling (e.g., LLM platforms, vector databases, MLOps tooling, orchestration frameworks)
Experience operating in a multi-site manufacturing or distribution environment
Track record of building a data/AI function from an early stage

What Success Looks Like in Year One
A documented data & AI strategy and roadmap approved by IT and business leadership
Foundational data governance standards and a data quality baseline established across priority domains
At least one production AI/ML use case delivering measurable business value (e.g., inventory reduction, forecast accuracy improvement, operational efficiency gain)
A capable, right-sized team in place with clear roles and growth paths
Strong, trusted working relationships with supply chain, operations, and finance leadership

Current Data Environment
Data is currently fragmented across SQL databases and Excel "data ponds."
Need to build a modern data architecture, including:
Data lake
Data warehouse
End-to-end data strategy
Data governance / modernization
AI / Agentic Architecture
Role will work closely with the CAIO (Chief AI Officer).
Need someone capable of creating:
AI agents
Agentic architecture
An enterprise agentic layer
There will be a team supporting the function, but the Director must remain hands-on technically.

Ideal candidate should be able to:
Build a data and AI function from the ground up
Develop the organization's overall data strategy
Modernize legacy/fragmented data environments
Build data lakes and warehouses
Design and implement agentic AI solutions
Remain hands-on while leading a team
Translate technical concepts into a compelling business story
Present effectively to senior stakeholders