Director of AI Strategy & Enablement

Lead the future of AI adoption at a 125 year-old company transforming the food industry through innovation, operational excellence, and purpose-driven leadership.

At Clemens Food Group, we believe technology should create measurable business value, not just experimentation. As our Director of AI Strategy & Enablement, you’ll shape and lead the enterprise AI strategy that helps teams work smarter, make better decisions, and improve operational performance across the business.

This is a highly visible leadership role sitting at the intersection of business operations, technology, and transformation. You’ll partner with executive leaders, operational teams, IT, and external partners to identify high-impact AI opportunities, prioritize enterprise initiatives, and drive adoption from discovery through scale.

If you thrive in ambiguity, enjoy solving complex operational challenges, and know how to turn emerging technology into practical business outcomes, we’d love to talk with you.

What You’ll Do

• Define and execute a 12–24 month AI strategy and roadmap aligned to business priorities
• Establish and manage a prioritization framework balancing impact, feasibility, urgency, and risk
• Lead AI governance and steering cadence to drive decisions, remove blockers, and ensure value delivery
• Design, build, and deploy AI agents using platforms including Anthropic/Claude (API, MCP), Abacus.ai, and other emerging frameworks. Integrate agents with internal systems - SQL Server, SAP, Azure, monday.com, and operational data sources.
• Implement standardized intake and evaluation processes for AI initiatives (value, KPIs, readiness, risk)
• Conduct discovery through stakeholder engagement, user feedback, and data analysis to validate opportunities
• Translate business needs into structured initiatives with clear success criteria and measurable outcomes
• Own and prioritize the AI initiative backlog to ensure focus on highest-value work
• Lead iterative delivery cycles including planning, refinement, and continuous improvement

What You Bring

• 8 years of experience in product management, program management, transformation leadership, or technical delivery
• Proven ability to lead enterprise initiatives from concept through adoption and measurable outcomes
• Strong product ownership experience including roadmap development, backlog management, prioritization, and KPI tracking
• Experience leading discovery, stakeholder interviews, operational analysis, and iterative delivery processes
• Technical fluency to engage in architecture, integration, and solution design conversations
• Strong communication and executive presentation skills
• Experience managing external vendors and cross-functional partnerships
• Bachelor’s degree required

Preferred Experience

• AI/ML products, automation, analytics/BI, cloud technologies, or data platforms
• Manufacturing, agriculture, food & beverage, or operationally intensive environments
• Agile/Scrum or product management certifications
• Building business cases and ROI models for technology investments

Why Clemens Food Group?

For more than 125 years, Clemens Food Group has been guided by a simple principle: do the right thing. As a family-owned, fully integrated food company, we operate across the entire supply chain from raising livestock to delivering finished products. We combine tradition with innovation to produce quality food and build a culture where people are empowered to grow, contribute, and succeed.

Join a company where you can influence enterprise strategy, shape AI adoption at scale, and help modernize operations in meaningful, measurable ways.

Agency Statement:

Clemens Food Group does not accept unsolicited resumes from search or staffing firms. All resumes submitted by search or staffing firms to any employee at Clemens Food Group via email, the Internet, or directly without a valid written search agreement for this role, and without having been asked to participate in this by Talent Acquisition, will be deemed the sole property of Clemens Food Group, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired. Firms not authorized to submit candidates will not be eligible for any fee or ownership claim.

It is the policy of Clemens Food Group to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. All employees are subject to a pre-employment screening process, including a background check and drug screen. In addition, we will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing the application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to your recruiter.