What are the responsibilities and job description for the Managing Director, AI Strategy position at EMERGING?
Managing Director, AI Strategy
**Location:** Chicago or Florida preferred, but flexible
**Reports to:** Founding Partner & CEO, Emerging
**Partnerships:** Buyers Edge Platform (largest digital procurement network in the U.S.)
Emerging is an investment and operating platform shaping the future of restaurants, social entertainment, and hospitality technology. Our portfolio spans category-defining brands in experiential dining and sport-tainment, backed by visionary founders and leaders.
In partnership with Buyers Edge Platform—the largest digital procurement network in the U.S. with 200K operator locations and $50B in aggregated spend—we are unlocking unprecedented opportunities to combine procurement, POS, and operational data with cutting-edge AI to transform the industry.
We are seeking a Managing Director, AI Strategy to drive strategy, implementation, and adoption of AI across our ecosystem—working directly with CEOs, founders, CTOs, CMOs, COOs, and product leaders.
Your Impact**AI Strategy & Vision**
- Own the end-to-end delivery of AI initiatives, from roadmap to measurable business outcomes.
- Identify high-impact opportunities across marketing, operations, procurement, finance, and customer engagement.
- Partner with Buyers Edge Platform to align AI strategy with digital procurement, supply chain optimization, and data-driven insights.
- Anticipate emerging AI trends, ensuring portfolio companies remain industry leaders.
**AI Implementation & Operations**
- Deploy AI solutions such as predictive analytics for demand forecasting, NLP for customer insights, and automation for operational efficiency.
- Ensure AI models are scalable, reliable, and secure; collaborate with engineering and IT teams to integrate into live environments.
- Establish best practices for model development, testing, and monitoring.
**Cross-Functional Leadership**
- Partner with CEOs and leadership teams to embed AI-first thinking across organizations.
- Translate technical AI concepts into clear business impact for executives, investors, and strategic partners.
- Lead change management and training programs to improve AI literacy across portfolio companies.
**Innovation & Partnerships**
- Champion experimentation with generative AI, automation, and advanced analytics.
- Forge relationships with vendors, research institutions, and technology leaders.
- Represent Emerging and Buyers Edge AI capabilities externally to landlords, municipalities, and investors.
Technical Expertise- Proficiency in Python and SQL.
- Knowledge of database architecture and schema design.
- Hands-on experience with AI/ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch).
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
- Experience with large language models (LLMs), including prompting and fine-tuning.
- Exposure to predictive AI for time series forecasting and procurement optimization.
Qualifications- Passion for AI strategy, data science, and digital transformation (experience in fast-moving businesses preferred).
- Strong background in applied AI/ML with live business implementations.
- Ability to partner with executives at both strategic and execution levels.
- Skilled at leading cross-functional teams and delivering measurable outcomes.
- Entrepreneurial mindset—comfortable in high-growth, dynamic environments.
- Excellent communicator who can bridge technical depth and business impact.
Why Join Us- Shape the AI-first future of restaurants, entertainment, and foodservice.
- Work with visionary founders, CEOs, and Buyers Edge Platform—a market leader in procurement.
- Influence 200K operator locations and billions in spend through AI innovation.
- Competitive compensation, equity, and benefits.
Salary: $260,000.00 plus 30% bonus
Salary : $260,000