Sr. Director, AI (AI Business Lead)

Lead DFA's enterprise AI capability, owning the portfolio strategy and roadmap for AI initiatives and ensuring alignment with business goals, responsible AI practices, and measurable value. Identify and prioritize high-impact AI use cases across business units and guide products from ideation through adoption. Deploy practical, governed AI capabilities that accelerate insights, planning, and decisions. Partner with the Enterprise AI Architect, who provides technical direction, and the AI Business Relationship Manager, who coordinates execution within DFA's IT function. Build and develop the talent and enablement model needed to scale AI across the Cooperative.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Define and evolve the enterprise AI portfolio strategy and roadmap, aligned to business priorities and measurable value
• Identify, prioritize and manage a healthy pipeline of high-impact AI use cases across business units, from ideation through adoption and retirement
• Own AI product prioritization, balancing innovation with model retraining, technical debt, and compliance
• Embed responsible AI principles into product decisions and the full AI lifecycle
• Partner with the Enterprise AI Architect on technical direction, reusable AI assets, and standards without owning architecture
• Partner with the AI Business Relationship Manager on directing execution, translating priorities into plans, milestones, and delivery cadences while retaining outcome ownership
• Act as a primary liaison among business leaders, technical teams, and governance bodies; translate needs into requirements and success metrics
• Define and monitor KPIs tied to business outcomes; lead continuous improvement based on performance data and user feedback
• Partner with legal, risk, compliance, and enterprise AI governance to meet regulatory standards and support responsible AI reviews and risk assessments
• Partner with IT on driving AI enablement and adoption-building literacy, training, and a culture of responsible AI use; lead, coach, and develop professional DFA team members as a means of building AI champions across the Cooperative
• The requirements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employee, but is not a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Other duties may be assigned as required

• Undergraduate degree in business, data science, computer science, or related curriculum (or equivalent combination of education and experience); advanced degree preferred
• 5 years of progressive experience in business, data, or technology-driven roles, with people management experience that includes leading teams through direct and indirect management
• Proven experience managing cross-functional teams and enterprise-scale AI or technology initiatives
• Food, agriculture, consumer products, or manufacturing experience preferred
• Certification and/or License - may be required during course of employment
• Advanced understanding of the AI/ML lifecycle, responsible AI, and enterprise AI product management
• Proficient knowledge of data and AI platforms (Snowflake, Databricks, Copilot, Azure) and cloud architectures, with fluency to evaluate tradeoffs without being the architect
• Skill in prioritizing AI use cases by value, risk, and readiness
• Able to translate business needs into product requirements, success metrics, and measurable outcomes
• Familiarity with agile methodologies, backlog management, and roadmap planning
• Knowledge of AI regulatory and risk frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO) and compliance
• Able to influence and negotiate with business leaders and external partners
• Outstanding communicator in both internal and external settings
• Must be able to read, write and speak English
• Able to travel 15-25% of the time

An Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled/Veterans