What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director, AI position at Propio?
Propio Language Services is a provider of the highest quality interpretation, translation, and localization services. Our people take pride in every resource we offer, and our users always have access to the best technology, support, and experience. We are driven by our passion for innovation, growth, and connecting people. If you believe in the transformative power of technology-driven solutions and meaningful communication, Propio could be the ideal place for you. This role is located in our Overland Park, KS office.
Position Overview
The Director of AI at Propio will lead the vision, strategy, and execution of artificial intelligence initiatives across the organization. This role will shape how AI is used to elevate translation and interpretation services, improve operational efficiency, and drive innovation at scale. The Director will partner with executive leadership, product, engineering, and linguistics teams to build world-class AI capabilities that give Propio a strategic market advantage.
Requirements:- Define and execute Propio's AI strategy, aligning research and development with business goals and hiring roadmap.
- Oversee the design, development, and deployment of AI systems across translation, interpretation, and operational workflows, with particular focus on Speech-to-Speech systems, multilingual interpretation, and agentic AI workflows.
- Build and lead a world-class team of engineers, researchers, and applied scientists.
- Partner with product and infrastructure teams to ensure AI solutions are secure, scalable, and production-ready.
- Drive partnerships with academic and industry leaders to accelerate innovation in low-resource languages and speech technologies.
- Establish governance and compliance standards for responsible AI practices.
- Define technical priorities and sequencing across Speech-to-Speech, bidirectional interpretation, low-diffusion language support, and agentic workflow projects.
Qualifications
- 10 years of experience in AI/ML, including 5 years in leadership roles managing technical teams.
- Deep expertise in machine learning, NLP, speech technologies, or conversational AI.
- Proven track record of bringing complex AI products (particularly involving speech or multimodal systems) from research to production at scale.
- Strong strategic thinking, team-building, and cross-functional leadership capabilities.
- Advanced degree (Ph.D. preferred) in Computer Science, AI, or related fields.
- Experience in healthcare, translation, speech systems, or regulated industries a plus.