Senior Manager, AI

General Summary:  

This position is responsible for leading a cross-functional Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) team to design, build, and deliver scalable, production-ready AI solutions that support Data Axle’s business objectives. The Senior Manager, AI combines hands-on technical leadership with people and program management to define strategy, oversee execution, and ensure reliable deployment of AI systems at scale.

This role partners closely with Product, Engineering, Data, and business stakeholders to translate complex business needs into measurable AI-driven outcomes while establishing best practices for governance, reliability, and operational excellence.

Essential Job Functions: *

1. Define and execute AI/ML strategy and roadmap aligned with product and business priorities
2. Lead the design, development, testing, deployment, and monitoring of production AI/ML solutions
3. Oversee the full model lifecycle from experimentation through deployment and ongoing optimization
4. Manage, mentor, and grow a team of ML engineers, data scientists, and architects
5. Establish best practices for reproducible experimentation, model governance, data quality, and observability
6. Implement MLOps processes including CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, and automated model deployment
7. Collaborate with Product, DevOps, Data Engineering, and Security teams to ensure scalable and secure solutions
8. Translate business requirements into measurable success metrics and experimentation plans (e.g., A/B testing)
9. Communicate technical trade-offs, risks, and progress to senior leadership
10. Educate non-technical stakeholders on AI capabilities, use cases, and governance standards
11. Ensure compliance with privacy, security, and responsible AI practices
12. Drive continuous improvement and innovation across AI platforms and tool

* Essential functions are the basic job duties that an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation.  The function is considered essential if the reason the position exists is to perform that function.

Supportive Job Functions: *

1. Perform other miscellaneous duties as assigned by management.

*These tasks do not meet the Americans with Disabilities Act definition of essential job functions and usually equal 5% or less of time spent.  However, these tasks still constitute important performance aspects of the job.

Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities:

1. Strong knowledge of machine learning, AI systems, and production deployment practices
2. Expertise in the end-to-end ML lifecycle and MLOps methodologies
3. Proficiency with modern ML tools and frameworks (e.g., Python, PyTorch/TensorFlow, scikit-learn, MLflow, Spark)
4. Experience with cloud-based deployment environments (e.g., AWS, Databricks, or similar)
5. Understanding of data governance, privacy standards, and responsible AI practices
6. Strong leadership, coaching, and team development skills
7. Ability to translate complex technical concepts into business outcomes
8. Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills
9. Strong project management and prioritization abilities

Education, Experience, and Certification: *

1. Bachelor’s degree in computer science, artificial Intelligence, machine learning, or related field required
2. 7+ years of experience in applied AI/ML development
3. 3+ years of experience in people leadership or engineering management
4. Proven track record delivering AI/ML systems in production environments at scale
5. Master’s degree or advanced specialization preferred
6. Experience with generative AI, large language models, or retrieval-augmented systems preferred

*Minimum requirements needed to perform the job.          

Scope of Job:

1. Manages a team of AI/ML engineers and data scientists
2. Operates with general direction and significant technical autonomy
3. Regular cross-functional collaboration across Product, Engineering, and business teams
4. Working conditions are primarily remote/office-based
5. Errors may impact system reliability, product performance, or business outcomes
6. Access to sensitive company and customer data