Role Summary

The Director, Applied AI will lead Global Distribution's dedicated capability for rapidly applying artificial intelligence to targeted business workflows.

Reporting to the Head of Global Distribution AI Strategy & Transformation, this leader will manage two permanent, multidisciplinary Implementation Pods. Each Pod will bring together an AI Process Transformation Lead, an Applied AI Solutions Lead, and an AI Adoption & Integration Lead to work side-by-side with a committed business team.

The Director is accountable for making this model work repeatedly and at pace: selecting the right engagements, creating the conditions for successful co-creation with the business, maintaining a high bar for execution, removing blockers, and building a team that becomes faster and more effective with every sprint.

This is not a traditional program-management role. The Director will lead a hands-on transformation capability that moves quickly from understanding a workflow to designing, building, launching, and embedding a materially better way of working.

Responsibilities

Build a High-Performing Applied AI Capability:

• Lead two permanent Implementation Pods that rapidly redesign targeted workflows using approved AI tools and enterprise capabilities.
• Establish a simple, repeatable delivery approach that preserves urgency, deep business partnership, clear accountability, and measurable outcomes.
• Build a team culture defined by high standards, low ego, intellectual curiosity, rapid learning, and shared accountability for the result.
• Ensure the Process Transformation, AI Solutions, Adoption, and business perspectives are tightly integrated throughout each engagement.

Select the Right Pod Engagements:

• Partner across the GD AI team to select opportunities that are focused enough to move quickly, meaningful enough to matter, measurable within a reasonable period, and feasible using approved tools, data, and control boundaries.
• Ensure genuine business pull before beginning an engagement: a committed business owner and workflow steward, dedicated Associate capacity carved out to support the sprint, active participation throughout design and testing, and a ready/willing/able commitment to adopt and sustain the resulting way of working.
• Redirect opportunities that are too broad, immature, technically complex, or insufficiently sponsored to the appropriate alternative delivery path rather than forcing them through the Pod model.

Drive Fast, High-Quality Execution:

• Maintain accountability for the overall quality, pace, and outcomes of Pod engagements from kickoff through launch and handoff.
• Help teams make rapid, pragmatic decisions when information is incomplete, while ensuring material data, technology, risk, or control issues are addressed appropriately.
• Remove blockers and secure timely support from Technology, Data, Risk, business leaders, and other partners when needed.
• Keep teams focused on the primary business outcome rather than allowing engagements to expand into unnecessary scope or complexity.

Make the Model Better Every Time:

• Capture reusable process, AI, adoption, and delivery patterns that allow future engagements to move faster and produce stronger outcomes.
• Coach and develop Pod members so they build increasing judgment, versatility, and confidence across a wide variety of business challenges.
• Identify recurring opportunities that should become reusable AI capabilities or larger transformational products rather than repeatedly solved one workflow at a time.
• Partner with the AI Portfolio, Governance & Value Realization team to assess adoption and realized business impact after launch.

Mindset

• Integrator: brings analytical, imaginative, and people-oriented perspectives together into one high-performing team.
• Creates urgency without creating chaos.
• Highly AI-forward and excited by what rapidly evolving capabilities make possible.
• Values team outcomes over individual heroics or functional ownership.
• Comfortable moving from one unfamiliar business problem to another and helping the team get smart quickly.
• Pragmatic: seeks the simplest approach capable of delivering meaningful value.
• Believes the business must co-create the solution and ultimately own the resulting way of working.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in business transformation, AI/digital implementation, operations, product delivery, management consulting, or related fields.
• Demonstrated track record leading multidisciplinary teams through fast-paced, measurable transformation.
• Experience redesigning workflows spanning people, process, data, and technology.
• Strong understanding of generative AI and emerging AI-enabled ways of working.
• Strong judgment and ability to make decisions and maintain momentum in ambiguous environments.
• Demonstrated ability to build credibility with both senior leaders and frontline business teams.
• 5+ years of people leadership experience preferred.

Preferred:

• Experience in asset management, financial services, or another regulated environment.
• Experience leading agile, sprint-based, implementation, consulting, or transformation teams.
• Familiarity with enterprise AI governance, data, privacy, and technology considerations.
• Track record of delivering measurable productivity, capacity, quality, cost, or commercial improvements.

FINRA Requirements

FINRA licenses are not required and will not be supported for this role.

Work Flexibility

This role is eligible for hybrid work, with up to one day per week from home.

Base Salary Ranges

Please review the job posting for the location of this specific opportunity.

Placement within the range provided above is based on the individual’s relevant experience and skills for the role.  Base salary is only one component of our total compensation package.  Employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus, which is determined upon company and individual performance.

Benefits