Director of AI and Automation

This is a unique opportunity to build AI capabilities from the ground up, shape enterprise-wide adoption, and leave a lasting impact on the future of our organization. You won't be stepping into an established AI function. You'll be creating one. Working closely with senior leadership, you'll guide strategy execution, develop intelligent solutions, establish governance standards, and lead a team focused on delivering meaningful business outcomes through artificial intelligence and automation (RPA/IPA).

This position is hybrid with 3 days onsite at our corporate office in Lake Forest, IL.

About the Role:

As the Director of AI and Automation, you will lead the adoption and execution of Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, agentic AI, and intelligent automation solutions across the credit union. You'll partner with leaders throughout the organization to identify opportunities, prioritize investments, and deliver scalable solutions that improve efficiency, enhance member experiences, reduce risk, and drive business value.

Key responsibilities include:

• Guiding AI and automation initiatives from idea to pilot and finally to production, ensuring solutions are operationally ready, actively used, and supported by appropriate testing. Accountable for ensuring agentic AI and automation solutions are tested for intended behavior, reliability, controls, and operational fit-either through hands-on testing or by working in partnership with Technology, Risk, and Data teams to define and apply testing standards and methods before deployment at scale.
• Defining and maintaining enterprise standards, guardrails, and lifecycle practices for AI and automation. This includes establishing guidance for appropriate autonomy, escalation, monitoring, and lifecycle management to ensure solutions operate as intended and remain within approved boundaries over time.
• Maintaining hands-on, working familiarity with modern AI tools, agent frameworks, orchestration patterns, and automation platforms. This includes staying current on how these capabilities are applied in real-world business processes, understanding their strengths and limitations, and using that knowledge to guide solution design, assess risk, evaluate vendor offerings.
• Working in close partnership with Risk, Compliance, Legal, Security, and Technology teams to help ensure AI agents and automated workflows align with approved controls, auditability requirements, and defined risk thresholds.
• Measuring and communicating outcomes such as productivity gains, cost savings, process improvement, and risk reduction.
• Educating and advising leaders and teams on the responsible and effective use of AI and automation, helping business partners understand emerging capabilities, identify appropriate use cases, and discern when AI, automation, or a combination of both is the right solution.
• Planning and directing the work of the team to meet functional and individual objectives. Coach and develop staff including overseeing new employee onboarding and providing career development guidance and opportunities. Responsible for staffing decisions, performance coaching, and documentation.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Data Management, Business Administration, or a related field. Master's degree preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in AI enablement, intelligent automation, data management, analytics, or closely aligned roles.
• 5+ years of leadership experience direct people management, setting direction, and driving cross-functional initiatives.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience with Generative AI and/or agent-based AI capabilities, including pilots and production implementations.
• Experience working in complex, regulated, or highly governed environments.
• Knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Snowflake), BI and visualization tools (Domo, Tableau, Power BI), and modern AI technologies.

Compensation & Benefits:

The salary range for this role is $136,753 - $218,803 per year. This role is eligible for an annual bonus opportunity. A specific salary offer considers factors including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the salary range and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.

Consumers Credit Union provides eligible employees an opportunity to participate in our medical (High Deductible, HMO and PPO), dental, vision, spending accounts, short-term disability, long-term disability, life insurance and other plans effective date of hire. You will be eligible to participate in the 401(k) savings plan at any time. You will be automatically enrolled in the pension plan following six months of employment and 1,000 hours of service and reaching age 20.

For more information about benefit offerings, please visit our careers page: https://www.myconsumers.org/about/what-we-do/careers