IT Director - AI and Automation

The IT Director of AI & Automation will lead the strategy, development, and deployment of artificial intelligence and automation initiatives across our retail enterprise. This role is responsible for driving operational efficiency, enhancing customer experience, optimizing supply chain and merchandising decisions, and enabling data-driven innovation through advanced technologies including machine learning, generative AI, robotic process automation (RPA), and intelligent systems.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with retail domain knowledge and strong leadership capabilities to translate business strategy into scalable, secure, and high-impact AI solutions.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute a multi-year AI and automation roadmap aligned with corporate and digital transformation strategies.

• Identify high-value use cases across merchandising, supply chain, store operations, e-commerce, marketing, customer service, and corporate functions.

• Establish KPIs to measure ROI, adoption, and performance of AI initiatives.

• Oversee architecture, development, and integration of Agentic AI platforms, AI/ML, RPA solutions, and data pipelines.

• Ensure solutions integrate with retail systems such as POS, RMS, ERP, CRM, inventory management, and e-commerce platforms.

• Champion scalable cloud-based AI infrastructure and MLOps best practices.

• Ensure compliance with data governance, cybersecurity, and privacy regulations.

• Lead deployment of intelligent automation in areas including:

• Demand forecasting & inventory optimization

• Pricing & promotion optimization

• Merchandising performance

• Store operations performance

• Contract Management

• Automated customer support (chatbots, virtual agents)

• Back-office process automation

• Partner with Data & Analytics teams to enhance predictive modeling, personalization, and recommendation engines.

• Promote responsible AI practices, model transparency, and ethical AI standards.

• Collaborate with Merchandising, Supply Chain, Digital Commerce, Finance, HR, and Store Operations leadership.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred).

• 10+ years of progressive IT experience, with 3+ years leading AI, ML, or automation programs.

• Experience in retail, omnichannel commerce, or consumer-facing environments.

• Expertise in AI/ML frameworks, data engineering, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP), and RPA tools.

• Strong understanding of retail systems (POS, ERP, CRM, inventory, supply chain).