Principal Data and AI Strategy Lead

Summary

Join phData, a leading innovator in the modern data stack, partnering with major cloud platforms. We are a remote-first global company committed to helping global enterprises overcome their toughest data challenges. Our Principal Data and AI Strategy Lead will drive delivery excellence, grow our business, and ensure customer success. This critical leader will partner with Sales to drive account expansion and long-term value, managing multiple work streams and building executive relationships. The role involves guiding clients through complex data challenges, staying ahead of market trends, and creating value by fostering trust and building relationships. We prioritize hiring leaders who excel at client engagement and offer valuable perspectives, elevating the quality of our consulting services. This position requires a strong understanding of the evolving data and AI landscape and the ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical audiences.

Requirements

• 8+ years as a hands-on Data and AI Strategy Leader who has led Data Strategy engagements
• 4+ years previous Consulting leadership experience working with external clients, with the ability to multitask, prioritize tasks, and work across a variety of projects
• Understand the evolving AI capabilities in the industry, including their applications and how to leverage them effectively to help clients increase revenue, improve customer experience, or introduce new products to the market
• Bring vertical/industry expertise to bear, in making Strategic recommendations, given the nuances of each industry, e.g. Financial Services, Healthcare, Retail
• Experience engaging senior stakeholders, including members of the C-suite
• Functional Strategy Leadership expertise and/or exposure, including: Identification and prioritization of business-focused opportunities
• Expertly balancing technical, organizational, and process recommendations
• Developing and sequencing long-term roadmaps
• Designing future state operating models
• Designing processes for effective data and analytical asset management
• Developing business cases with return on investment in mind
• Making recommendations that resonate with organizations, and have a clear story behind why we are making them
• Adept at making technical recommendations that are tied to business outcomes, including but not limited to the following areas: Cloud computing
• Adept at making technical recommendations that are tied to business outcomes, including but not limited to the following areas: Data platform development
• Adept at making technical recommendations that are tied to business outcomes, including but not limited to the following areas: Integration patterns
• Adept at making technical recommendations that are tied to business outcomes, including but not limited to the following areas: Data quality resolution
• Adept at making technical recommendations that are tied to business outcomes, including but not limited to the following areas: Data Governance
• Adept at making technical recommendations that are tied to business outcomes, including but not limited to the following areas: Privacy and security
• Adept at making technical recommendations that are tied to business outcomes, including but not limited to the following areas: Regulatory needs
• Experience prioritizing use cases by value and complexity, conducting SWOT analysis, and bringing the confluence of capability and industry, to inform recommendations
• Can communicate relatively technical concepts to a non-technical audience verbally clearly and concisely
• Has facilitated discovery sessions and workshops, ensuring a focus on business value to keep all participants aligned on the objectives
• Had led “art of the possible” sessions to bring insights into what other organizations are doing within an industry, and to inspire client stakeholders
• Able to guide on technology rationalization decisions, taking into account criteria such as total cost of ownership (TCO) and business need in mind
• Knowledge of industry-wide strategy frameworks, principles, and best practices
• Knowledge of global privacy requirements, e.g. GDPR, CCPA
• Proven ability to lead and manage a team of Business Analysts, Technical Architects, Data Engineers, and Change Leaders while fostering internal growth through coaching, mentoring, and performance management
• Proven track record of collaborating with client stakeholders, technology partners, and cross-functional sales and delivery team members across distributed global teams, ensuring seamless, successful project delivery outcomes
• Ability to create strong cross-practice relationships to drive customer success
• Exhibits a strong sense of ownership in resolving challenges, committed to ensuring exceptional outcomes for all aspects of project execution
• A vision for how the Data and AI industry is evolving, and the value that evolutions will bring to the organizations that we serve
• Strong client-facing written and verbal communication skills and experience; ability to deliver presentations with compelling storylines, tailored to the target audience, from technical stakeholders through to executive teams
• 4-year Bachelor's degree

Responsibilities

• Lead Data Strategy engagements
• Work with external clients, multitask, prioritize tasks, and work across a variety of projects
• Understand the evolving AI capabilities in the industry, including their applications and how to leverage them effectively to help clients increase revenue, improve customer experience, or introduce new products to the market
• Bring vertical/industry expertise to bear, in making Strategic recommendations, given the nuances of each industry, e.g. Financial Services, Healthcare, Retail
• Engage senior stakeholders, including members of the C-suite
• Provide Functional Strategy Leadership expertise and/or exposure, including: Identification and prioritization of business-focused opportunities
• Expertly balance technical, organizational, and process recommendations
• Develop and sequence long-term roadmaps
• Design future state operating models
• Design processes for effective data and analytical asset management
• Develop business cases with return on investment in mind
• Make recommendations that resonate with organizations, and have a clear story behind why we are making them
• Make technical recommendations that are tied to business outcomes, including but not limited to the following areas: Cloud computing
• Make technical recommendations that are tied to business outcomes, including but not limited to the following areas: Data platform development
• Make technical recommendations that are tied to business outcomes, including but not limited to the following areas: Integration patterns
• Make technical recommendations that are tied to business outcomes, including but not limited to the following areas: Data quality resolution
• Make technical recommendations that are tied to business outcomes, including but not limited to the following areas: Data Governance
• Make technical recommendations that are tied to business outcomes, including but not limited to the following areas: Privacy and security
• Make technical recommendations that are tied to business outcomes, including but not limited to the following areas: Regulatory needs
• Prioritize use cases by value and complexity, conduct SWOT analysis, and bring the confluence of capability and industry, to inform recommendations
• Communicate relatively technical concepts to a non-technical audience verbally clearly and concisely
• Facilitate discovery sessions and workshops, ensuring a focus on business value to keep all participants aligned on the objectives
• Lead “art of the possible” sessions to bring insights into what other organizations are doing within an industry, and to inspire client stakeholders
• Guide on technology rationalization decisions, taking into account criteria such as total cost of ownership (TCO) and business need in mind
• Demonstrate knowledge of industry-wide strategy frameworks, principles, and best practices
• Demonstrate knowledge of global privacy requirements, e.g. GDPR, CCPA
• Lead and manage a team of Business Analysts, Technical Architects, Data Engineers, and Change Leaders while fostering internal growth through coaching, mentoring, and performance management
• Collaborate with client stakeholders, technology partners, and cross-functional sales and delivery team members across distributed global teams, ensuring seamless, successful project delivery outcomes
• Create strong cross-practice relationships to drive customer success
• Exhibit a strong sense of ownership in resolving challenges, committed to ensuring exceptional outcomes for all aspects of project execution
• Demonstrate a vision for how the Data and AI industry is evolving, and the value that evolutions will bring to the organizations that we serve
• Possess strong client-facing written and verbal communication skills and experience; ability to deliver presentations with compelling storylines, tailored to the target audience, from technical stakeholders through to executive teams

Benefits

• Remote-First Work Environment
• Casual, award-winning small-business work environment
• Collaborative culture that prizes autonomy, creativity, and transparency
• Competitive comp, excellent benefits, 4 weeks PTO plan plus 10 Holidays (and other cool perks)
• Accelerated learning and professional development through advanced training and certifications