Retail Manufacturing AI Specialist

Straive is a global leader in enterprise-grade data analytics and AI solutions, committed to empowering businesses across various industries with cutting-edge technology and expert insights. Backed by EQT, a top private equity firm, we are uniquely positioned to drive innovation through significant investments and an entrepreneurial spirit.

Our core focus is on delivering advanced Data Analytics & AI Solutions. By combining sophisticated technology with subject matter expertise, we deliver material impact on our clients' topline and streamline their operations. We specialize in providing tailored solutions across financial services, CPG, legal, pharma, life sciences, retail and logistics, helping them build robust data analytics and AI capabilities.

With a client base spanning 30 countries, Straive's strategically located teams operate from eight countries and is headquartered in Singapore. This global presence enables us to offer localized expertise with a worldwide perspective.

Join Straive to be part of a dynamic team at the forefront of data analytics and AI innovation. Here, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to transformative projects, supported by significant investments and an entrepreneurial drive fueled by our partnership with EQT.

Job Role:
Retail Manufacturing AI Specialist

Job Type: FTE

Location:
New Jersey

Role Overview

Seeking an AI specialist with strong domain expertise in retail manufacturing and facility operations to identify, prioritize, and drive high-value AI/GenAI interventions. The role requires the ability to engage operational and technology stakeholders across the USA and Japan, translating business challenges into scalable AI solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Assessment: Evaluate manufacturing facilities, production workflows, maintenance, utilities, and supply chain operations to identify inefficiencies.
• AI Opportunity Identification: Discover and prioritize AI/GenAI use cases across predictive maintenance, quality control, energy optimization, workforce productivity, and process automation.
• Business Case Development: Quantify potential benefits, ROI, implementation complexity, and operational impact of AI interventions.
• Solution Road mapping: Define AI transformation roadmaps, prioritize pilots, and collaborate with technology teams on solution design and implementation.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Work closely with plant leadership, operations, engineering, and IT/OT teams across the USA and Japan to drive alignment and adoption.

Expected Outcomes

• AI Opportunity Portfolio: Develop a prioritized inventory of high-impact AI use cases across facilities.
• Quantified Business Value: Establish measurable ROI, cost‑saving opportunities, and productivity improvement targets.
• Execution
  
  Roadmap:
  
  Deliver actionable AI implementation roadmaps with clear milestones, dependencies, and ownership.
• Pilot-to-Scale Enablement: Identify and support AI pilots with measurable operational KPIs and scalable deployment potential.
• Operational Transformation: Drive improvements in equipment uptime, production efficiency, product quality, energy consumption, and operational costs.

Required Experience & Skills

• 8–12+ years of experience in manufacturing operations, industrial transformation, or AI‑led operational consulting.
• Strong understanding of facility operations, manufacturing processes, industrial IoT, and IT/OT environments.
• Practical knowledge of AI, GenAI, computer vision, predictive analytics, and intelligent automation.
• Experience developing AI business cases and engaging senior operational stakeholders.
• Ability to operate effectively across USA and Japan, including cross‑cultural communication and international travel. Japanese language proficiency is an advantage.

This job…