Director, Automation & AI

DIRECTOR, AUTOMATION & AI

NOTE:
Candidates/applicants must be able to work onsite in the west suburbs of Chicago in a hybrid working arrangement. We will not accept candidates submitted by third parties or recruiting agencies – direct applicants only.

We’re partnering with a large enterprise organization undergoing significant technology and operational modernization. As part of this transformation, the company is building out a next-generation IT leadership team focused on innovation, automation, and AI enablement across the business.

This newly created leadership role will be responsible for establishing and scaling enterprise AI, automation, and digital engineering capabilities while partnering closely with senior business and technology stakeholders.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader who can operate as both architect and builder – someone comfortable defining strategy while remaining engaged in solution design, development oversight, and technical execution.

• Lead enterprise initiatives focused on AI, automation, digital engineering, and intelligent process optimization
• Build and mature automation and AI capabilities across business operations, ERP environments, and enterprise platforms
• Evaluate and recommend emerging AI and automation technologies, platforms, and tools
• Partner with business leaders to identify opportunities for process improvement, automation, and operational efficiency
• Establish architecture, development standards, governance, and scalable engineering practices for automation and AI solutions
• Drive modernization efforts within complex SAP environments, including streamlining customizations and improving integration capabilities
• Oversee development efforts related to RPA, workflow automation, AI-enabled solutions, EDI integrations, and application development
• Collaborate across enterprise applications, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and analytics teams to deliver scalable solutions
• Help build and scale a high-performing engineering organization, including future hiring and team expansion
• SAP ecosystem with significant customization and modernization initiatives underway
• Data & analytics environment leveraging SAP HANA and Power BI
• Exposure to tools such as Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Git Hub, and other AI enablement technologies
• Opportunity to influence long-term AI and automation platform strategy

• 7-15+ years of experience leading software engineering, automation, AI, or digital transformation initiatives
• Strong background in enterprise architecture, automation strategy, and modern development practices
• Hands-on experience with technologies such as RPA, workflow automation, AI/ML enablement, low-code/no-code platforms, or enterprise integrations
• Experience operating in complex enterprise environments, ideally within manufacturing, supply chain, or consumer products organizations
• Ability to function as a “player-coach” leader who can balance strategy, architecture, and technical execution
• Proven ability to build programs, teams, and scalable processes within evolving organizations

This is a high-visibility opportunity to help shape the future-state technology organization of a company investing heavily in digital transformation and AI-driven innovation.