Director of Data Platform and AI - Hybrid or Remote Opportunity - West Des Moines, IA

As the Director of Data Platform and AI, you will lead the evolution of our enterprise data infrastructure while spearheading the development of intelligent AI capabilities that drive analytics, operational reporting, and automation across the organization. You’ll be responsible for ensuring the reliable operation of existing data systems (including SSIS and SSRS), while strategically guiding a phased modernization toward cloud-native technologies. This role requires a thoughtful approach to change management—balancing innovation with stability to maintain team confidence and align cross-functional stakeholders around a shared vision. In parallel, you will lead the application of AI and machine learning to address business challenges in underwriting, claims, and service operations. Success in this role demands a pragmatic, collaborative mindset and the ability to align data architecture and operations with strategic business outcomes. Accountabilities: Data Platform Operations and Modernization

• Ensure reliable, day-to-day operation of the existing data platform and pipelines (including SSIS, SSRS), providing consistent service to internal and external users.
• Develop and execute a phased modernization roadmap that incrementally introduces new cloud-native tools and capabilities, balancing innovation with operational stability.
• Proactively manage organizational change by communicating transparently, addressing concerns, and building trust with technology teams and business stakeholders.
• Influence and align business partners and cross-functional leaders to gain support for modernization initiatives and AI adoption.
• Architect and manage a scalable, multi-tenant data infrastructure to support analytics and reporting for multiple insurance members.
• Oversee data ingestion, transformation, and delivery pipelines emphasizing quality, traceability, and performance.
• Establish and evolve best practices for data governance, cataloging, lineage, and access control.

AI and Machine Learning Enablement

• Lead the integration of LLM, NLP, and GenAI-based solutions into enterprise applications and business workflows.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to identify AI use cases, prototype solutions, and operationalize models through MLOps pipelines.
• Ensure all AI implementations are secure, explainable, and compliant with internal policies and external regulations.

DevOps and Platform Engineering

• Implement and manage CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code (e.g., Terraform), and containerized deployments (Docker/Kubernetes).
• Build observability into the platform with real-time monitoring, alerting, and log analysis to ensure performance and reliability.
• Collaborate with security and infrastructure teams to enforce DevSecOps and platform resilience standards.

Data Operations and Service Management

• Manage data feeds, operational reports, and dashboards consumed by internal and external users with a focus on reliability and responsiveness.
• Define and track service-level objectives (SLOs), incident management processes, and performance metrics.
• Maintain thorough documentation, runbooks, and continuous improvement practices to enhance data service delivery.

Team Leadership, Change Management, and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as the principal leader across Data and AI, bridging architecture, engineering, operations, and business functions.
• Foster a culture of curiosity, accountability, and innovation, empowering team members to drive quality and scale.
• Actively lead change management efforts, helping teams adapt to new tools and processes with minimal disruption.
• Engage, influence, and corral cross-functional stakeholders—including analytics, underwriting, claims, and digital teams—to align on vision, roadmap, and priorities.
• Communicate effectively with both technical and business audiences to build consensus, drive urgency, and ensure transparency.

Team Leadership, Change Management, and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as the principal leader across Data and AI, bridging architecture, engineering, operations, and business functions.
• Foster a culture of curiosity, accountability, and innovation, empowering team members to drive quality and scale.
• Actively lead change management efforts, helping teams adapt to new tools and processes with minimal disruption.
• Engage, influence, and corral cross-functional stakeholders—including analytics, underwriting, claims, and digital teams—to align on vision, roadmap, and priorities.
• Communicate effectively with both technical and business audiences to build consensus, drive urgency, and ensure transparency.

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