Head of Data & AI

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Head of Data & AI to lead the organization's data, analytics, and artificial intelligence strategy, driving innovation across our digital banking platform.

In this leadership role, you will be responsible for defining and executing the enterprise data strategy, building scalable data platforms, leading AI initiatives, and establishing data governance practices that enable data-driven decision-making.

You will lead multidisciplinary teams of data engineers, data analysts, BI developers, database administrators, AI specialists, and product managers while collaborating closely with executive leadership to deliver strategic business outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Data & AI Strategy

• Define and execute the organization's Data & AI strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Build a long-term roadmap for data platforms, analytics, business intelligence, and AI capabilities.
• Drive innovation through advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI solutions.

Leadership & Team Management

• Build, mentor, and lead high-performing Data & AI teams.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Support career development, performance management, and technical mentoring.

Data Platform & Architecture

• Oversee the design and evolution of enterprise data platforms and architectures.
• Ensure scalable, secure, and highly available data infrastructure.
• Drive modernization of data engineering and data warehousing capabilities.

AI & Advanced Analytics

• Lead AI and machine learning initiatives from ideation through production deployment.
• Identify opportunities to leverage AI for customer experience, fraud detection, personalization, and operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with product and engineering teams to embed AI capabilities into digital products.

Data Governance

• Establish enterprise data governance, quality, security, and compliance standards.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and data privacy policies.
• Define enterprise-wide data standards and best practices.

Stakeholder Management

• Partner with executive leadership to define strategic priorities.
• Translate business needs into scalable technology solutions.
• Present roadmaps, KPIs, and progress updates to senior management.

Delivery & Innovation

• Oversee delivery of strategic data initiatives across engineering, product, and business teams.
• Monitor project execution, budgets, risks, and resource allocation.
• Continuously evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends.

Required Qualifications

Experience

• 10+ years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, AI, or Data Management.
• 5+ years leading enterprise Data & AI teams.
• Proven experience building and scaling enterprise data platforms.

Technical Expertise

• Data Engineering
• Data Warehousing
• Data Lakes
• ETL / ELT
• Streaming Data Platforms
• Cloud Data Platforms
• Machine Learning
• Artificial Intelligence
• Business Intelligence

Leadership

• Strong people leadership and organizational management skills.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Executive stakeholder management experience.

Professional Skills

• Strategic thinking and business acumen.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive organizational change.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Banking, Financial Services, or FinTech
• Experience leading enterprise digital transformation initiatives.
• Knowledge of:
• Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• Big Data technologies
• AI/ML platforms
• Data Governance frameworks
• Experience implementing enterprise AI solutions.
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, AI, or MBA is a plus.