About the Company
Our client is revolutionizing the foodservice industry through technology, purchasing power, and partnerships. They empower stakeholders across the entire foodservice ecosystem—operators, distributors, and manufacturers—with greater efficiency and unprecedented visibility. With a diverse portfolio of over a dozen brands and a highly acquisitive growth strategy, our client is one of the largest players in foodservice, supporting over 200K operator locations across North America and over $50 billion in aggregated spend volume. Their mission is to reduce costs, streamline the foodservice supply chain, and propel the industry from manual processes to automated, data-driven operations across Digital Procurement Network, Fresh Solutions, Supply Chain Management, and Software.
Role and Responsibilities
As the VP of AI Strategy and Implementation, you will lead the AI transformation and shape the future of the business through innovative AI solutions. This role involves developing and executing a forward-thinking AI strategy that aligns with global objectives, driving operational excellence, enhancing data capabilities, and delivering actionable insights.
Key responsibilities include:
AI Strategy & Vision
- Owning the end-to-end delivery of AI initiatives, from strategic vision to measurable business outcomes.
- Crafting and championing a comprehensive AI strategy aligned with the company’s long-term business goals.
- Identifying high-impact AI opportunities across departments to optimize processes and improve decision-making.
- Anticipating emerging AI trends and technologies to position the company for future advancements.
- Partnering with senior leadership and data teams to ensure AI initiatives support organizational priorities.
- Collaborating closely with the product team to understand user behaviors and needs.
- Defining and tracking KPIs to measure the success and business impact of AI projects.
AI Implementation & Operations
- Leading the deployment of AI solutions, such as predictive analytics for supply chain optimization, natural language processing (NLP) for customer insights, and robotic process automation (RPA) for operational efficiency.
- Ensuring AI models are scalable, reliable, and secure, while collaborating with data science, engineering, and IT teams for seamless integration.
- Establishing best practices for AI development, testing, and monitoring to maintain top-tier performance standards.
Governance, Ethics & Compliance
- Developing and enforcing an AI governance framework that prioritizes transparency, fairness, and accountability.
- Implementing risk management protocols to mitigate bias and ensure compliance with data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).
- Promoting ethical AI practices that align with company values and industry standards.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Change Management
- Assembling and inspiring a diverse, high-performing AI team of approximately 30 people (spanning product, QA, design, and data science), fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous learning.
- Driving AI adoption through training programs to enhance AI literacy across the organization.
- Serving as a strategic advisor to executive leadership, translating complex AI concepts into actionable business strategies.
- Leading change management efforts to ensure smooth integration of AI technologies and secure stakeholder buy-in.
Innovation & Research
- Cultivating an environment of experimentation and exploration of cutting-edge AI techniques.
- Forging partnerships with external research institutions, technology vendors, and industry leaders.
- Assessing build-vs.-buy options for AI tools to adopt the most effective solutions.
The role operates in a fast-paced, complex environment with significant acquisition activity and a strong emphasis on decisiveness, speed, and delivering tangible impact in a “messy” industry that is undergoing digital transformation.
Job Requirements
Technical Expertise
- Expert-level proficiency in Python and SQL.
- Advanced knowledge of database architecture and schema design.
- Hands-on experience with AI/ML frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch) and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
- Proven expertise with large language models (LLMs), including prompting and fine-tuning, and predictive AI for time series challenges.
Leadership & Strategic Skills
- Exceptional ability to align AI strategies with business objectives and drive organizational change.
- Strong project management experience, including Agile methodologies.
- Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to convey complex AI concepts to non-technical audiences.
Ethics & Governance
- Deep understanding of AI ethics, bias mitigation, and explainability techniques.
- Experience developing governance frameworks for responsible AI use.
Experience & Background
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, AI, Business, or a related field (PhD preferred).
- 8+ years of experience in AI, data science, or digital transformation, including 5+ years in a senior leadership role.
- Proven success implementing AI strategies in fast-paced, innovative environments (startup or high-growth tech experience strongly preferred).
- Extensive knowledge of machine learning, NLP, generative AI, and automation technologies.
- Expertise in AI governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
- Strong business acumen with a track record of communicating AI value to non-technical stakeholders.
Experience with AI agents, digital direct reports / autonomous systems, or tools such as OpenClaw is highly advantageous. Palantir experience is a plus. Our client values decisiveness, the ability to thrive in ambiguity, and a track record of operating at pace in startup-like environments. Candidates from any industry are welcome; the ability to quickly learn domain-specific nuances is more important than prior foodservice experience.