Head of AI Strategy – Operations

Job Description:

• Develop Accela’s enterprise AI strategy and investment priorities
• Assess AI capabilities and readiness, aligning plans with business goals, resources, and acceptable risk
• Identify and prioritize AI opportunities based on benefits, readiness, data needs, effort, risk, and cost
• Define success measures and recommend initiatives to fund, expand, adjust, or stop
• Establish AI risk categories, review processes, and approval criteria
• Translate legal, regulatory, contractual, and policy obligations into requirements for security, privacy, data use, human oversight, and AI evaluation
• Define responsibilities and handoffs from experimentation through deployment and retirement
• Maintain company-wide visibility into AI initiatives, tools, owners, investments, dependencies, and risks
• Provide role-specific training, guides, templates, office hours, and peer learning; build an AI champion network
• Partner with functional leaders to address skill gaps and set AI goals
• Guide approved technology selection and evaluate whether to build, buy, or configure solutions
• Establish technical standards for access controls, activity records, monitoring, incident response, and ongoing AI system management
• Use AI-assisted development and targeted prototypes to test assumptions
• Build executive scorecards covering adoption, outcomes, quality, reliability, risk, cost, and value
• Lead cross-functional and executive collaboration with clear recommendations, decisions, and follow-through
• Partner with the Senior Director, AI Transformation & Operations to align enterprise requirements with operational needs

Requirements:

• 6+ years of experience in AI, AI strategy, or technology strategy, including leadership of complex initiatives involving multiple teams
• Experience establishing enterprise AI or technology governance, standards, operating practices, or adoption programs
• Practical experience with large language models, retrieval, agents, workflow automation, AI evaluation, and AI-assisted development sufficient to prototype and assess solutions
• Ability to prioritize opportunities, turn unclear business problems into actionable requirements, and deliver measurable operational or financial results
• Strong communication, facilitation, and negotiation skills, including the ability to explain technical topics clearly, build agreement, and lead without direct authority
• Relevant credentials, such as IAPP AIGP, ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer, ISACA AAISM, CRISC, or CGEIT, or equivalent practical experience implementing enterprise AI governance
• Preferred: Experience in enterprise SaaS, GovTech, or another regulated environment
• Preferred: Experience working with security, risk, or compliance teams
• Preferred: Experience building AI champion networks, employee learning programs, or shared internal AI capabilities

Benefits:

• Annual bonus target, discretionary based on company and individual goal achievement
• Flexible time off
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans
• Family planning benefits
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with company match
• Health savings account with company contributions
• Flexible spending account
• Life, accident, and disability coverage
• Business travel insurance
• Employee assistance programs
• Other well-being benefits
• Job accommodations available upon request