Director Ai Operations Jobs Near Me

About usKnitWell Group, a specialty retail operating company, comprises some of the most iconic brands in America - Ann Taylor, Chico's, Haven Well Within, Lane Bryant, LOFT, Soma, Talbots, White House Black Market. Individually, our brands are unique and strong. Together, we are powerful.

Our common thread is our commitment to create exceptional products, provide memorable experiences, and achieve superior results. Our associates are innovators who thrive through collaboration and are dedicated to excellence. At the heart of it all are the customers we serve. We are dedicated to creating fashion that not only looks good but also makes our customers feel good.

About the role

Reporting to the Vice President of Artificial Intelligence, The Director, AI Solutions Delivery will lead the technical execution of AI initiatives, ensuring successful deployment, integration, and scaling of AI solutions across the enterprise. This role requires a blend of technical expertise, project delivery experience, and cross-functional leadership.

You will be responsible for transitioning POCs & pilots into scalable production solutions and ensuring technical readiness across platforms and teams. You will also support pilots where deeper technical involvement is needed, acting as a thought partner and solution architect.

The impact you can have

• Operate as an independent partner to business leaders, proactively identifying opportunities, shaping AI use cases, and translating business needs into actionable technical solutions without requiring heavy direction.

• Build trusted relationships across business functions, guiding stakeholders from idea through implementation while ensuring solutions are aligned to strategic goals, operational realities, and adoption needs.

• Lead business-facing solution delivery with a high degree of autonomy, making decisions, driving clarity, and moving initiatives forward across cross-functional teams.

• Own the end-to-end delivery of AI solutions from pilot/PoC to full production deployment across business functions.

• Create detailed technical plans, timelines, and resource allocation to ensure successful implementation of AI solutions.

• Partner with IT and data teams to ensure AI solutions integrate with existing systems and data infrastructure.

• Evaluate and manage third-party AI tools, platforms, and external development partners.

• Ensure best practices around data governance, model monitoring, and performance evaluation are followed during and after deployment.

• Identify opportunities to improve delivery processes and implement tools for versioning, testing, and performance tracking.

• Potential on-call work for launched AI projects

You'll bring to the role

• 7+ years in technical delivery, AI/ML engineering, data engineering, or solution architecture, with at least 2 years managing production AI or data science projects.

• Familiarity with machine learning models, data pipelines, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP), and MLOps practices.

• Experience leading cross-functional teams through the full solution delivery lifecycle.

• Ability to communicate complex technical topics to business stakeholders and align delivery plans with organizational needs.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

• Master's degree or certifications in AI/ML a plus.

• Technically fluent but can zoom out to see the bigger business picture.

• Obsessed with delivery excellence and operational scalability.

• A proactive problem solver who anticipates risks and removes roadblocks.

• Adept at leading through influence, not just authority.

Benefits

• You will be eligible to receive a merchandise discount at select KnitWell Group brands, subject to each brand's discount policies.

• Support for your individual development plus opportunities for career mobility within our family of brands.

• A culture of giving back - local volunteer opportunities, annual donation and volunteer match to eligible nonprofit organizations, and philanthropic activities to support our communities.*

• Medical, dental, vision insurance & 401(K).*

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

• Time off - paid time off & holidays.*

*Any job offer will consider factors such your qualifications, relevant experience, and skills. Eligibility of certain benefits and associate programs are subject to employment type and role.

Remote:Preference will be given to candidates in Columbus, OH, Hingham, MA or Ft. Myers, FL areas near one of our corporate offices. This position is also open to remote candidates. Occasional travel to a company office may be required.

Applicants to this position must be authorized to work for any employer in the US without sponsorship. We are not providing sponsorship for this position.

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Location:Ascena Corp ETNA-ascena-Pataskala, OH 43062Position Type:Regular/Full time

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Company is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from diverse candidates. Hiring decisions are based upon a candidate's qualifications as they relate to the requirements of the position under consideration and are made without regard to sex (including pregnancy), race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, genetic information, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other category protected by applicable law. The Company is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for job applicants with disabilities. If you require an accommodation to perform the essential duties of the position you are seeking or to participate in the application process, please contact myHRSupport@knitwellgroup.com. The Company will make reasonable accommodations for otherwise qualified applicants or employees, unless such accommodations would impose an undue hardship on the operations of the Company's business.The Company will not revoke or alter a job offer based on an applicant's request for reasonable accommodation.