Data & AI Leader - Senior Director - Canada / Hybrid

Ness Digital Engineering; Canada; Hybrid; CAD 180,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

Ness Digital Engineering is seeking a senior Data & AI leader to drive enterprise transformation initiatives for strategic clients. You will shape Data & AI strategies, identify opportunities, and lead execution with senior business and technology stakeholders.

The role requires deep enterprise data, GenAI knowledge, consulting capability, and strong leadership to translate emerging technologies into practical business outcomes.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in technology, data, analytics, AI or digital transformation.
• Leadership of enterprise-scale Data & AI programs.
• Cloud data architectures with Azure, Databricks, Snowflake.
• Experience with GenAI, LLMs, RAG and AI agents.
• C-suite engagement and complex transformation delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead core delivery leadership team for Data & AI engagements.
• Advising clients and executive engagement across engagements.
• Become the trusted advisor for CIO, CDO, CAIO and executives on Data & AI opportunities.
• Develop transformation roadmaps across data platforms, data engineering, analytics, AI/ML, GenAI and data governance.
• Drive solutioning and team leadership across delivery initiatives.

Skills

Executive engagement

Staff leadership

Stakeholder mgmt

Business acumen

Presentation skills

Strategic thinking

Tools

Azure

Databricks

Snowflake

GenAI

LLMs

AI agents

Agent orchestration

Job description

Role Purpose

We are seeking a senior Data & AI leader to lead enterprise Data & AI transformation initiatives for strategic clients. The role will work closely with senior business and technology stakeholders to define Data & AI strategies, identify and prioritize opportunities, shape solutions, and provide leadership through execution.

The individual will bring a strong combination of enterprise data expertise, AI/GenAI knowledge, consulting capability, technology leadership and delivery experience, with the ability to translate emerging technologies into practical business outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Part of the core delivery leadership team & leader for Data & AI engagements
2. Client Advisory & Executive Engagement
3. Become the trusted advisor for CIO, CDO, CAIO and business executives on Data & AI opportunities, priorities and investment decisions.
4. Help develop transformation roadmaps across data platforms, data engineering, analytics, AI/ML, GenAI and data governance.

1. Define and execute enterprise Data & AI strategies aligned to business priorities and transformation objectives.
2. Identify opportunities to leverage AI and automation to transform business and technology operating models.
3. Driving newer / innovative opportunities to partner
4. Solutioning
5. Team & Leadership

Required Experience & Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in technology, data, analytics, AI or digital transformation.
• Significant experience leading enterprise-scale Data & AI transformation programs.
• Strong understanding of modern cloud data architectures, data engineering and AI ecosystems.
• Experience with platforms such as Azure, Databricks, Snowflake or equivalent.
• Strong understanding of GenAI, LLMs, RAG, AI agents and agent orchestration.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with C-suite and senior business/technology executives.
• Proven ability to lead complex solutioning and transformation engagements.
• Experience managing large, distributed, multidisciplinary technology teams.
• Strong commercial and business acumen, including experience with proposals, business cases and large transformation engagements.
• Excellent communication, presentation and stakeholder-management skills.

Key Success Measures

• 20% yoY Business growth within Data & AI space
• Ness acknowledged as thought leader within Data & AI space (CSAT & NPS survey)
• Drive adoption of Ai/Agentic AI (nos -TBD)
• Drive agreed business outcomes with AI/ML solutions