AI Adoption Director

Santander USA; Madrid; Híbrido; EUR 90.000 - 130.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

A leading financial institution is seeking an AI Adoption Director in Madrid, Spain to drive the strategic adoption of AI across executive leadership. The role involves developing adoption strategies, overseeing AI solution design, and managing change programs. Candidates should possess 10+ years in transformation roles, exceptional communication skills, and a strong understanding of AI tools. The position offers competitive compensation and opportunities for growth in a dynamic environment.

Servicios

Global career pathways

Hybrid, flexible working models

Access to learning opportunities

Competitive compensation

Preferential banking terms

Formación

• 10+ years of experience in transformation, consulting, innovation, digitalization, or corporate-level change management.
• Proven experience working with Executive Leadership or C-level stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale digital or AI transformation initiatives.

Responsabilidades

• Define the AI Adoption Strategy for Executive Leadership.
• Design, coordinate, and deploy AI solutions.
• Lead change management and adoption programs.
• Manage stakeholders and align initiatives with business strategy.
• Governance, impact tracking, and best practices.

Conocimientos

Strategic vision

Strong influence

Exceptional change-management capabilities

Impact-driven mindset

Understanding of AI tools

Educación

University degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Economics, Data Science

Postgraduate training in leadership, transformation, or innovation

Descripción del empleo

AI Adoption Director Country: Spain

IT STARTS HERE

Santander (www.santander.com) is evolving from a global, high-impact brand into a technology-driven organization—and our people are at the heart of this journey. Together, we are leading a customer-centric transformation that values bold thinking, innovation, and the courage to challenge what’s possible.

Our mission is to help more people and businesses prosper. We embrace a strong risk culture, and all our professionals at every level are expected to take a proactive and responsible approach toward risk management.

Within the Chief Data & Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAIO) division, we are building a world AI & Data team to transform how more than 170 million customers engage with one of the world’s largest banks.

Artificial Intelligence is at the core of our strategy—and this role is one of the most transformative for accelerating executive-level adoption of AI across the Group.

This opportunity allows you not only to join an exceptional organization but also to lead initiatives with real impact on how our most senior leaders work and make decisions.

THE DIFFERENCE YOU MAKE

DIRECTOR OF AI ADOPTION FOR THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

As Director, you will be responsible for driving and scaling the strategic adoption of Artificial Intelligence across Santander’s Executive Leadership, acting as a key bridge between technical teams, senior executives, and the staff supporting them.

Your mission will be to activate high-impact use cases, design adoption frameworks, orchestrate change management, and ensure that AI is used responsibly, securely, and consistently with corporate standards.

This role is pivotal to accelerating cultural and operational transformation for Santander’s most strategic leadership groups.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING

1. Define the AI Adoption Strategy for Executive Leadership

• Develop a comprehensive adoption strategy across three levels:
  Level 1: Senior executives
  Level 2: Chiefs of staff and executive offices
  Level 3: Executive assistants and support roles

• Identify high-impact opportunities across productivity, automation, information management, decision-making and operational efficiency.

• Translate strategic opportunities into deployable, prioritized, and scalable use cases.

• Establish a methodological and operational framework to ensure coherent, accelerated, and secure adoption across all levels.

2. Design, Coordinate, and Deploy AI Solutions

• Partner with internal AI, data, technology, and operations teams to design tailored AI solutions for Executive Leadership.

• Oversee the full solution lifecycle: functional definition, prototyping, iteration, validation, deployment, and ongoing support.

• Ensure all solutions comply with corporate standards on security, regulatory requirements, data protection, and Responsible AI.

• Drive practical and strategic tooling, including generative AI assistants, executive productivity enhancers, and automation systems.

3. Lead Change Management and Adoption Programs

• Design and implement onboarding, training, and hands-on adoption programs tailored to different executive audiences.

• Promote a culture of effective AI use, ensuring tools and solutions become part of daily workflows.

• Identify adoption barriers, operational frictions, and capability gaps—and activate plans to mitigate them.

• Provide personalized support for critical executive profiles where AI adoption has the highest strategic impact.

4. Manage Stakeholders and Align Initiatives with Business Strategy

• Serve as the main interface between Executive Leadership and technical teams, ensuring clarity, proper prioritization, and execution speed.

• Translate strategic and operational needs into clear product and functional requirements.

• Build business cases, prioritize the initiative portfolio, and ensure projects generate measurable and scalable value.

5. Governance, Impact Tracking, and Best Practices

• Ensure compliance with corporate standards for Responsible AI, security, model governance, and regulatory requirements.

• Define KPIs for adoption, maturity, impact, and user satisfaction, with regular reporting to Executive Leadership.

• Promote the standardization of tools, methodologies, and best practices for AI use across executive teams.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

Professional Experience

• 10+ years of combined experience in transformation, consulting, innovation, digitalization, AI, or corporate-level change management.

• Proven experience working with Executive Leadership or C-level stakeholders.

• Demonstrated success leading large-scale digital or AI transformation initiatives—ideally in banking or other regulated industries.

• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and coordinating technical and business areas.

Skills and Competencies

• Strategic vision with the ability to simplify complex technologies for executive audiences.

• Strong influence, communication, and transversal leadership skills.

• Exceptional change-management capabilities, especially within executive environments.

• Impact-driven mindset with focus on results, adoption, and scalability.

• Strong understanding of AI tools and executive-productivity use cases.

Education

• University degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Economics, Data Science, or related fields. (Required)

• Postgraduate training in leadership, transformation, or innovation. (Preferred)

Languages

• Professional fluency in English and Spanish. (Required)

WE VALUE YOUR IMPACT

Your work will be instrumental in accelerating Santander’s executive-level transformation. You can expect:

• Global career pathways and mobility opportunities.

• Hybrid, flexible working models.

• Access to hundreds of learning opportunities, including exclusive content through Santander Open Academy.

• Competitive compensation, performance-based rewards, and a holistic wellbeing program.

• Preferential banking terms, family‑friendly benefits, and employee support services.

Here, your impact matters—and it’s recognized.

LOCAL COMPLIANCE

Santander is proud to be an equal‑opportunity organization. We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for all candidates.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

If this sounds like the right challenge for you, we encourage you to apply and take the next step in your journey with us.