AI Development Director

AMFRESH Group; Madrid; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

AMFRESH Group in Madrid seeks an AI Development Director to shape the artificial intelligence agenda and personally deliver scalable AI solutions across the business. You will lead strategic framing, tool evaluation, and fast, hands-on implementation for operations, finance, HR and commercial units.

You will report to the Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer, manage a small delivery team, align AI investments with corporate priorities, and ensure responsible-AI governance while driving

Job description

AMFRESH Group is a global agrifood innovation company shaping the future of FRESH food through innovation, science and technology. Through its vertically integrated business model, the Group combines proprietary genetics and breeding, agriscience, biotechnology, sustainable farming and global commercialization to translate scientific innovation into commercial impact at scale. With more than 95 years of expertise, AMFRESH is privately held, operates in over 60 countries and employs more than 12,000 people worldwide. AMFRESH partners with many of the world's leading retailers and growers to deliver differentiated products, trusted supply and innovation across the FRESH food value chain, helping build healthier, more resilient and more sustainable food systems.

For further information, visit www.amfresh.com.

About The Role

• This job profile outlines a role that balances solid professional experience, a strategic mindset, and hands-on technical delivery. The successful candidate will combine sound business judgment with the ability to personally evaluate existing AI tools and solutions, frame the right use cases for the business, and quickly implement working developments for the Business Units and Corporate functions. This is a type of hybrid strategy-plus-build profile.
• As the AI Development Director, this position plays a pivotal role in shaping the artificial intelligence agenda of the company while personally delivering the solutions that bring it to life. The role combines strategic framing of AI opportunities, evaluation of existing tools and vendor solutions, and rapid hands-on implementation of developments requested by the Business Units and Corporate functions. Reporting directly to the Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer, and with the perspective of leading a small team of developers, this role significantly contributes to the organization's innovation roadmap, operational efficiency, and competitive positioning. The primary objectives of this role include:
• Support the definition of the AI Roadmap: Lead the development and continuous refinement of the Group’s AI strategy and roadmap, aligning AI investments with corporate and business priorities, and presenting progress to the Board of Directors and ExCom
• Evaluate tools and deliver solutions hands-on: Assess the AI tools and platforms available in the market and already in use at the Group, select the right approach for each business need, and personally implement working solutions — quickly and pragmatically — for the Business Units and Corporate functions, from agriculture and operations to commercial, finance, and HR
• Develop AI and Technology perspective: Track the evolving AI landscape, critically evaluate emerging models, tools and vendors, benchmark competitor and industry adoption, and translate trends into actionable, prioritized opportunities for the Group
• Drive AI delivery and governance: Own the end-to-end AI delivery cycle — from use-case identification and feasibility, through data readiness, model development, deployment and scaling — while establishing responsible-AI, data-privacy, and risk-management standards across the Group
• Collaborate with Group’s top Executives and lead a small delivery team: Partner with the CISO and ExCom stakeholders to embed AI into business priorities, working with IT, operations, commercial, marketing, finance, human resources, and Business Units teams to co-design solutions, secure data access, and drive change management for AI adoption. Where needed, lead and mentor a small team of analysts to extend delivery capacity while remaining personally hands-on with the technical work

About You

• Ideal candidate has 6-10 years of professional experience and is currently a Manager or Senior Manager within the advanced analytics / AI practice of a top-tier strategy consulting firm — BCG X, McKinsey QuantumBlack, Bain Advanced Analytics, Kearney Digital, or equivalent — with strong analytical capabilities and proven hands-on AI experience; candidates from the general strategy practice are not the target profile; complementary time in industry, a technology company, or a hyperscaler / AI-native organization is a plus, as is some experience leading a small team of analysts
• Demonstrated leadership skills: successfully collaborate with CEO and ExCo members to set the AI vision, execute assignments and deliver tangible business outcomes
• Strategic thinking paired with strong execution instincts: ability to frame the problem, choose the right tool, and move from idea to deployed solution in short cycles, with sound Project / Product management, Change leadership, and Cross-functional collaboration skills
• AI expertise across the full delivery lifecycle — generative AI / LLMs, classical machine learning, MLOps, and data engineering foundations — with the ability to evaluate existing tools and vendor solutions, decide build-vs-buy pragmatically, and personally take solutions from prototype to production
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to adapt to diverse and evolving business needs
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with hands-on technical fluency (Python, SQL, cloud AI platforms such as Azure / AWS / GCP) and the ability to develop impactful presentation decks (PowerPoint) for executive audiences
• Proven ability to work autonomously end-to-end — from problem framing to deployed solution — with limited supervision and under pressure
• Attention to detail coupled with strategic thinking. High curiosity and a hunger to learn

Location & Travel

This is a 100% on-site position based at our Madrid offices. The role requires broad flexibility and willingness to travel frequently and internationally, wherever the business needs it.