AI for Retail - Practice Lead

Xomnia; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 63,054 - 89,280; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual development budget of €5,000

25 vacation days

Pension and flexible working options

Company trips

Stock Appreciation Rights

Free healthy lunch and office bar

Job summary

A leading AI solutions provider in Amsterdam is seeking an experienced 'AI for Retail' Practice Lead. In this role, you will establish the company's presence in the retail sector, drive strategic development, and act as a senior consultant. A successful candidate will possess over 5 years of relevant experience, a solid technical background, and excellent communication skills. The position offers a competitive salary, an annual development budget, and flexible working options.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in retail & e-commerce.
• Strong knowledge of data & AI in retail.
• Hands-on experience as a machine learning engineer or data scientist.

Responsibilities

• Establish and sharpen Xomnia's viewpoint on retail & e-commerce AI.
• Own the strategic roadmap for the retail practice area.
• Support commercial pursuits and act as a trusted advisor to clients.
• Drive knowledge sharing and develop methodologies.

Skills

Retail & e-commerce experience

Data & AI applications knowledge

Machine learning engineer experience

Strategic mindset

Excellent communication skills

Thought leadership

Fluency in English and Dutch

Job description

About the role and the Xomnia culture

At Xomnia, we don't just build models, we build intelligent solutions that solve real retail challenges. As our 'AI for Retail' Practice Lead, you won't be sitting on the sidelines. You'll be the person who puts Xomnia on the map in retail & e-commerce: challenging clients to think bigger, shaping propositions that genuinely work, and making sure our specialists have the expertise and direction to deliver real impact.

We work on projects that redefine how the retail industry operates. Our culture thrives on curiosity, shared ownership, and the courage to challenge assumptions. We value people who combine strategic vision with hands‑on impact, enjoy experimenting, sharing knowledge, and building lasting relationships with clients and the market.

Are you ready to take on this challenge?

The retail sector is moving fast – from demand forecasting and hyper‑personalization to agentic AI reshaping how e‑commerce businesses operate. Xomnia is building focused practice areas to become the go‑to partner in specific markets, and retail is one of them.

As 'AI for Retail' Practice Lead, you own this space end‑to‑end. You'll define what Xomnia stands for in retail, grow our presence in the market, and ensure our teams deliver solutions that clients actually trust and come back for. This role sits at the intersection of strategy, commercial development, thought leadership, and delivery – and you'll need to be comfortable moving across all of them. You will be part of our AI team and you'll work closely with our unit lead, delivery teams, and cross‑functional colleagues to ensure our practice delivers measurable impact both externally and internally.

Your role

Your responsibilities will revolve around five areas:

• Market presence & thought leadership

  Establish and continuously sharpen Xomnia's point of view on retail & e‑commerce AI. Represent Xomnia at industry events, in publications, and through partnerships with technology vendors. Build and maintain a strong industry network that opens doors and deepens client relationships.

• Practice strategy & development

  Own the strategic roadmap for the retail practice area, including propositions, and partner strategy. Identify and validate new product‑market combinations. Gather continuous market feedback to keep our offering sharp and relevant.

• Commercial & presales support

  Support and co‑lead commercial pursuits: scoping client needs, designing solutions, developing proposals, and coordinating demos or proof‑of‑concepts. Act as a trusted advisor to clients: from operational teams to C‑level stakeholders. Collaborate with the sales team to create enablement materials that help us win in the market.

• Internal capability building

  Drive knowledge sharing, expert track definitions, and R&D initiatives within the retail domain. Develop methodologies, best practices, and proof‑of‑concepts that raise the bar for how we work. Monitor project health within the retail portfolio and support delivery leads where needed.

• Client consulting & delivery

  This is not a purely strategic role; you are also active as a consultant on client engagements within the retail & e‑commerce domain. You act as a senior sparring partner for clients throughout the project lifecycle, from discovery to delivery. Your hands‑on client work keeps your market knowledge sharp and your credibility real, and directly feeds back into how we develop our practice.

What you bring to the table

• 5+ years of experience in the retail & e‑commerce industry: you understand how the business works, not just the technology.
• Strong knowledge of data & AI applications in retail: demand forecasting, personalization, pricing optimization, agentic AI, and beyond.
• A strong technical foundation: you have hands‑on experience as a machine learning engineer or data scientist, and you can credibly discuss model architecture, MLOps, and AI system design with both engineers and clients. You understand what it takes to bring a solution from prototype to production, and you use that knowledge to ask the right questions, spot risks early, and guide delivery teams.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to develop and execute a practice area roadmap.
• Commercial awareness with experience supporting proposal development, and client conversations.
• Excellent communication skills: equally fluent with data scientists, delivery leads, and C‑suite clients.
• A culture of sharing: you bring ideas to the table, develop others, and make the team around you stronger.
• A proven track record of thought leadership: writing, speaking, or presenting at industry events is a strong plus.
• Experience in building internal capabilities, methodologies, or training programs is a plus.
• Fluent in English and Dutch is a must.

What’s in it for you?

We offer more than a job – we offer a platform for growth:

• A monthly salary between €5,650 – €8,000 excl. vacation allowance and Profit Bonus (commensurate with experience)
• €5,000 annual development budget
• 25 vacation days to fully recharge
• Secondary benefits such as pension, flexible working options and the possibility to take unpaid leave
• Memorable company trips (Berlin this year!)
• The opportunity to grow along with our success through Stock Appreciation Rights

At Xomnia, we believe that collaboration, knowledge sharing, and personal development are the keys to our success. That's why we offer various training sessions through our 'Learning Labs' and organize a yearly Health Month. We also regularly enjoy boat trips through the Amsterdam canals with our own boat, and there is always a healthy (free) lunch and a bar at the office.