Director, AI Tech Lead - PGIM Technology (Hybrid - Newark, NJ)

Prudential Financial, Inc; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus potential

Medical insurance

401(k) matching

Pension plan

PTO & leaves

Job summary

Prudential Financial, Inc. seeks a Director, AI Technical Lead to drive end-to-end enterprise AI initiatives across PGIM Technology and business partners. Lead AI use-case development, program governance, and cross-functional execution to deliver measurable business impact.

This role emphasizes translating business problems into scalable AI solutions, coordinating with data, engineering, and risk/compliance teams, and presenting executive status on portfolio progress and outcomes.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in program management or strategic initiatives with a focus on AI, data, or digital transformation.
• Proven experience delivering cross-functional enterprise programs with measurable business outcomes.
• Strong understanding of AI/ML concepts, generative AI, and data platforms (not hands-on modeling required, but fluency expected)

Responsibilities

• Identify and prioritize AI use cases aligned to strategic objectives.
• Lead the delivery of AI programs from concept to production, including pilots, scaling, and adoption.
• Coordinate across data, engineering, architecture, cyber, legal/compliance, and business teams to ensure successful execution.
• Establish governance, risk management, and executive reporting.
• Transition successful pilots into scaled, production-grade AI solutions.

Skills

Program management

Technology delivery

AI & data

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Matrix organization

Job description

Job Classification: Technology - Engineering & Cloud

PGIM is seeking a strategic and execution-focused Director, AI Technical Lead to lead the end-to-end delivery of enterprise AI initiatives across PGIM Technology and business partners.

This role will focus on identifying, prioritizing, and scaling high-value AI use cases, ensuring alignment to business outcomes, and driving measurable impact through disciplined program governance and execution.

The ideal candidate blends business acumen, AI fluency, and strong program leadership to translate opportunities into scalable solutions.

What You Will Do:

AI Strategy Execution & Use Case Development

• Partner with business leaders (investments, operations, distribution, risk) to identify and prioritize AI use cases aligned to strategic objectives
• Translate business problems into clear AI opportunities, including value hypotheses, feasibility, and implementation roadmaps
• Build and maintain an enterprise AI use case pipeline, including prioritization based on ROI, complexity, and scalability
• Define success criteria, KPIs, and business outcomes for each initiative

End-to-End AI Program Management

• Lead the delivery of AI programs from concept to production, including pilots, scaling, and adoption
• Establish and run program governance, including steering committees, status reporting, and risk/issue management
• Coordinate across data, engineering, architecture, cyber, legal/compliance, and business teams to ensure successful execution
• Manage dependencies across concurrent AI initiatives and ensure alignment to enterprise technology strategy

Business Engagement & Value Realization

• Act as the primary interface between business stakeholders and technology teams for AI initiatives
• Ensure solutions are business-led and outcome-driven, not technology-led experiments
• Track and report realized value (cost savings, productivity gains, revenue enablement, risk reduction)
• Drive adoption and integration into business workflows to ensure sustained impact

AI Productization & Scaling

• Transition successful pilots into scaled, production-grade AI solutions
• Partner with architecture and engineering to ensure solutions are secure, compliant, reusable, and integrated into enterprise platforms
• Promote standardization through reusable components, patterns, and AI capabilities (e.g., copilots, knowledge assistants, automation frameworks)

Governance, Risk & Responsible AI

• Ensure all AI initiatives adhere to enterprise governance, model risk management, and regulatory expectations
• Partner with Risk, Legal, and Compliance teams to implement responsible AI practices
• Establish controls for data usage, model transparency, and monitoring

Executive Reporting & Communication

• Provide clear, concise executive reporting on AI portfolio progress, risks, and outcomes
• Develop materials for senior leadership, including CTO, business heads, and executive committees
• Highlight key decisions, trade-offs, and investment priorities

What You Will Bring

• 10+ years of experience in program management, technology delivery, or strategic initiatives, with a strong focus on AI, data, or digital transformation
• Proven experience delivering cross-functional enterprise programs with measurable business outcomes
• Strong understanding of AI/ML concepts, generative AI, and data platforms (not hands-on modeling required, but fluency expected)
• Experience working in or with asset management, financial services, or regulated industries
• Demonstrated ability to translate business needs into technology solutions
• Strong stakeholder management skills with experience engaging senior executives
• Structured, disciplined approach to governance, prioritization, and execution
• Ability to operate in a matrixed, global organization

What Sets This Role Apart

• Direct impact on PGIM's enterprise AI agenda and business transformation
• Ownership of a high-visibility portfolio of AI initiatives tied to measurable outcomes
• Opportunity to shape how AI is embedded into investment, operations, and client workflows

What we offer you:

• Market competitive base salaries, with a yearly bonus potential at every level.
• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, Paid Time Off (PTO), and leave of absences, such as parental and military leave.
• 401(k) plan with company match (up to 4%).
• Company-funded pension plan.
• Wellness Programs including up to $1,600 a year for reimbursement of items purchased to support personal wellbeing needs.
• Work/Life Resources to help support topics such as parenting, housing, senior care, finances, pets, legal matters, education, emotional and mental health, and career development.
• Education Benefit to help finance traditional college enrollment toward obtaining an approved degree and many accredited certificate programs.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan: Shares can be purchased at 85% of the lower of two prices (Beginning or End of the purchase period).

Eligibility to participate in a discretionary annual incentive program is subject to the rules governing the program, whereby an award, if any, depends on various factors including, without limitation, individual and organizational performance. To find out more about our Total Rewards package, visit Work Life Balance | Prudential Careers. Some of the above benefits may not apply to part-time employees scheduled to work less than 20 hours per week.

Prudential Financial, Inc. of the United States is not affiliated with Prudential plc. which is headquartered in the United Kingdom.

Prudential is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetics, disability, marital status, age, veteran status, domestic partner status, medical condition or any other characteristic protected by law.

To maintain the integrity and security of our hiring process, Prudential may use identity verification technologies. Your consent will be obtained before any verification takes place.

If you need an accommodation to complete the application process, please email [e-mail] .

If you are experiencing a technical issue with your application or an assessment, please email [e-mail] to request assistance.