Director, Applied AI & Data Science

IHG; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

IHG is seeking a Director of Data Science - Applied AI to lead forecasting, predictive modeling, optimization, and GenAI initiatives. You will set strategy, prioritize high-value opportunities, and build reusable capabilities that drive measurable business impact.

You will manage a team of applied scientists and AI/ML specialists, define standards for rigor and engineering, and partner with executives to communicate priorities and risks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Engineering, MIS/IT, or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years in applied machine learning, analytics engineering, or data science, including 3+ years leading managers or multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated experience delivering production AI solutions and maintaining their performance over time.
• Strong forecasting experience in business settings, including back testing and communicating uncertainty.
• Experience building analytical products that achieve sustained adoption.

Responsibilities

• Define Applied AI strategy and portfolio leadership with intake, prioritization, delivery, and measurement.
• Lead GenAI analytics products and agentic solutions with governed data products and explainable outputs.
• Direct non-guest predictive modeling and forecasting for commercial planning, revenue, and operations.
• Own MLOps and LLMOps practices with CI/CD, deployment, monitoring, and model refresh.
• Develop forecasting products for revenue, occupancy, demand, and spend with scenario planning.
• Establish backtesting, baseline comparisons, performance monitoring, and prediction ranges.
• Deliver reusable products that support recurring planning and decision-making.

Skills

Python

SQL

Forecasting

GenAI

MLOps

LLMOps

Data modeling

Text analytics

Speech analytics

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science / Data Science

Tools

Prophet

Job description

IHG is seeking a Director of Data Science - Applied AI to lead forecasting, predictive modeling, optimization, and GenAI initiatives. You will set strategy, prioritize high-value opportunities, and build reusable capabilities that drive measurable business impact.

You will manage a team of applied scientists and AI/ML specialists, define standards for rigor and engineering, and partner with executives to communicate priorities and risks.