Director, Data, Analytics & AI Strategy

Kaav Inc; Algonquin (IL); On-site; Full time

Job description

Position Title: Director of Data, Analytics & AI

Position Overview:

The Director of Data, Analytics and AI will lead the design and implementation of our modern data and analytics ecosystem. This role will be responsible for building a unified data environment using Microsoft Fabric, enabling enterprise analytics through Microsoft Power BI, and driving advanced insights through statistical modeling and Large Language Models (LLMs). This is a hands‑on leadership role focused on building scalable data infrastructure, integration pipelines, unlocking actionable insights, and embedding AI capabilities across the organization to accelerate growth and improve decision‑making. The Director of Data, Analytics and AI will need to act as the internal thought leader on data, analytics, and AI strategy to partner closely with executive leadership and drive a culture of data‑driven decision‑making across the organization. This position requires someone with strong business acumen and the ability to work collaboratively in a diverse and dynamic business environment. There are 4 direct reports to the Director of Data, Analytics and AI.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Data Platform and Architecture Leadership
• Lead and manage the ongoing implementation and maintenance of the enterprise data platform in Microsoft Fabric, including data ingestion, transformation, governance and storage.
• Develop and refine the organizations data strategies and roadmap.
• Assess the current architecture, identify gaps and accelerate the transition to a scalable, production‑grade data environment;
• Build and optimize data pipelines integrating ERP, CRM, operational systems and external data sources;
• Establish and enforce best practices for data architecture, data quality, metadata management, data life cycle management and governance;
• Create and maintain a unified “single source of truth” to support reporting, analytics and AI applications;
• Analytics and Business Intelligence Leadership
• Define and align the business on analytics roadmap.
• Lead development of enterprise dashboards, reporting frameworks and self‑service analytics in Microsoft Power BI;
• Develop standardized KPIs, executive dashboards and operational reporting across all business functions;
• Enable executives and operators to make faster, data‑driven decisions through intuitive analytics;
• Partner with business leaders to embed analytics into core operational workflows.
• Advanced Analytics & Growth Modeling Leadership
• Lead all advanced forecasting and predictive analytics initiatives in partnership with key business leaders.
• Identify and execute opportunities to drive growth through data and statistical modeling;
• Develop predictive and prescriptive models to support areas such as but not limited to a) Pricing optimization, b) Customer segmentation, c) Sales forecasting, d) Demand planning, e) Customer lifetime value analysis, f) Product launch vitality.
• Apply statistical and machine learning techniques to uncover opportunities for growth, efficiency and operational opportunities;
• AI Strategy and Integration Leadership
• Lead the organization’s adoption and integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) and other AI technologies.
• Identify high‑impact AI use cases across functions such as sales enablement, customer support, operations, and finance;
• Implement AI‑powered workflows, automation, and internal tools to increase productivity and insights generation;
• Partner with IT and business teams to ensure responsible and legally compliant AI practices, governance, and security;
• Establish governance for responsible AI, model performance and monitoring;
• Evaluate emerging AI technologies and recommend practical business applications.

Other duties as assigned.

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related field (or equivalent experience); Masters, MBA and PhD a plus;
• 10+ years of professional experience in data, analytics or data science roles, with increasing leadership responsibility; with a minimum of 5 years of management experience.
• Proven experience implementing or scaling modern data platforms, preferably including Microsoft Fabric or the Microsoft data ecosystem;
• Strong expertise in analytics and business intelligence using Microsoft Power BI;
• Experience in managing cloud and database platforms such as Azure, AWS, Snowflake or similar;
• Hands‑on experience building statistical or predictive models;
• Experience applying Large Language Models (LLMs) or other AI capabilities in business settings;
• Strong ability to translate business problems into analytical solutions;
• Experience working in a Private Equity environment a plus;
• Demonstrated proficiency in verbal and written communication in English, with the ability to convey information clearly, accurately, and professionally across all levels of the organization.