Director of Artificial Intelligence

The Vertex Companies LLC; United States; On-site; USD 199,000 - 542,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) with immediate matching

Generous paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

The Vertex Companies, LLC is seeking a Director of Artificial Intelligence to lead enterprise delivery of AI solutions. This hands‑on leadership role designs AI solutions, defines governance, and guides teams to production readiness across data pipelines, models, and integrations.

You will drive the AI roadmap, establish standards, mentor global teams, and ensure secure, compliant deployment with clear communication to executives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 12 years related experience or a Master's degree and 8 years related experience, and at least 5 years in management capacity.
• Solution‑architecture and hands on software‑development background, with a proven record of architecting and delivering enterprise applications or platforms.
• 5+ years architecting and delivering AI/ML, data, or advanced analytics solutions.
• Proven deployment of AI use cases into production, not proofs‑of‑concept alone, with measurable business outcomes.
• Hands‑on experience integrating multiple platforms, applications, and data sources, and building data pipelines, indexing, and embedding/vectorization layers.
• Experience designing and deploying RAG‑based and custom generative‑AI solutions in production, including retrieval, grounding, and evaluation.
• Strong integration background, integration platforms (e.g., MuleSoft or comparable iPaaS), APIs, and event‑driven enterprise integration.
• Strong data analysis and data modeling skills across modern data platforms.
• Platform‑and‑vendor‑agnostic across cloud AI services and foundation‑model providers, with sound judgment on tool and model selection.
• Demonstrated ability to move from architecture to hands‑on execution in a fast‑paced environment, with excellent communication and a track record of meeting timelines.
• Experience leading, mentoring, and managing technical teams and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Own the AI execution roadmap, aligning AI initiatives with business priorities and leading delivery of solutions end to end.
• Develop reference architectures, design patterns, and technical standards for scalable, secure, and maintainable delivery.
• Design and build the data pipelines, indexing, embedding/vectorization, and retrieval layers that power RAG and other AI solutions.
• Lead solutions across foundation models, vector stores, orchestration frameworks, and APIs.
• Oversee prompt engineering, grounding, model evaluation, and guardrails to ensure accuracy, safety, and performance.
• Establish and mature the AI delivery process, intake, prioritization, design, build, testing, deployment, security review and continuous improvement (MLOps / LLMOps).
• Own the end-to-end lifecycle of AI use cases, from prototype through production deployment, monitoring, and iteration.
• Deliver on committed scope, timelines, and budgets, with clear status communication to technical and executive stakeholders.
• Build and optimize data pipelines, ingestion, transformation, indexing, and vectorization, to prepare enterprise content for AI consumption.
• Ensure AI solutions meet enterprise security, identity, access‑control, privacy, and regulatory requirements.
• Implement controls for data protection, model risk, auditability, and acceptable use.
• Build, lead, and mentor a global team of AI engineers, data professionals, and solution developers.
• Manage vendors, partners, and consultants delivering AI and integration work.
• Communicate complex concepts clearly to both technical and leadership, and set and meet expectations on delivery.

Skills

AI strategy

Hands-on dev

Team leadership

Cloud platforms

Data pipelines

RAG experience

Communication

Managing vendors

Education

Bachelor's degree and 12 years related experience

Master's degree and 8 years related experience

Tools

MuleSoft

iPaaS

APIs

LLM platforms

Vector databases

Job description

Company Description

The Vertex Companies, LLC (Vertex) is a $180M global consulting firm that integrates strategic advisory, project management, and dispute resolution services for organizations facing complex challenges in a world of risk. We embody our core values of embracing lifelong learning, operating with urgency, maximizing value, and driving collaboration to better outcomes for our clients, colleagues, and communities. Join us if you are looking for a career that offers you a chance to love what you do and deliver meaningful impact.

Job Description

We are seeking a Director of Artificial Intelligence to lead enterprise delivery of AI solutions. This leader executes the organization’s AI strategy and roadmap, defined by senior leadership, turning priorities into secure, production‑grade solutions at scale. This is a hands‑on technical and managerial role. The role designs AI solutions, establishes the processes and standards that govern how AI is built and delivered, integrates AI across enterprise platforms and data pipelines, and leads the teams and partners that build and deploy them. The Director will collaborate with business leadership to translate AI into measurable operational and competitive advantage, operating at a fast pace, communicating clearly, and consistently delivering on committed timelines.

Core Responsibilities

• Own the AI execution roadmap, aligning AI initiatives with business priorities and leading delivery of solutions end to end.


• Develop reference architectures, design patterns, and technical standards for scalable, secure, and maintainable delivery.


• Design and build the data pipelines, indexing, embedding/vectorization, and retrieval layers that power RAG and other AI solutions.


• Lead solutions across foundation models, vector stores, orchestration frameworks, and APIs.


• Oversee prompt engineering, grounding, model evaluation, and guardrails to ensure accuracy, safety, and performance.


• Establish and mature the AI delivery process, intake, prioritization, design, build, testing, deployment, security review and continuous improvement (MLOps / LLMOps).


• Own the end-to-end lifecycle of AI use cases, from prototype through production deployment, monitoring, and iteration.


• Deliver on committed scope, timelines, and budgets, with clear status communication to technical and executive stakeholders.


• Build and optimize data pipelines, ingestion, transformation, indexing, and vectorization, to prepare enterprise content for AI consumption.


• Ensure AI solutions meet enterprise security, identity, access‑control, privacy, and regulatory requirements.


• Implement controls for data protection, model risk, auditability, and acceptable use.


• Build, lead, and mentor a global team of AI engineers, data professionals, and solution developers.


• Manage vendors, partners, and consultants delivering AI and integration work.


• Communicate complex concepts clearly to both technical and leadership, and set and meet expectations on delivery.

Qualifications & Competencies

• Bachelor's degree and 12 years of related experience or a Master's degree and 8 years of related experience, and at least 5 years in management capacity.


• Solution‑architecture and hands on software‑development background, with a proven record of architecting and delivering enterprise applications or platforms.


• 5+ years architecting and delivering AI/ML, data, or advanced analytics solutions.


• Proven deployment of AI use cases into production, not proofs‑of‑concept alone, with measurable business outcomes.


• Hands‑on experience integrating multiple platforms, applications, and data sources, and building data pipelines, indexing, and embedding/vectorization layers.


• Experience designing and deploying RAG‑based and custom generative‑AI solutions in production, including retrieval, grounding, and evaluation.


• Strong integration background, integration platforms (e.g., MuleSoft or comparable iPaaS), APIs, and event‑driven enterprise integration.


• Strong data analysis and data modeling skills across modern data platforms.


• Platform‑and‑vendor‑agnostic across cloud AI services and foundation‑model providers, with sound judgment on tool and model selection.


• Demonstrated ability to move from architecture to hands‑on execution in a fast‑paced environment, with excellent communication and a track record of meeting timelines.


• Experience leading, mentoring, and managing technical teams and external partners.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in professional services, AEC, or a similarly project-driven industry.


• Experience across multiple cloud and AI platforms and foundation‑model providers.


• Experience in integrating modern data platforms (warehouse / lakehouse), structured and non‑structured data , CRM, ERP, and HRIS systems.


• Relevant cloud, data, or AI engineering certifications.


• Experience leading global teams (Onshore / offshore)


• Background in security, governance, or responsible AI frameworks.

Additional Information

At Vertex, we invest in top talent with a highly competitive total compensation package that rewards performance and supports long‑term success. Total compensation includes a base salary and a discretionary variable bonus program, depending on your level. Our comprehensive benefits package offers multiple healthcare and dental plan options, as well as company‑paid Life Insurance, Short‑Term Disability, and Long‑Term Disability coverage—ensuring peace of mind for you and your family. We offer a 401(k) plan with immediate matching and full vesting, empowering employees to build financial security from day one. Additional benefits include Flexible Spending Accounts, a robust Employee Assistance Program, and a suite of exclusive perks that enhance everyday life. At The Vertex Companies, our salary ranges are intentionally designed to support meaningful career growth over time. These ranges allow employees to develop, expand their impact, and increase their earnings as they progress within their job level. A new hire’s starting compensation is determined by their experience, geographical location, scope of the role at the time of hire, and Company affordability. Our ranges are structured to reward growth and performance, ensuring there is room for advancement and long‑term opportunity. Time away matters—so we provide a generous paid time off program, including vacation, sick time, and paid holidays (with prorated options for eligible part‑time employees). At Vertex, growth never stops. Our signature “Lifetime of Learning” program offers tuition reimbursement and personalized support for employees pursuing advanced education—helping you sharpen your skills and accelerate your career.

The Salary Ranges For This Role Are As Follows

$199,000 - $542,000 USD annually (Geographical Tier AA - Sample Locations: NY Metro, San Franscisco, San Jose, Seattle)

$184,000 - $500,000 USD annually (Geographical Tier A - Sample Locations: Irvine CA, Middlesex NJ, Tacoma WA, Boston, Alexandria)

$168,000 - $459,000 USD annually (Geographical Tier B - Sample Locations - Baltimore, Chicago, Anchorage, Portland)

$153,000 - $417,000 USD annually (Geographical Tier C - Sample Locations - Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Miami)

$146,000 - $397,000 USD annually (Geographical Tier D - Sample Locations - Mississippi, Mobile AL, Bowling Green KY, Tulsa)