IT Director-AI and Automation

Family Dollar; Chesapeake (VA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Family Dollar is seeking an IT Director of AI & Automation to lead strategy, development, and deployment of AI initiatives across the retail enterprise. The role drives efficiency, enhances customer experience, and optimizes supply chain with ML, generative AI, RPA, and intelligent systems.

The ideal candidate blends deep technical expertise with retail domain knowledge and strong leadership to translate business strategy into scalable, secure AI solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering (Master’s preferred).
• 10+ years of progressive IT experience with 3+ years leading AI, ML, or automation programs.
• Experience in retail, omnichannel commerce, or consumer-facing environments.
• Expertise in AI/ML frameworks, data engineering, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP), and RPA tools.
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to translate business strategy into scalable, secure AI solutions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a multi-year AI and automation roadmap for the enterprise.
• Identify high-value use cases across merchandising, supply chain, and store operations.
• Establish KPIs to measure ROI, adoption, and performance of AI initiatives.
• Oversee architecture, development, and integration of AI/ML, RPA, and data pipelines.
• Ensure solutions integrate with POS, ERP, CRM, and inventory systems.
• Promote MLOps, cloud-based AI infrastructure, and data governance.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with Data & Analytics, Merchandising, and Finance.

Skills

AI/ML frameworks

Data engineering

Cloud platforms

RPA tools

Retail systems knowledge

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future visa sponsorship

The IT Director of AI & Automation will lead the strategy, development, and deployment of artificial intelligence and automation initiatives across our retail enterprise. This role is responsible for driving operational efficiency, enhancing customer experience, optimizing supply chain and merchandising decisions, and enabling data-driven innovation through advanced technologies including machine learning, generative AI, robotic process automation (RPA), and intelligent systems.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with retail domain knowledge and strong leadership capabilities to translate business strategy into scalable, secure, and high-impact AI solutions.

• Develop and execute a multi-year AI and automation roadmap aligned with corporate and digital transformation strategies.
• Identify high-value use cases across merchandising, supply chain, store operations, e-commerce, marketing, customer service, and corporate functions.
• Establish KPIs to measure ROI, adoption, and performance of AI initiatives.
• Oversee architecture, development, and integration of Agentic AI platforms, AI/ML, RPA solutions, and data pipelines.
• Ensure solutions integrate with retail systems such as POS, RMS, ERP, CRM, inventory management, and e-commerce platforms.
• Champion scalable cloud-based AI infrastructure and MLOps best practices.
• Ensure compliance with data governance, cybersecurity, and privacy regulations.
• Lead deployment of intelligent automation in areas including:
• Demand forecasting & inventory optimization
• Pricing & promotion optimization
• Store operations performance
• Contract Management
• Automated customer support (chatbots, virtual agents)
• Partner with Data & Analytics teams to enhance predictive modeling, personalization, and recommendation engines.
• Promote responsible AI practices, model transparency, and ethical AI standards.
• Collaborate with Merchandising, Supply Chain, Digital Commerce, Finance, HR, and Store Operations leadership.

Position Requirements:

• Office work environment, 40+ work hours per week
• On Call Support
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• 10+ years of progressive IT experience, with 3+ years leading AI, ML, or automation programs.
• Experience in retail, omnichannel commerce, or consumer-facing environments.
• Expertise in AI/ML frameworks, data engineering, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP), and RPA tools.
• Strong understanding of retail systems (POS, ERP, CRM, inventory, supply chain).

“Projected Salary Range: $190,000 - $210,000”.

Family Dollar is an equal opportunity employer and committed to recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds, and make all employment decisions without regard to any protected status. We are committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.