Program Leader, Artificial Intelligence Transformation

Life Fitness; California (MO); On-site; USD 149,000 - 183,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with employer match

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Paid time off & holidays

Competitive salary and annual bonus

Job summary

Life Fitness / Hammer Strength seeks a Leader of Artificial Intelligence to drive AI solutions across operations, supply chain, commercial, and product functions. This role requires technical leadership, business partnership, and team development to deliver scalable, measurable impact.

You will lead AI initiatives through concept-to-deployment, collaborate across functions, and partner with product and engineering to embed AI capabilities in connected products and digital platforms.

Qualifications

• 6 to 10+ years of experience in AI, machine learning, analytics, or data science.
• Experience developing and deploying models in production environments.
• Strong understanding of machine learning, predictive analytics, optimization, and generative AI.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, operations, supply chain, or product organizations preferred.
• Experience in B2B, industrial, or performance-driven environments strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms, enterprise systems, and modern analytics toolchains.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to operate with ownership, urgency, and continuous improvement mindset in a matrixed environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead AI initiatives from concept through deployment and adoption.
• Translate business challenges into scalable machine learning, optimization, and generative AI solutions.
• Deliver use cases including: Predictive maintenance and reliability analytics; Demand forecasting and inventory optimization; Production scheduling and operational efficiency; Quality and warranty analytics; Sales forecasting and margin insights.
• Embed solutions into business workflows to improve decision-making and performance.
• Partner Across the Business: Collaborate with Operations, Supply Chain, Commercial, Product, Engineering, Finance, and IT teams to identify and prioritize AI opportunities; Communicate technical insights in clear, business-focused language; Support measurable outcomes including efficiency gains, cost savings, and revenue impact.
• Advance Product & Digital Innovation: Partner with Product Management and Software Engineering teams to support AI-enabled capabilities within connected products and digital platforms; Contribute to customer-facing and internal AI applications that enhance training, performance, and user experience; Support scalable, secure, and reliable model deployment practices.
• Lead & Develop Talent: Lead and develop a small team of data scientists and machine learning engineers; Promote best practices in model development, governance, and MLOps; Help strengthen AI literacy and adoption across the organization.

Skills

AI leadership

Leadership

Machine learning

Data science

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Communication

Job description

Join us as we empower the world to work out, creating healthier lives together.

At Life Fitness / Hammer Strength, we inspire the world to work out. We are a high-performing team focused on using AI, data, and technology to improve how we operate, build products, and serve customers around the world.

We are looking for a Leader of Artificial Intelligence to lead the development and deployment of AI solutions across operations, supply chain, commercial, and product functions. This role combines technical leadership, business partnership, and team development to deliver scalable solutions with measurable business impact.

HOW YOU’LL MAKE AN IMPACT (RESPONSIBILITIES):

Lead AI Solutions That Drive Results

Lead AI initiatives from concept through deployment and adoption

Translate business challenges into scalable machine learning, optimization, and generative AI solutions

Deliver use cases including:

Predictive maintenance and reliability analytics

Demand forecasting and inventory optimization

Production scheduling and operational efficiency

Quality and warranty analytics

Sales forecasting and margin insights

Embed solutions into business workflows to improve decision-making and performance

Partner Across the Business

Collaborate with Operations, Supply Chain, Commercial, Product, Engineering, Finance, and IT teams to identify and prioritize AI opportunities

Communicate technical insights in clear, business-focused language

Support measurable outcomes including efficiency gains, cost savings, and revenue impact

Advance Product & Digital Innovation

Partner with Product Management and Software Engineering teams to support AI-enabled capabilities within connected products and digital platforms

Contribute to customer-facing and internal AI applications that enhance training, performance, and user experience

Support scalable, secure, and reliable model deployment practices

Lead & Develop Talent

• Lead and develop a small team of data scientists and machine learning engineers

Promote best practices in model development, governance, and MLOps

Help strengthen AI literacy and adoption across the organization

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM (QUALIFICATIONS):

6to 10+ years of experience in AI, machine learning, analytics, or data science

Experience developing and deploying models in production environments

Strong understanding of machine learning, predictive analytics, optimization, and generative AI

Experience supporting manufacturing, operations, supply chain, or product organizations preferred

Experience in B2B, industrial, or performance-driven environments strongly preferred

Familiarity with cloud platforms, enterprise systems, and modern analytics toolchains

Strong problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills

Ability to operate with ownership, urgency, and continuous improvement mindset in a matrixed environment

WHY LIFE FITNESS / HAMMER STRENGTH

Help shape how AI transforms a global fitness and performance brand

Work on high-impact operational, commercial, and product challenges

Collaborate with teams that value innovation, accountability, and execution

Be part of a culture built around performance, teamwork, and inspiring healthier lives

If you are passionate about applying AI to solve complex business problems and building solutions that create measurable impact at scale, we would love to talk with you.

At Life Fitness / Hammer Strength, we think customer first , play as one team , and raise the bar on fitness innovation —in the gym and in every corner of our facilities. We persevere and get it done , with a clear purpose to inspire each other to live healthier lives.

At Life Fitness / Hammer Strength, we believe in taking care of our team with a comprehensive total rewards package that includes competitive pay and a range of valuable benefits. The salary range for this position, intended for U.S. applicants, is $149,400 - $182,500 annually.The actual salary will vary based on applicant’s education, experience, skills, and abilities. The salary range reflected is based on a primary work location of Rosemont, IL and the actual salary may vary for applicants in a different geographic location.This position is eligible to participate in Life Fitness / Hammer Strength’s annual Manager Incentive Plan to receive an annual discretionary bonus in addition to base salary. The amount of bonus varies based on company and individual performance goals and is subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan.

Life Fitness / Hammer Strength offers a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time team members, including, but not limited to: a 401(k) savings plan with 4% employer match; medical, dental and vision insurance, parental, medical and military leaves of absence, paid time off, including 12 paid holidays throughout the calendar year, paid vacation days beginning at 13 days annually, paid sick leave as provided under state and local paid sick leave laws, company paid short-term disability and optional long-term disability, health savings account, health care and dependent care reimbursement accounts, employee and dependent life insurance and supplemental life and AD&D insurance, hospital indemnity; identity protection, legal services, adoption assistance, tuition assistance, commuter benefits, employee discounts, and an employee assistance program that includes free counseling sessions. Eligibility for benefits is governed by the applicable plan documents and policies.

Life Fitness / Hammer Strength is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply. Life Fitness / Hammer Strength complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regardingemployment_,_recruitment and hiring. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.