Senior Director, AI Infrastructure Strategy

AFL; Duncan (SC); On-site; USD 210,000 - 310,000; Full time

Job summary

AFL is seeking a Senior Director to define the enterprise view on AI infrastructure, spanning power, compute, data centers, networks, and emerging AI technologies. This executive will translate market shifts into actionable strategies and partner with business leaders to execute on growth opportunities.

The role requires executive presence with Boards and C‑Suites, and the ability to translate complex market dynamics into clear, strategic actions across AFL's operating companies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA, master's degree, or relevant advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive leadership experience developing enterprise strategy and guiding business decisions in complex technology or industrial markets.
• Experience advising executive leadership teams and operating in cross-functional environments.
• Strong understanding of AI, digital infrastructure, or adjacent technology markets.

Responsibilities

• Define AFL's strategic perspective on the AI infrastructure ecosystem and translate trends into growth strategies and long-range plans.
• Develop AFL's view of the AI infrastructure ecosystem, including power, data centers, cloud/edge, and networks.
• Lead scenario planning on AI infrastructure, assessing architectures, economics, energy, and regulatory impacts.
• Partner with product leaders to align strategies with market opportunities and resource allocation.
• Create executive narratives and Board materials to convey strategic visions.
• Identify strategic partnerships and opportunities across the AI infrastructure ecosystem.
• Support the VP of Corporate Strategy as a strategic partner and future leader.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic thinking

Systems thinking

Business acumen

Influence

Communication

Scenario planning

AI infrastructure understanding

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA or related master's degree preferred

Job description

AFL is seeking a strategic, forward-looking leader to serve as Senior Director, AI Infrastructure Strategy and right hand to the Vice President, Corporate Strategy. This role will define AFL's enterprise perspective on AI infrastructure and translate market, technology, and competitive shifts into actionable corporate and divisional strategies. The successful candidate will bring a panoramic view of the AI infrastructure landscape, spanning power, compute, data centers, networks, and emerging AI technologies. This is not a fiber optics, network engineering, or product engineering role; AFL already has deep technical expertise within its operating businesses. This leader will connect technology, economics, regulation, and infrastructure trends to AFL's long-term strategy and customer opportunities. The role requires executive presence with Boards, C‑Suites, customers, investors, and partners, combined with the ability to work hands‑on with business leaders to translate strategy into execution.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Strategy Leadership

Define AFL's strategic perspective on the AI infrastructure ecosystem and translate market, technology, and competitive trends into growth strategies, investment priorities, and long-range plans.

AI Infrastructure Market Intelligence

Develop and maintain AFL's perspective on the AI infrastructure ecosystem, including power, grid modernization, data centers, cloud and edge computing, semiconductors, networking, cooling, and sovereign AI. Monitor hyperscalers, AI labs, utilities, communications providers, investors, and regulators to guide AFL's view of future market direction and strategic implications.

Strategic Foresight and Scenario Planning

Lead long-range scenario planning on AI infrastructure, assessing implications of centralized versus distributed architectures, training and inference economics, agentic AI, sovereign AI, AGI, energy constraints, and regulatory shifts. Translate uncertainty into strategic recommendations, investment priorities, and competitive advantage for AFL.

Divisional Strategy Partnership

Partner with AFL's Products and Services leaders to align business strategies with evolving market opportunities, guiding growth priorities, market focus, resource allocation, partnerships, capabilities, and customer investment. Serve as a trusted advisor and servant leader who translates enterprise strategy into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.

Executive Communication and Influence

Develop executive narratives, Board materials, and strategic recommendations that translate complex market and technology developments into clear business actions. Support AFL leadership in customer, investor, and industry engagements and communicate AFL's strategic vision to executives, customers, partners, and external stakeholders.

Strategic Partnerships and Ecosystem Development

Identify and evaluate strategic partnerships, emerging technologies, investment opportunities, and new market entrants across the AI infrastructure ecosystem. Maintain a broad ecosystem perspective to inform AFL's growth strategy, capital allocation, competitive positioning, and enterprise-level strategic decisions.

Organizational Leadership

Serve as the strategic partner and right hand to the Vice President of Corporate Strategy, helping shape AFL's long-term direction, strengthen enterprise planning capabilities, and develop future leaders. Demonstrate the judgment, leadership, and executive presence required to grow into broader enterprise strategy responsibilities.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA, master's degree, or relevant advanced degree preferred.
• Preferred fields include Business, Engineering, Computer Science, Economics, Energy Systems, Public Policy, or related disciplines.

Experience

• 12+ years of progressive leadership experience developing enterprise strategy, evaluating growth opportunities, and guiding business and investment decisions in complex technology, infrastructure, or industrial markets.
• Experience advising executive leadership teams.
• Strong understanding of AI, digital infrastructure, or adjacent technology markets.
• Experience operating in complex, cross-functional environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in AI infrastructure, cloud, hyperscale, digital infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, or adjacent markets.
• Experience supporting executive teams, boards, or senior decision-making forums.
• Experience conducting scenario planning and strategic foresight exercises.
• Deep understanding of AI technology trends, infrastructure requirements, and ecosystem evolution, including agentic AI, inference, compute platforms, sovereign AI, and next-generation architectures.
• Experience developing investment theses, market-entry strategies, or growth strategies.

Leadership Competencies

Strategic Thinking

Identifies long-term trends and converts uncertainty into strategic choices.

Systems Thinking

Connects technology, infrastructure, economics, policy, customers, and competitors into a clear strategic view.

Executive Presence

Builds credibility and influence with executives, customers, partners, and boards.

Business Acumen

Understands the financial, operational, commercial, and strategic drivers of performance.

Innovation Orientation

Challenges conventional thinking and identifies emerging opportunities.

Influence Without Authority

Builds alignment across organizational boundaries and drives results through collaboration.

Servant Leadership

Enables operating teams while maintaining a hands‑on, practical approach.

Learning Agility

Adapts quickly to evolving technologies, markets, and business models.

Success Measures

Within The First 12 Months, The Successful Candidate Will

• Establish AFL's corporate point of view on AI infrastructure.
• Build scenario‑planning frameworks to guide executive decision making.
• Improve alignment between corporate and divisional strategies.
• Develop recommendations that influence resource allocation and investment priorities.
• Strengthen AFL's executive thought leadership on AI infrastructure.
• Demonstrate readiness for broader enterprise strategy leadership responsibilities.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is not primarily a fiber expert, network engineer, or product specialist.

They are a strategist who understands how AI infrastructure creates value across power, compute, communications, hyperscalers, inference, AI economics, and future technology trajectories. They combine executive-level strategic thinking with hands‑on partnership with business teams to drive outcomes.

Most importantly, they possess the breadth, judgment, leadership capability, and presence to develop into AFL's future Vice President of Corporate Strategy.