Sr. Manager of Data, AI & Innovation

CFS; Grand Rapids (MI); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision

Retirement plan 6% match

3 weeks PTO

Tuition reimbursement

Bonus potential

Job summary

CFS is seeking a Sr. Manager of Data, AI & Innovation to lead enterprise-wide data, analytics, AI, and innovation initiatives. You will partner with Finance, Operations, Sales, HR, and others to drive data-driven value, define a long-term roadmap, and establish data governance foundations for growth.

The role requires capabilities in communicating business strategy with technical concepts, building scalable data platforms, and leading a team to deliver measurable outcomes across the organization.

Qualifications

• Experience leading data analytics, AI strategy, or BI programs.
• Proven ability to build business cases and roadmaps for technology-driven improvements.
• Strong governance, data quality, privacy, and security mindset.

Responsibilities

• Lead the organization’s data, analytics, AI, and innovation strategy.
• Partner with stakeholders to identify opportunities for data-driven value.
• Develop and maintain a prioritized roadmap for analytics and AI initiatives.
• Establish enterprise data governance practices and data ownership.
• Own data platform and warehouse strategy, pipelines, and architecture.
• Drive BI strategy toward reliable self-service insights and a single source of truth.
• Define and guide the organization’s AI strategy and governance.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and automation opportunities for business value.
• Build and lead a small team focused on data initiatives and partnerships with vendors.

Skills

Data analytics

AI strategy

Business intelligence

Data governance

Roadmap development

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Job description

Position: Sr. Manager of Data, AI & Innovation

Salary: $150,000-$210,000 + Bonus

Benefits: Medical/dental/vision, Retirement Plan w/ 6% match, 3 Weeks PTO, Tuition Reimbursement, Bonus Potential, etc.

Location: Hybrid/Remote flexibility

Job Overview

The Sr. Manager of Data, AI & Innovation will lead enterprise-wide data, analytics, AI, and innovation initiatives. This role will partner closely with business leaders across Finance, Operations, Sales, HR, and other functional areas to identify opportunities where technology, data, and automation can improve business outcomes. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable discussing business strategy and technical concepts, with the ability to build a long-term roadmap while establishing the data governance, analytics, and AI foundations needed to support future growth. This is a highly visible leadership role with the opportunity to build and scale a growing innovation and data function from the ground up.

Responsibilities of the Sr. Manager of Data, AI & Innovation

• Lead the organization's innovation, data, analytics, and AI strategy, aligning technology investments with business priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Partner with business stakeholders to identify challenges, improvement opportunities, and areas where data-driven solutions can create value.
• Develop and maintain a prioritized roadmap for innovation, business intelligence, analytics, and AI initiatives.
• Establish and lead enterprise data governance practices, including data ownership, stewardship, quality standards, security, privacy, and retention policies.
• Own the enterprise data platform and data warehouse strategy, including data pipelines, integrations, and architecture that support trusted reporting and analytics.
• Drive the analytics and business intelligence strategy, helping transition reporting environments toward reliable, self-service insights and a single source of truth.
• Define and guide the organization's AI strategy, including use case evaluation, governance, responsible implementation, and adoption.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, automation platforms, and innovation opportunities, determining where they can provide meaningful business value.
• Build and lead a small team focused on innovation and data initiatives while partnering with internal stakeholders and external vendors.

Preferred Experience of the Sr. Manager of Data, AI & Innovation

• Experience leading or managing initiatives related to data analytics, AI strategy, business intelligence, digital transformation, innovation, product management, or similar functions.
• Experience building business cases, strategic roadmaps, and technology-driven business improvement programs.
• Strong background in data analytics, business intelligence, data warehousing, data pipelines, and data modeling.
• Experience implementing or managing data governance programs, including data quality, stewardship, and master data management.
• Understanding of AI, predictive analytics, and intelligent automation concepts in a business environment.
• Proven ability to work closely with business stakeholders, influence decisions, and drive cross-functional initiatives.
• Leadership experience, including developing teams, managing priorities, and navigating ambiguity while building new processes and capabilities.
• Strong business acumen, communication skills, curiosity, and a continuous improvement mindset.

Bonus Experience of the Sr. Manager of Data, AI & Innovation

• Experience in the Manufacturing industry, OT/IT or multi-site operations.
• Knowledge of the Medallion architecture.
• Experience building a data, analytics, or innovation function from the ground up.
• Experience supporting both IT and operational/manufacturing data environments.
• Degrees or certifications related to AI, predictive analytics, data/BI, data governance, etc.

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