VP, AI Acceleration

Digital Realty, Inc.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 220,000 - 255,000; Full time

Job summary

Digital Realty, Inc. seeks a Vice President, AI Acceleration to lead enterprise-wide AI adoption, scaling pilots to production, and shaping how we engage the external AI market.

Reporting to the CTO, this high-visibility role blends execution and strategy across functions, positioning Digital Realty as both an infrastructure provider and a user of AI at scale. You will oversee governance, certification, and alignment with product, marketing, and sales, serving as a senior AI leader in dialogue

Qualifications

• 12+ years of technology leadership with focus on AI/ML or data strategy
• Experience driving enterprise AI adoption across multiple functions at scale
• Experience building or scaling AI governance, certification, or enablement programs
• Ability to engage and influence executive audiences, including board-level stakeholders and customers
• Strong commercial mindset positioning AI as a productivity tool and market differentiator
• Experience working with hyperscalers and AI-native partners
• Background in infrastructure, cloud, or data center environments preferred
• Experience leading internal AI programs or Customer Zero in a B2B org
• Strong written and verbal communication, especially with analysts and external audiences
• Willingness to travel approximately 25%

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise AI adoption across all functions, moving pilots to scaled deployment
• Operationalize the AI operating model and coordinate production across teams
• Govern the Functional Certification Program, including SLA adherence and recertification cadence
• Convert shadow AI into approved, governed enterprise usage
• Define, track, and report AI performance metrics (efficiency, cost, revenue impact)
• Establish Digital Realty as a Customer Zero reference for AI on its infrastructure
• Translate internal AI maturity into external market positioning with Product, Marketing, and Sales
• Engage directly with strategic customers and partners as a senior AI leader
• Shape the company’s point of view on AI infrastructure and market differentiation
• Represent Digital Realty externally at industry events and analyst briefings

Skills

AI leadership

Enterprise AI adoption

Executive communication

Stakeholder engagement

Tools

PlatformDIGITAL

Job description

Digital Realty is seeking a Vice President, AI Acceleration to lead the enterprise-wide adoption and execution of AI while shaping how the company engages the external AI market. Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, this is a high‑visibility leadership role responsible for scaling AI from pilot to production across all functions, and translating internal AI capability into compelling market positioning. This role bridges execution and strategy, ensuring Digital Realty operates credibly as both a provider of AI infrastructure and a user of AI at scale.

What you’ll do

• Lead enterprise AI adoption across all functions, moving from pilots to measurable, scaled deployment
• Operationalize the company’s AI operating model, coordinating ideation through production across teams
• Drive and govern the Functional Certification Program, including SLA adherence and recertification cadence
• Convert unsanctioned “shadow AI” into approved, governed, and measurable enterprise usage
• Define, track, and report AI performance metrics including efficiency, cost, revenue impact, and productivity gains
• Establish Digital Realty as a “Customer Zero” reference for AI deployed on its own infrastructure
• Translate internal AI maturity into external market positioning with Product, Marketing, and Sales leadership
• Engage directly with strategic customers and partners as a senior technical and commercial AI leader
• Shape the company’s point of view on AI infrastructure and differentiation in the market
• Represent Digital Realty externally through industry events, analyst briefings, and executive engagements

What you’ll need

• 12+ years of technology leadership experience, including significant focus on AI, ML, or data strategy
• Proven success driving enterprise AI adoption across multiple functions at scale
• Experience building or scaling AI governance, certification, or enablement programs
• Ability to engage and influence executive audiences, including board‑level stakeholders and customers
• Strong commercial mindset with the ability to position AI as both a productivity tool and market differentiator
• Experience working with hyperscalers and AI‑native partners strongly preferred
• Background in infrastructure, cloud, or data center environments preferred
• Experience serving as an internal AI leader or leading “Customer Zero” programs in a B2B organization preferred
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, particularly with analysts and external audiences
• Willingness to travel approximately 25%

A bit about us

Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL®, the company’s global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data meeting place and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx®) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges. Digital Realty gives its customers access to the connected data communities that matter to them with a global data center footprint of 300+ facilities in 50+ metros across 25+ countries on six continents.

Our Technology & Innovation team strives to innovate alongside our customers and empower their businesses to thrive. We work closely with our customers to develop insights‑based, data‑driven technical solutions and differentiated value propositions on PlatformDIGITAL® across the world. Operating in almost 50 cities globally means we understand how rapidly the world is evolving, so we’ve built a best‑in‑class development model to qualify, package; and enable cloud to core to edge hybrid IT solutions. Our deep technical heritage, combined with our global footprint, means the Technology Innovation team can create and deploy services and solutions that are at the heart of the digital economy.

What we can offer you

Our rapidly evolving business sector offers the opportunity to be part of a courageous and passionate team who work together to understand and meet the changing needs of our global customers.

Join us and you’ll be part of a supportive and inclusive environment where you can bring your whole self to work. As part of our team, you’ll get to work with people from different business areas, challenge the way we do things and put your ideas into action. We’ll also give you plenty of development opportunities so you can build a rewarding and successful career with us.

Apply today, take charge of your career and grow your talents with us.

Health and Safety

Safety isn’t just a priority here at Digital; it’s critical to everything we do. Safeguarding lives, protecting assets, and securing data aren’t just ideals – they’re essential pillars of our commitment to excellence for our people, our partners and our customers. We have a culture of care where every member of Team Digital embraces a relentless pursuit of working safely across Digital Realty. Together we are Safely Powering Progress.

Our Compensation Philosophy

Digital Realty offers its employees a highly competitive compensation package, excellent benefits, and an environment that recognizes and rewards your contributions. Central to our compensation philosophy is rewarding our employees for achieving the values and objectives aligned to the company’s overall goals and values.

Digital Realty’s published pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum target for new hire pay for the full‑time position determined by role, level, and geographical location. Individual pay is based on additional factors including but not limited to job‑related skills, experience, and relevant education and/or training. Moreover, an employee’s total compensation package varies by role and may include salary, cash bonus or commissions, and equity awards not quantified below.

Compensation range : $220,000 - $255,000 annually This compensation range represents the Company’s good faith belief as to what it will pay as a base salary for this position at the time of this posting.

Benefits: For this role, Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, 401k match, disability benefits, wellness and education benefits, employee stock purchase plan, paid time off, holidays, and more.

Notes

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.

Digital Realty is an equal opportunity employer, EOE/AA/M/F/Vets/Disabled. All applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability or protected veteran status, or other status protected by law or Company policy.

Digital Realty is a publicly traded company (NYSE: DLR) with investment grade ratings from all three major ratings agencies.

Please do not forward unsolicited resumes to any employee of Digital Realty and its subsidiaries. Digital Realty is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited referrals.