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Senior Director, Artificial Intelligence

Central Garden & Pet

Schaumburg, IL

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JOB DETAILS
SALARY
$175,000–$275,000 Per Year
JOB TYPE
Full-time
SKILLS
Alliance/Partner Management, Architectural Services, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Artificial Intelligence (AI) Programming Languages, Best Practices, Business Case, Business Growth, Business Strategy, Cellular Telephone, Cloud Computing, Cost Modeling, Dental Insurance, Ecosystems, Emerging Technology, Enterprise Architecture, Entrepreneurship, Establish Priorities, Finance, Financial Modeling, Forecasting, Leadership, Logistics, Maintain Compliance, Manufacturing, Mergers and Acquisitions, Negotiation Skills, Online Courses, Operational Expenditure (OPEX), Organizational Skills, Relationship Management, Research & Development (R&D), Return on Investment (ROI), Risk Management, Sales, Strategic Planning, Sustainability, Team Player, Technical Leadership, Vendor/Supplier Relations, Vendor/Supplier Selection, Vision Plan
LOCATION
Schaumburg, IL
POSTED
30+ days ago

Description

The Senior Director, Artificial Intelligence defines and operationalizes the enterprise AI strategy, architecture, and learning ecosystem in direct support of the company’s core business priorities: growth acceleration, operational efficiency, and scalable portfolio integration through M&A. This role leads the AI Center of Excellence and serves as the senior technical authority for AI platforms, governance, and enablement.

This leader ensures AI investments translate into measurable business value by accelerating innovation, improving decision intelligence, and embedding AI capability into the workforce. The role bridges enterprise architecture, business strategy, and human capability — shaping both the technology landscape pertaining to AI and the organization’s ability to use it competitively.  A core mandate of the position is to help in building an AI-empowered workforce by ensuring employees have the training, knowledge and tools needed to leverage AI in their daily activities.
 
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

AI Strategy & Direction
  • Define and maintain the enterprise AI vision and multi-year roadmap
  • Align AI investments to growth, efficiency, and M&A integration priorities
  • Issue formal statements of architectural direction for AI platforms
  • Anticipate emerging technologies and guide adoption decisions
  • Ensure AI strategy aligns with enterprise architecture principles
Leadership of the AI Center of Excellence
  • Lead and scale the AI Center of Excellence (AI COE)
  • Establish reusable frameworks, playbooks, and delivery models
  • Standardize AI engineering practices across the enterprise
  • Promote enterprise-wide AI fluency and adoption
  • Create a scalable operating model for AI delivery
AI Architecture & Assurance
  • Provide architectural assurance for AI initiatives in flight
  • Review designs for scalability, security, and sustainability
  • Partner with Enterprise Architecture and Architecture Review Board
  • Prevent platform fragmentation and tool sprawl
  • Maintain technical coherence across the AI landscape
Standards, Governance & Practices
  • Establish AI lifecycle engineering standards
  • Define model governance and ethical AI guardrails
  • Create deployment and monitoring frameworks
  • Ensure compliance, privacy, and risk management
  • Maintain enterprise trust in AI systems
Enterprise AI Learning & Enablement Strategy
  • Define and lead enterprise AI learning strategy
  • Build structured AI fluency programs across roles
  • Develop training libraries and best practice repositories
  • Partner with HR and Learning & Development to institutionalize AI skills
  • Grow internal AI champions and power-user communities
  • Measure workforce AI maturity and adoption
Vendor & Ecosystem Management
  • Manage strategic relationships with AI platform vendors
  • Lead evaluation of emerging tools and ecosystems
  • Drive vendor selection aligned with architecture principles
  • Negotiate enterprise partnerships and cost structures with CIO
  • Prevent vendor sprawl through disciplined strategy
Financial & Business Partnership
  • Model AI platform cost structures and investments
  • Partner with finance to forecast AI operating expenses
  • Develop business cases with business leaders
  • Ensure ROI visibility and measurable outcomes
  • Balance innovation speed with cost discipline
AI Industry Liaison & R&D Leadership
  • Serve as liaison to AI research and innovation ecosystem
  • Maintain relationships with industry thought leaders
  • Translate external innovation into enterprise capability
  • Lead enterprise R&D pilots with business units
  • Represent the company in AI forums and partnerships
  • Position the organization as an AI-forward enterprise
Roadmapping & Enterprise Alignment for AI
  • Build AI enablement roadmaps with Enterprise Architecture
  • Align with Architecture Review Board priorities
  • Sequence platform evolution intentionally
  • Prioritize capabilities based on business value
  • Define long-term AI maturity trajectory
QUALIFICATIONS 
  • Senior enterprise technology leadership experience (ideally 10+ years)
  • Deep expertise in AI/ML platforms and cloud ecosystems
  • Proven ability to scale technical organizations
  • Enterprise architecture strategy experience
  • Vendor negotiation and platform strategy expertise
  • Financial modeling and investment prioritization skills
  • Executive communication and influence capability
  • Ability to translate technology into business outcomes
  • Experience building high-performing teams
  • Strategic systems thinker
  • Builder of platforms, not just projects
  • Balances innovation with discipline
  • Collaborative across business and technology
  • Trusted advisor to executive leadership
  • Bias for clarity and simplification
  • Operates comfortably at enterprise scale
POSITION INFORMATION  
  • This position pays $175,000-275,000 per year based on experience and location
BENEFITS PACKAGE & EMPLOYEE PROGRAMS 
  • Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
  • Free Life and Disability Insurance
  • Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
  • 401k with 3% company match and annual employer discretionary contribution
  • Paid vacation, holidays and sick time
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Access to thousands of free online courses
  • Discounts on cell phones, movie tickets, gym memberships, and more!
  • Education Assistance (both college degrees and professional certifications)
  • Referral Program with cash bonus
  • Access to on-demand pay
  • Paid parental leave
 
Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) (NASDAQ: CENTA) is a leading consumer goods company in the pet and garden industries. Guided by the belief that home is central to life, the Company's purpose is to proudly nurture happy and healthy homes. For over 45 years, its innovative and trusted solutions have helped lawns grow greener, gardens bloom bigger, pets live healthier, and communities grow stronger. Central is home to a diversified portfolio of market-leading brands including Amdro®, Aqueon®, Best Bully Sticks®, Cadet®, C&S®, Farnam®, Ferry-Morse®, Kaytee®, Nylabone®, Pennington®, Sevin® and Zoёcon®. With fiscal 2025 net sales of $3.1 billion, Central has strong manufacturing and logistics capabilities supported by a passionate, entrepreneurial growth culture. The Company is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, and employs over 6,000 people, primarily across North America. Visit www.central.com to learn more.
 
We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.
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About the Company

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Central Garden & Pet