AI Operations Director

BECU

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Is it surprising to hear that a financial institution of 1.5 million members and over $30 billion in managed assets say that success comes from focusing on people, not profits? Our “people helping people” philosophy has guided us since 1935, driving our deep commitment to serving our members, communities, and each other. When you join our team, you become part of a purpose-driven organization where your work makes a real difference. While we’re proud of our history, we’re even more excited about our future. With business and technology transformation on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to be part of BECU. In this role, you will guide the responsible adoption and scaling of AI across BECU while operating as a highly visible individual contributor. Without direct people management responsibilities, you will influence senior leaders, advance enterprise AI literacy, and enable teams across the organization to effectively use AI tools. Your work will shape enterprise AI strategy, accelerate adoption, and deliver measurable operational improvements that enhance employee efficiency and member experience. By connecting strategy to execution, you will help translate AI opportunities into sustainable, value‑driven outcomes across the enterprise. To join our dynamic team, we require candidates to be residents of WA, OR, ID, AZ, TX, GA, SC, NC, CA or VA. If you’re located in Washington state and within a reasonable driving distance from Tukwila, we are requesting that you come into our HQ on Tuesdays & Wednesdays. For those candidates that live outside the commute distance of TFC and in any of our approved remote work locations, this role will be remote. Remote or onsite, we are committed to ensuring you are fully engaged and included in our collaborative environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Business, or a related field.
10 years of experience in operations, technology, process optimization, or related disciplines.
3 years of experience leading AI, automation, or advanced technology initiatives.
Demonstrated experience influencing executive‑level decision‑making and leading enterprise‑wide initiatives.
Strong understanding of AI ethics, regulatory considerations, and risk mitigation.
Familiarity with cloud platforms, data pipelines, and AI deployment methodologies.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a related field.
Experience leading cross‑functional or distributed initiatives.
Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and problem‑solving skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Enterprise AI Leadership & Governance Lead and operationalize BECU’s AI Council, ensuring cross‑functional alignment across governance, ethics, compliance, and enterprise priorities.
Advance the enterprise AI strategy and roadmap in partnership with senior leaders, translating AI initiatives into meaningful outcomes for employees and members.
Develop, oversee, and advise on AI governance policies aligned with regulatory, legal, and ethical standards.
Promote responsible AI practices and ensure alignment with emerging regulatory frameworks.
AI Adoption & Enablement Elevate AI literacy across the enterprise by helping teams understand, adopt, and effectively use AI tools, including Copilot.
Partner with enterprise teams to drive adoption and proficiency of AI solutions, improving productivity and operational efficiency.
Support deployment, lifecycle management, and operationalization of AI systems in collaboration with technology, operational efficiency, and Six Sigma partners.
Strategy, Execution & Measurement Identify, evaluate, and prioritize high‑impact AI use cases in partnership with business units and technology leaders.
Define success measures and key performance indicators (KPIs) for AI‑enabled initiatives, track progress, and drive continuous improvement.
Translate enterprise AI strategy into actionable execution plans that deliver measurable value.
Collaboration, Influence & Innovation Influence and coordinate cross‑functional contributors, including analysts, engineers, and specialists, without direct authority.
Collaborate across operations, risk, compliance, data, and transformation teams to support enterprise efficiency and member‑impacting improvements.
Foster innovation and organizational learning through initiatives such as AI hackathons and knowledge‑sharing events.
Manage relationships with external AI vendors and partners, ensuring alignment with organizational standards and service expectations.
Additional Responsibilities Perform other duties that support enterprise AI governance, strategy, adoption, and operational execution as needed.