AI Strategy and Implementation Manager

Birmingham Fastener & Supply•Birmingham, AL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The AI Strategy and Implementation Manager is a senior leader responsible for guiding Birmingham Fastener’s transformation into an AI-enabled organization. The role sets the AI vision and roadmap, identifies opportunities to apply AI across manufacturing and distribution, and leads the people, data, and technology needed to deliver measurable business results. The manager partners with departments to turn AI projects into tools used in daily work and establishes training and guidelines to sustain adoption. This position evaluates data, systems, and processes across locations; develops business cases and tracks return on investment and operational metrics; and partners with department leaders to redesign workflows. It oversees AI solutions from pilot through implementation, including integration with existing systems and improvements to data quality, accessibility, and governance. The role also drives employee adoption, establishes responsible AI policies, communicates progress and risks to senior leadership, and maintains a presence at manufacturing and distribution facilities to identify practical improvements. This is a full-time, in-office position in Birmingham, Alabama. Work hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Evening and weekend work may be required, and periodic travel to other branches, trade conferences, and continuing education is required. The role is largely sedentary, but requires walking long distances over uneven surfaces in production facilities and the ability to lift, bend, and stand as necessary.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience in data science, machine learning, analytics, or a related field, including at least 2 years in a leadership role.
Working or functional knowledge of modern AI, including machine learning, generative AI, and large language models, and the data infrastructure they require.
Demonstrated success leading AI initiatives from strategy through implementation, with measurable improvements in business performance.
Experience leading organizational change and driving adoption among non-technical teams across multiple sites.
Demonstrated ability to establish direction and gain buy-in from executives, engineers, and plant-floor employees through effective communication and cross-functional collaboration.
Strong working knowledge of data engineering and systems integration, with technical understanding to guide decisions and challenge assumptions.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the judgment to evaluate complex challenges, assess risks, make informed decisions with incomplete information, and ensure ethical and responsible use of data and AI.
Demonstrated accountability for outcomes, including establishing performance measures, monitoring progress, and adjusting strategies to achieve results.
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data science, engineering, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and professional experience will also be considered.
Ability to walk long distances over uneven surfaces in a production facility and lift, bend, and stand as necessary.
Cognitive abilities including deductive reasoning, information ordering, oral comprehension, problem sensitivity, written comprehension, and written and verbal expression.

Nice To Haves

Experience in manufacturing, distribution, and/or supply chain with ERP systems.
Experience with forecasting and optimization in an industrial setting.
Experience evaluating vendors, managing implementations, and measuring business results.

Responsibilities

Champion AI adoption and organizational change, partnering with leaders and employees to identify innovation opportunities and improve operational efficiency.
Evaluate data, systems, and processes across locations to identify and prioritize practical AI solutions based on business impact, feasibility, and risk.
Develop business cases, measure return on investment, and track operational metrics including margin, on-time delivery, inventory turns, equipment uptime, and customer retention.
Ensure technology investments address genuine business needs without unnecessary complexity.
Partner with department leaders to redesign workflows using AI, including demand forecasting, inventory optimization, vendor-managed inventory, customer reporting, production planning, predictive maintenance, quality inspection, lab testing, quoting, pricing, order processing, and customer and sales support.
Oversee AI solutions from pilot through full implementation, integrating them with existing ERP, warehouse, manufacturing, and customer-facing systems.
Improve data quality, accessibility, and governance across business units and locations.
Train employees across levels and locations, communicate early successes, and help teams understand how AI can improve their daily work.
Establish and enforce policies for data privacy, security, model oversight, and responsible AI use, aligned with company quality standards and applicable regulatory requirements, including those for aerospace and defense customers.
Maintain a presence at manufacturing and distribution facilities to understand operations, build relationships, and identify improvement opportunities.
Define success metrics, communicate progress and risks to senior leadership, and translate technical concepts into actionable business insights.
Lead technical solutions that reduce overhead while managing implementation timelines and budgets.
Attract, develop, and retain technical talent and build high-performing collaborative teams.