Director of Technical Operations & AI Automation

Smule • Salt Lake City, UT

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

We're looking for an innovative and results-driven leader to shape the future of Technical Operations, Data, Analytics, and AI Automation at Smule. As Director of Technical Operations & AI Automation, you'll lead the teams and initiatives that keep our platforms reliable, scalable, secure, and cost-efficient while driving the adoption of AI-powered internal automation across the organization. In this highly cross-functional role, you'll build the systems, insights, and operational intelligence that help teams make better decisions, work more efficiently, and deliver greater business impact. From cloud operations and service reliability to data platforms, business intelligence, and AI-driven automation, you'll play a key role in modernizing how Smule operates and scales. If you're passionate about leveraging technology, data, and AI to solve complex challenges and create measurable results, we'd love to talk with you. This position follows a hybrid work schedule, requiring two days per week in our downtown Salt Lake City office.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Data Science, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of experience across technical operations, infrastructure, engineering operations, data platforms, analytics, or related technical disciplines.
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing technical teams, managers, and cross-functional delivery.
• Strong experience with cloud infrastructure and managed platforms, preferably GCP, including AI/ML workloads, GPU infrastructure, compute planning, and cloud-based AI platforms.
• Strong AI fluency, including practical experience applying AI automation, analytics automation, operational intelligence systems, workflow automation, or productivity tooling.
• Experience with data systems, analytics platforms, business intelligence, reporting frameworks, and metrics-driven decision-making.
• Knowledge of Kubernetes, containerized environments, CI/CD pipelines, observability, incident management, and modern DevOps/SRE practices.
• Demonstrated ability to improve operational reliability, reduce manual work, optimize cloud spend, and scale technical systems.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, vendor management, and executive reporting skills.

Nice To Haves

• Background supporting generative AI, machine learning, recommendation systems, personalization platforms, or large-scale data platforms.
• Familiarity with GCP AI/ML services, NVIDIA GPU environments, AI accelerators, model training infrastructure, and inference platforms.
• Experience operating consumer-facing platforms serving millions of users.
• Track record leading globally distributed teams.
• Demonstrated ownership of cloud spend management and infrastructure optimization programs.
• Strong familiarity with security, compliance, and privacy frameworks, including SOC 2 and GDPR.

Responsibilities

• Lead Smule’s technical operations, infrastructure enablement, cloud operations, security operations, service reliability, and operational readiness.
• Own execution across Data, Analytics, Business Intelligence, and AI Automation, ensuring these functions deliver reliable reporting, operational visibility, and measurable business impact.
• Lead AI-driven automation initiatives that improve operational efficiency, service reliability, KPI monitoring, anomaly detection, workflow execution, reporting, forecasting, and cross-functional productivity.
• Build data and operational intelligence systems that improve visibility into product performance, infrastructure utilization, cloud spend, service health, and business operations.
• Lead Smule’s GCP operations strategy, including cloud enablement, compute planning, infrastructure scaling, cost optimization, vendor management, and migration to managed services.
• Establish operational processes, KPIs, SLAs, observability standards, incident management practices, and executive reporting frameworks that improve reliability, accountability, and decision-making.
• Partner with Engineering, Product, and Finance teams, to support platform modernization, optimize infrastructure investments, manage vendors and contracts, improve delivery practices, and measure ROI from cloud, data, and AI automation initiatives.
• Build and develop high-performing Technical Operations, Data, Analytics, AI Automation, IT, and Security teams with a culture of automation, accountability, reliability, and data-driven execution.

Benefits

• Flexible time off
• 12 observed holidays
• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and supplemental insurance, available from your first day of employment at low or no cost to you.
• Employer-paid life and short-term disability insurance
• Employer contributions to employee HSA accounts
• Well-being subscriptions, including Headspace and Wellhub
• Cell phone and internet reimbursement to support hybrid work
• Home office stipend to help create your ideal workspace

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director