Enterprise AI Lead

Nihon Kohden America•Irvine, CA

About The Position

The Enterprise AI Lead supports the development and leads execution of the organization’s AI strategy, governance framework, and adoption roadmap. The role coordinates AI initiatives across the enterprise, partnering with business and technical teams to identify opportunities, establish standards, enable responsible adoption, and drive measurable business value. It works closely with Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, Enterprise Applications, Software Development, Data & Analytics, and other stakeholders to integrate AI into organizational processes, technology platforms, and ways of working. The position develops and contributes to enterprise AI strategy, architecture, standards, governance, and implementation patterns. It designs, architects, develops, deploys, and improves AI applications, agents, automation workflows, AI-assisted software capabilities, embedded AI features, and integrations using enterprise AI platforms and services. It provides technical leadership across the solution lifecycle, including architecture and design reviews, technology evaluation, proof-of-concepts, and production deployments. The Enterprise AI Lead also leads adoption initiatives, advises and coaches executives and technical and business teams, develops AI literacy and enablement programs, and facilitates use-case evaluation and prioritization. The role coordinates program tracking and reporting, serves as an enterprise AI subject matter expert, and collaborates with global teams, including Japan Headquarters and other international locations. Duties may be modified or assigned based on business need.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Data Science, Business Information Systems, or a related field; relevant education and experience may be accepted in lieu of a degree.
At least 8 years of experience in Information Technology, Enterprise Architecture, Digital Transformation, Software Development, Data & Analytics, or related disciplines.
At least 3 years of experience leading or supporting AI, Machine Learning, Generative AI, Automation, or Digital Transformation initiatives.
Experience working with cross-functional business and technical teams in a complex enterprise environment.
Experience developing technology strategies, governance frameworks, standards, or enterprise roadmaps.
Experience managing technology programs, initiatives, or organizational change efforts.
Ability to follow written and verbal direction and established processes and policies.
Excellent organizational skills and demonstrated problem-solving and troubleshooting ability.
Strong record-keeping skills, including following through and documenting issues and resolutions.
Ability to communicate verbally and in writing in English and to understand verbal and written instructions.
Ability to work effectively both independently and in a collaborative team environment.

Nice To Haves

AI-, Cloud-, Architecture-, or Data-related certifications are preferred. Examples include Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate, Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert, AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty, Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer, TOGAF, and CISSP.

Responsibilities

Develop, support, and drive execution of the enterprise AI strategy, roadmap, and adoption plans aligned with business objectives.
Evaluate emerging AI technologies, architectures, and industry trends; recommend enterprise technology direction, standards, and implementation approaches.
Identify and prioritize AI opportunities and establish success metrics to monitor progress and measure business value.
Develop and coordinate AI governance policies, standards, reference architectures, and best practices; participate in governance and architecture reviews and technology evaluations.
Partner with Cybersecurity, Legal, Compliance, and Risk Management to address privacy, security, intellectual property, regulatory compliance, and ethical AI considerations.
Develop and contribute to enterprise AI architecture, technical standards, and implementation patterns for software development, knowledge management, automation, and business process optimization.
Collaborate with Infrastructure, Security, Data, Enterprise Applications, and Software Development teams to build scalable, secure, and maintainable AI platforms.
Design, architect, develop, deploy, and continuously improve enterprise AI solutions, including applications, agents, automation workflows, AI-assisted software, embedded AI features, and integrations.
Provide technical leadership throughout the AI solution lifecycle, including establishing architectures, guiding implementation, conducting design reviews, evaluating technologies, supporting proofs of concept and production deployments, and ensuring enterprise and business needs are met.
Lead enterprise AI adoption initiatives and coach and advise executives, project teams, architects, software engineers, and business stakeholders.
Develop AI training, technical enablement, engineering standards, awareness programs, and Communities of Practice.
Facilitate the identification, evaluation, and prioritization of AI use cases; support business cases, feasibility assessments, proofs of concept, pilots, and deployment planning.
Coordinate with the PMO and business stakeholders to track initiatives, deliverables, outcomes, risks, dependencies, adoption metrics, and value realization.
Serve as an enterprise AI technical subject matter expert and trusted advisor, providing architectural guidance and implementation recommendations across technical and business functions.
Promote innovation, continuous learning, technical excellence, and responsible AI use; provide thought leadership on AI, engineering practices, enterprise architecture, and industry trends.
Collaborate with global teams across time zones, including Japan Headquarters and other international locations, using independent judgment and technical leadership.
Adhere to company policies, procedures, and business ethics codes.