Head of AI & Innovation

Monterey Financial Services • Oceanside, CA

26d

About The Position

We are seeking a Head of AI & Innovation to lead the identification, development, and deployment of artificial intelligence across the business. This role sits at the intersection of strategy, product, technology, and operations, and will be responsible for solving known business challenges with emerging technologies. This leader will act as both a builder and a catalyst—partnering closely with Operations, Servicing, Collections, Risk, Business Development, Business Intelligence, and IT to modernize workflows, improve decisioning, and unlock new growth vectors. The ideal candidate is comfortable operating with ambiguity, running experiments, and scaling what works inside a regulated financial services environment.

Requirements

• 4–8+ years of experience in financial services, fintech, or data-driven technology organizations
• Prior experience in one or more of the following roles within a financial services context: Innovation or Transformation Lead Entrepreneur in Residence Growth Product Manager Applied Artificial Intelligence
• Demonstrated experience deploying AI or advanced analytics into real-world, production financial systems
• Understanding of banking, consumer finance, servicing, collections, or risk decisioning is highly preferred
• Ability to bridge technical concepts with business economics and operational realities

Responsibilities

• Own Monterey’s AI and innovation roadmap, aligned to company strategy, unit economics, and regulatory constraints
• Identify, prioritize, and deploy applied AI use cases across servicing, collections, underwriting, pricing, fraud, and customer experience
• Lead rapid experimentation (POCs, pilots, MVPs) and scale successful initiatives into production
• Work with Servicing and Collections leadership to redesign workflows that improve efficiency, compliance, recovery rates, and drive positive customer experiences
• Evaluate and manage third-party vendors, tools, and platforms related to AI, automation, and data infrastructure

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and incentive structure
• Comprehensive benefits, including health, dental, 401(k), and profit-sharing
• Collaborative, intellectually curious culture that values rigor, experimentation, and results

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed