Head of Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology

Alliantgroup • Houston, TX

1d • Onsite

About The Position

At alliant, we don’t just advise; we transform. As the head of Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology, you’ll lead our technology function at a pivotal moment in our growth, sitting at the intersection of strategy, delivery, and innovation. This is a uniquely broad and high-impact leadership role that combines five distinct disciplines: hands-on solution architecture, end-to-end delivery ownership, revenue-generating business development, deployment of a forward deployed engineering model, and people leadership of a high-performing technology team. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable designing enterprise-grade AI and IT architectures, driving delivery accountability, winning new business alongside commercial teams, embedding engineers directly within client environments, and developing the talent and culture of a growing organization. You will be a key voice at the leadership table, translating technology strategy into tangible business outcomes and revenue. As a premier consulting and technology firm, alliant acts as a growth partner to our clients by providing solutions to help them transform and thrive. This role will report to the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer.

Requirements

• Required bachelor’s degree in computer science, Data Science, Statistics, Engineering, or related fields.
• 10+ years of progressive technology experience, with at least 3-5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Experience scaling a technology function in a high-growth or venture-backed environment.
• Proven track record as a solution architect, including designing and delivering complex, enterprise-scale AI and IT systems.
• Demonstrable experience owning end-to-end technology delivery on time, on budget, and to quality.
• Direct involvement in business development or pre-sales, including technical presentations, solution design for prospects, and bid/RFP responses.
• Experience building or operating a forward deployed, embedded, or field engineering function, or equivalent deep client-side delivery experience.
• Experience building, leading, and developing high-performing technology teams of 5+ people.
• Deep expertise in at least two of: AI/ML platforms, cloud architecture (AWS/Azure/GCP), enterprise software, data engineering, or cybersecurity.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to manage budgets, build business cases, and articulate technology ROI in revenue terms.
• Excellent communication skills and able to translate technical complexity for non-technical audiences up to board and investor level.
• Experience scaling a technology function in a high-growth or venture-backed environment.
• High attention to detail and sense of urgency.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing business requirements or objectives.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced work environment with aggressive timelines and delivery dates.
• Effective people skills, including the ability to set clear expectations with stakeholders and escalate issues as needed.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s in business administration or related field preferred.
• Relevant certifications: AWS Solutions Architect, Azure Expert, TOGAF, PMP, or similar.

Responsibilities

• Design and own the enterprise AI and IT architecture, including defining standards, patterns, and roadmaps across infrastructure, data, applications, and security.
• Lead the evaluation, selection, and integration of AI/ML platforms, cloud services, SaaS tools, and custom-built systems.
• Translate complex business requirements into scalable, resilient, and cost-effective technical solutions.
• Provide architectural governance such as reviewing and approving designs, enforcing standards, and managing technical debt.
• Stay at the leading edge of AI developments, including large language models, agentic systems, and data center technologies, as well as identify opportunities for competitive advantage.
• Own technology due diligence for partnerships, acquisitions, and vendor relationships.
• Own end-to-end delivery of all technology projects and programs from initiation through to value realization.
• Define and implement delivery methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Kanban, or hybrid) appropriate to the team and context.
• Establish clear project governance: scope, milestones, risks, dependencies, and escalation paths.
• Drive a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement across all delivery activities.
• Partner with business stakeholders to define requirements, manage expectations, and ensure technology delivers measurable business value.
• Manage the technology budget including forecasting, tracking, and optimizing spend across build, buy, and run.
• Lead client conversations as the technical face of the business with the ability to identify opportunities, shape compelling propositions, and support commercial teams in closing new business as this role carries direct revenue responsibility.
• Lead technical pre-sales engagements, including discovery workshops, architecture presentations, solution demonstrations, and proof-of-concept designs for prospective clients.
• Develop and maintain a library of repeatable technical propositions, case studies, and reference architectures that can be deployed across business development activities.
• Contribute to bids, RFPs, and proposals, along with owning the technical response and ensuring commercial viability of proposed solutions.
• Provide market intelligence back into the product and service roadmap to ensure our offerings remain commercially competitive and technically differentiated.
• Build and operate a Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) capability. The adoption of the FDE model is intended to deliver deep, embedded client value.
• Design and implement the FDE operating model, including role profiles, deployment frameworks, client engagement playbooks, and escalation structures.
• Recruit, develop, and lead a team of Forward Deployed Engineers with the rare combination of deep technical ability and strong client-facing skills.
• Define clear FDE deployment standards: onboarding protocols, client environment access policies, data governance requirements, and exit criteria for each engagement.
• Establish feedback loops between the FDE team and internal product/engineering teams to ensure real-world client problems drive the internal technology roadmap.
• Personally lead or oversee FDE deployments at strategic accounts, particularly in the early stages of the program or for the most complex clients.
• Build and track FDE commercial metrics, including revenue generated, client satisfaction scores, expansion rates, and time-to-value per deployment.
• Develop a knowledge management system that captures learnings, reusable assets, and best practices from each FDE engagement, making the team progressively more effective over time.
• Develop and communicate a clear, compelling technology vision and multi-year roadmap aligned to business strategy.
• Ensure robust cybersecurity, data governance, compliance, and business continuity practices across all systems.
• Champion the responsible and ethical use of AI across the organization and with clients.
• Create an inclusive, high-trust team culture where innovation is encouraged and failure is treated as a learning opportunity.
• Lead, inspire, and develop a multidisciplinary technology team spanning software engineers, data scientists, AI specialists, IT operations, project managers, and Forward Deployed Engineers.
• Set clear performance expectations, conduct regular 1:1s, and provide meaningful coaching and feedback.
• Build and execute a team capability roadmap to support identifying skills gaps and driving hiring, training, and development plans.

Benefits

• 100% employer paid medical /dental premiums for single coverage for certain options
• 401(k) matching
• PTO
• company provided life insurance and disability
• onsite gym and group exercise classes
• paid covered parking
• daily allowance for onsite café and Starbucks

What This Job Offers

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