Head of Conversational AI and Virtual Engagement

Citizens • Charlotte, NC

12h • $275,000 - $350,000

About The Position

Citizens is seeking a dynamic leader for the Head of Conversational AI and
Virtual Engagement. This senior executive is responsible for defining and
leading the enterprise strategy, development, and operation of AI-powered
chatbots and live human chat programs across the bank. This role owns the
end-to-end conversational experience for customers and internal users, blending
advanced artificial intelligence, human-assisted workflows, and
regulatory-compliant operations to deliver secure, scalable, and high-impact
digital engagement.

This leader will shape how millions of customers interact with the Citizens
across digital channels, driving measurable improvements in customer
satisfaction, operational efficiency, risk management, and revenue enablement.

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in digital products, AI, customer experience, or technology within financial services or highly regulated industries.
• Proven experience leading large-scale chatbot, conversational AI, or virtual assistant programs with measurable enterprise impact.
• Strong understanding of AI/ML concepts, NLP, automation, and human-in-the-loop systems (technical fluency required; hands-on coding not required).
• Deep familiarity with U.S. financial services regulations, risk management, and data privacy expectations.
• Executive-level communication and stakeholder management skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience deploying AI in customer-facing environments.
• Prior ownership of contact center digital transformation or omnichannel engagement platforms.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the enterprise Conversational AI strategy for Citizens Virtual assistant Cizi and our Live chat program including, roadmaps, and operating model, aligned with business priorities and regulatory requirements.
• Establish a long-term vision for AI-driven customer engagement, including self-service, assisted service, and proactive outreach.
• Serve as an executive evangelist for responsible AI/ML adoption across customer-facing and internal use cases.
• Oversee the design, development, and deployment of AI chatbots, virtual assistants, and live human chat platforms across web, mobile, and messaging channels.
• Ensure seamless orchestration between AI automation and human escalation, optimizing for resolution quality, speed, and cost.
• Partner with architecture and engineering teams to ensure scalable, secure, and resilient platforms.
• Collaborate with Data Science, Model Risk, Compliance, Legal, and Information Security to ensure AI models meet governance, explainability, privacy, and fairness standards.
• Establish performance metrics, monitoring, and continuous improvement loops for AI accuracy, bias, and customer outcomes.
• Oversee vendor strategy, including build-vs-buy decisions and third-party AI platform management.
• Own key conversational KPIs (containment, CSAT, NPS, AHT, resolution rates, deflection, conversion).
• Partner with Contact Center and Operations leadership to integrate digital chat into broader service and sales workflows.
• Drive consistency of tone, branding, and experience across all conversational touchpoints.
• Build and lead high-performing, cross-functional teams spanning product management, AI/ML, UX, engineering, and operations.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and responsible experimentation.
• Influence and align senior stakeholders across lines of business.

Benefits

• We offer competitive pay, comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, maternity/paternity leave, flexible work arrangements, education reimbursement, wellness programs and more.
• Citizens’ paid time off policy exceeds the mandatory, paid sick or paid time-away policy of every local and state jurisdiction in the United States.

What This Job Offers

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