Mgr, AI Products & Innovation

Southern Company•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Projects and Innovation Manager is needed within the Georgia Power Customer Experience (CX) organization to lead truly ‘getting data out of the box’, capitalizing on the unprecedented availability of AI technology, and delivering AI/ML solutions that will enhance the lives of our customers and meet our internal clients’ needs. As such, the purpose of this role is to lead a newly formed team of highly skilled employees responsible for: Engaging CX business units to understand business needs and whether AI can be a potential solution; Pushing the data-driven culture within CX by facilitating AI-based literacy and readiness initiatives; Testing innovative approaches using traditional and/or Generative AI in Proof-of-Concept (POC) or pilot project settings to solve CX client needs; Assisting with the ushering of successful POC/pilot solutions into production for long-term client use; and Managing large-scale AI-based products developed for the CX organization (similar to RAMP, SPEAR, CLAI in Power Delivery).

Requirements

Bachelors Degree in Engineering, Analytics, Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Econometrics, Economics, Business Administration or related fields required.
5+ years of experience in data management, advanced analytics, or a related field, with a proven track record of managing and implementing data and analytics solutions
Technical Skills: Solid understanding of relevant data analytics and AI programming languages, such as Python, SQL, R, SAS, etc.
Project Management: Strong project management skills, with the ability to effectively manage multiple projects concurrently and with various stakeholders.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage with stakeholders at all levels, particularly executive leadership, and to translate highly complex information into practical terms for non-technical audiences.
Demonstrated leadership abilities, with experience in leading cross-functional teams and managing vendor relationships.
The successful candidate will demonstrate the core values of Safety First, Intentional Inclusion, Superior Performance, and Acting with Integrity.
Selfless servant leadership
Dedicated to the growth of others
Continual desire to learn and stay abreast of enhancements in the field of AI
Customer- and client-centric
Results- and detail-oriented
Strategic thinker with an ability to connect the dots between problems and solutions
Committed to building and maintaining constructive partnerships with business partners
Works well others
Acts with speed and decisiveness

Nice To Haves

Masters Degree or above in any of the above fields is highly preferred.
2+ years of managing analytics teams preferred
Understanding of cloud technologies, such as Databricks and Azure, highly preferred.
Working knowledge of industry accepted predictive modeling techniques (e.g. Decision Trees, Neutral Networks, and Linear Regression) preferred
Working knowledge of innovative modeling techniques (e.g. Deep Learning, Transformers, LLMs) and Gen-AI/agentic AI preferred
Familiarity with Agile project methodologies preferred.
Proficiency in researching trends in AI and analytical methods to assess opportunities for implementation.
Prior experience in a Customer Service, Sales & Marketing, Customer Experience, or related organization a plus.
Prior experience in a utility a plus.

Responsibilities

Leading the AI Projects and Innovation Team (60%)
Designing and implementing innovation strategies that align with Southern Company’s, Georgia Power’s and CX’s strategic goals, ensuring a clear roadmap for transformative growth.
Leading direct reports and providing strategic guidance on a day-to-day basis.
Staying abreast of the latest trends, developments, and emerging capabilities within the AI, data, and analytics spaces to continually drive innovation within the team.
Removing technical and non-technical roadblocks to ensure team and client success.
Inspiring the team to explore innovative applications of AI while ensuring all advancements are implemented with a strong commitment to safety
Managing budgets, timelines and resource allocation to ensure the successful management of AI POC’s, pilots, and products.
Identifying and mitigating potential risks associated with new AI-based solutions or products.
Fostering a culture of creativity, ingenuity, and a ‘try-break-improve’ mentality.
Developing and tracking KPIs to measure the success and impact of AI projects.
Stakeholder Engagement (40%)
Presenting innovative concepts, progress updates, and results to senior leadership and stakeholders, articulating value and securing buy-in.
Championing a ‘data first’ culture within the CX organization by ensuring AI-readiness and strengthening foundational data literacy across teams.
Ensuring productive relationships with cross-functional leaders from other relevant parts of the business (i.e., TO, Power Delivery Analytics, AFT Analytics, Marketing, Gas, etc.) to drive maximum client value.
Participating in system initiatives to drive scalable AI-solutioning across Southern Company.
Partnering with external collaborators (i.e., vendors, research institutions, or startups) to leverage expertise, resources, and cutting-edge solutions.