Senior Director, Data and Digital Solutions

Nelson•Minneapolis, MN

6d•Remote

About The Position

NELSON is seeking a Senior Director to lead resource management and strategic resource planning across AI, automation, data, and infrastructure services. Reporting to the CIO, with dotted-line functional alignment to the VP of AI and the Digital Services Strategy Leader, this senior leader translates approved enterprise priorities into coordinated execution by aligning people, skills, funding, and technology capacity with business outcomes. The role connects strategy, portfolio planning, workforce management, and delivery oversight, coordinating across teams to resolve competing demands, establish achievable schedules, and report measurable value. The position owns portfolio execution accountability across participating teams. It maintains an integrated view of demand, capacity, skills, assignments, schedules, dependencies, and financial performance; develops workforce and capacity plans; and recommends hiring, contracting, sourcing, and funding plans. The role also oversees integrated delivery schedules and executive reporting, defines and validates value measures with business owners, and recommends portfolio adjustments based on realized outcomes. The role additionally designs, builds, and maintains reports, interactive dashboards, and data models for NELSON and its clients. It translates business needs into metrics and actionable insights, validates reporting accuracy and logic, establishes consistent metric definitions, and documents reusable reporting, refresh, and access-control practices. Success is assessed through strategic execution, resource alignment, workforce readiness, schedule and financial discipline, value realization, and leadership alignment. NELSON describes its culture through the principles: Go All In. Own the Outcome; Be Direct. Be Respectful. Be Authentic; Grow with Purpose; Think Bold. Execute Smart; and Make Space for Everyone.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business, information systems, technology management, engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
12+ years of progressive experience in technology delivery, portfolio management, resource planning, or related disciplines, including senior leadership of complex cross-functional programs.
Demonstrated accountability for executing strategic technology portfolios spanning multiple teams, budgets, schedules, and competing business priorities.
Proven experience in workforce planning, demand and capacity management, skills forecasting, resource allocation, and internal and external sourcing strategies.
Strong understanding of dependencies among AI, automation, data platforms, and infrastructure across delivery and operational support.
Experience developing integrated roadmaps, managing portfolio dependencies, resolving resource conflicts, and recovering initiatives that are off track.
Financial and analytical skills covering business cases, resource costs, budgets, forecasting, benefit measurement, and executive performance reporting.
Ability to lead through a matrix, negotiate commitments with functional leaders, and communicate clear recommendations to executives and business stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience establishing or leading an enterprise portfolio, technology delivery, resource management, or transformation function.
Experience planning AI and automation adoption alongside data and infrastructure modernization, including ongoing operational capacity.
Experience in professional services, architecture, design, or technology-enabled client service delivery.
Advanced degree or relevant portfolio, program management, workforce planning, financial management, or technology leadership certifications.

Responsibilities

Translate strategic objectives into an integrated portfolio execution plan for AI, automation, data, and infrastructure initiatives, including sequencing, delivery commitments, and enabling work.
Lead prioritization with the CIO, VP of AI, Digital Services Strategy Leader, and business stakeholders, balancing value, urgency, risk, capacity, and dependencies.
Own portfolio execution accountability; establish milestones, accountable workstream owners, escalation paths, and corrective actions when commitments are at risk.
Maintain transparent intake and prioritization decisions, resolve conflicts within delegated authority, and escalate material tradeoffs or funding changes.
Maintain a consolidated view of demand, capacity, skills, assignments, and schedules across project delivery and ongoing operations.
Build rolling workforce and capacity plans with team leaders, identifying staffing gaps, critical skills, succession needs, training priorities, and external partner requirements.
Coordinate resource commitments and allocation decisions with functional leaders; resolve overcommitment, scarce-skill bottlenecks, and competing assignments.
Recommend hiring, contracting, sourcing, and funding plans to the CIO based on strategic demand, delivery forecasts, support obligations, and financial constraints.
Oversee integrated schedules and dependencies, including data readiness, infrastructure provisioning, security reviews, AI delivery, deployment, and operational transition.
Partner with the AI Program Lead on project commitments and resource needs while holding team leaders accountable for workstreams, readiness, and delivery performance.
Establish executive reporting on portfolio health, workforce capacity, schedule forecasts, financial performance, risks, and decisions requiring leadership action.
Define value measures with business owners, establish baselines and benefit owners, and report realized outcomes against expected value, including adoption, service quality, capacity, and financial results.
Reconcile benefits with finance and business stakeholders, distinguishing verified savings, released capacity, cost avoidance, and revenue contribution; use results to recommend portfolio adjustments.
Design, build, and maintain reports and interactive dashboards for NELSON and its clients, translating business needs into clear metrics, visualizations, and actionable insights.
Develop and maintain data models that combine information from multiple systems, with defined relationships, calculations, and business rules.
Partner with internal stakeholders and clients to define reporting requirements, KPIs, and intended uses.
Validate data accuracy, completeness, and reporting logic; investigate discrepancies and establish consistent metric definitions.
Interpret results, identify trends and performance gaps, and explain findings and limitations to technical and nontechnical audiences.
Establish reusable reporting practices, documentation, refresh processes, and access controls that support ongoing maintenance and protect company and client data.

Benefits

401(k) plan with company match
Full health benefits, including medical, dental, and vision
Wellness program with rewards for healthy activities
Pet insurance
Opportunities for career advancement
Paid time off and holiday pay
Paid parental leave
Flexible working schedules and work-from-home options based on client needs
Professional development support and reimbursement for registrations, certifications, and professional organization memberships
Additional compensation may include a Long Term Incentive Plan, Short Term Incentive Plan, and profit sharing