Sr. Director - Microsoft Data & AI

SHI International•Chicago, TX

3d•Remote

About The Position

The Senior Director, Data & AI leads SHI's AI + Infrastructure organization within the Microsoft Services Practice. This leader brings together Agentic Solutions, Cloud Platform, Data & Intelligence, and AI Security & Governance to build and deliver connected Microsoft solutions across Azure, Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft Foundry, agents, data platforms, and the security and governance capabilities required to operate them responsibly. The Senior Director runs the organization as a business, with ownership of service maturity, solution development, headcount planning, utilization, delivery quality, capacity, pipeline support, and measurable client outcomes. This role leads managers and practice leaders responsible for Agentic Solutions, Cloud Platform, Data & Intelligence, and AI Security & Governance and remains accountable for their effectiveness, development, and delivery performance. Aligned to Microsoft's Fabric IQ and Foundry IQ investments, this role connects cloud foundation, business data, enterprise knowledge, agentic experiences, and trust. The Senior Director helps SHI move clients from isolated pilots to secure, governed, production-ready platforms and solutions while creating repeatable paths for growth. This role sits at the center of SHI's Microsoft Services growth plan, turning Fabric IQ and Foundry IQ alignment into a working operating model that builds stronger solutions, improves delivery execution, develops talent, and creates repeatable paths for growth.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a technical, business, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.
10 or more years of progressive leadership experience in technology services, consulting, cloud, data, AI, or related Microsoft practices.
5 or more years leading managers, directors, senior technical leaders, or multi-discipline delivery organizations with accountability for people, delivery, and business performance.
Demonstrated success building or scaling professional services capabilities, repeatable offerings, and complex enterprise delivery motions.
Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Azure, Fabric, Foundry, Copilot Studio, agents, data platforms, and the identity, security, and governance services that support enterprise adoption.
Experience managing utilization, capacity, staffing, delivery quality, portfolio health, and financial performance.
Ability to engage enterprise executives, translate business priorities into technology and services roadmaps, and guide complex decisions.
Track record of partnering across sales, presales, project management, managed services, and technology partners to grow customer relationships.
Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with executives, managers, technical leaders, sales teams, and customer stakeholders.
Ability to travel to support client engagements, Microsoft alignment, leadership meetings, and internal enablement, up to 25%.
Commitment to continuous learning as Microsoft cloud, data, AI, agent, and security platforms evolve.
Strong ethical standards with disciplined attention to privacy, governance, compliance, security, and responsible AI.

Nice To Haves

Relevant certifications may include Microsoft Fabric, Azure AI, Azure architecture, cybersecurity architecture, identity, or agentic AI credentials.
Equivalent experience and demonstrated leadership may substitute for specific certifications.

Responsibilities

Set and execute a unified direction for AI + Infrastructure, connecting Agentic Solutions, Cloud Platform, Data & Intelligence, and AI Security & Governance through one operating model.
Translate Microsoft's Fabric IQ, Foundry IQ, Azure, and agent investments into a clear SHI services roadmap, capability plan, and investment agenda.
Establish clear ownership, decision rights, handoffs, delivery standards, and quality expectations across the organization.
Build modular, repeatable offerings that combine cloud, data, AI, and governance capabilities around defined customer outcomes.
Use portfolio, pipeline, delivery, and capacity data to prioritize investments, manage tradeoffs, and improve practice health.
Lead, coach, and develop the leaders responsible for Agentic Solutions, Cloud Platform, Data & Intelligence, and AI Security & Governance.
Set measurable expectations for customer experience, delivery quality, utilization, capability development, financial performance, and team health.
Build leadership depth through regular one-on-ones, development planning, succession planning, and clear career paths.
Own workforce planning across the organization, including hiring, onboarding, retention, skills development, and capacity alignment to backlog and pipeline.
Create a culture of shared accountability in which teams solve for the full customer outcome rather than optimize isolated technology workstreams.
Maintain a platform-aware perspective across Agent 365, Copilot Studio, Microsoft Foundry, Model Context Protocol, Azure, landing zones, platform engineering, FinOps, Microsoft Fabric, OneLake, data engineering, data visualization, and data readiness.
Embed Entra Agent ID, Microsoft Purview, Defender for Cloud and AI, Security Copilot, Microsoft Sentinel, and Defender XDR into AI and platform solutions where those capabilities strengthen identity, data protection, observability, governance, and threat protection.
Sponsor reusable reference architectures, delivery frameworks, statements of work, work breakdown structures, templates, and accelerators.
Rely on practice leaders and principal architects for deep technical direction while maintaining alignment across disciplines.
Create a practical path from assessment and platform readiness through implementation, adoption, optimization, and transition to managed services.
Provide executive oversight for complex, multi-workstream engagements that span cloud, data, AI, agents, security, and governance.
Hold leaders accountable for scope quality, staffing readiness, delivery methodology, risk management, timelines, budgets, and customer communication.
Review project health, utilization, realization, margin, capacity, and quality signals and act early when performance moves off plan.
Protect customer trust by ensuring teams make supportable commitments, apply appropriate governance, and transition solutions into sustainable operations.
Serve as an executive sponsor and trusted advisor for strategic clients, connecting platform decisions to measurable business outcomes.
Grow AI + Infrastructure services revenue by improving solution relevance, supporting strategic pursuits, expanding enterprise client relationships, and developing repeatable offers.
Partner with Solution Architecture, Sales, Project Management, Digital Workplace, and Managed Services to shape opportunities and deliver connected customer outcomes.
Manage utilization, capacity, backlog, pipeline health, and delivery performance to improve profitability and support sustainable growth.
Build strong relationships with Microsoft field, engineering, and partner teams to align priorities, improve co-sell execution, and strengthen SHI's market credibility.
Capture customer evidence, references, and measurable outcomes that support retention, expansion, and market recognition.
Serve as an executive advisor to enterprise clients, connecting business priorities to Microsoft cloud, data, AI, agent, security, and governance strategies.
Communicate practice priorities, portfolio health, performance, risks, and investment needs to senior leadership, including the Vice President, Microsoft Services.
Run a consistent operating cadence across leaders that covers pipeline, staffing, project health, financial performance, capability development, and customer outcomes.
Turn operating data into decisions and actions rather than reporting activity without accountability.
Escalate delivery, capacity, security, compliance, and customer risks early, with clear options and recommended actions.