VP, Data & AI Strategy

Choice Hotels International • North Bethesda, MD

1d • $250,000 - $350,000

About The Position

The Vice President, Data & AI Strategy is a senior leader responsible for shaping and advancing Choice Hotels’ enterprise artificial intelligence and data strategy, translating emerging capabilities into measurable business value. The role owns the enterprise AI strategy, AI use-case portfolio, data strategy, value realization, AI adoption and literacy, and emerging technology agenda. The Vice President partners across Product, Technology, Process Innovation & Transformation, Finance, and business leadership to prioritize investments and connect AI capabilities to a governed, scalable data foundation. This leader drives transformation through influence, ensuring AI investments improve business outcomes, guest and franchisee value, and how associates work. The role also builds and leads a senior, high-impact team of data and AI professionals.

Requirements

• 14+ years of leadership and relevant functional experience, with experience leading AI, data, digital transformation, technology strategy, analytics, or related enterprise capabilities.
• Demonstrated experience shaping multi-year strategies and translating them into prioritized investments, operating plans, and measurable business outcomes.
• Significant experience partnering with executive-level stakeholders and influencing across functions in complex, matrixed organizations.
• Demonstrated record of leading organizational or business transformation, including changes to processes, customer experiences, operating models, workflows, or ways of working.
• Experience building, developing, and retaining high-performing teams, including senior or specialized talent.
• Industry or functional expertise in artificial intelligence, data, technology, transformation, or a closely related discipline, with significant functional expertise and strong knowledge of functional and industry trends.
• Strong working knowledge of generative AI, AI agents, machine learning, retrieval-augmented generation, model evaluation, and emerging AI capabilities.
• Strong understanding of enterprise data strategy and governance, including data catalogs, semantic layers, architecture considerations, standards, data quality, and risk-based governance.
• Demonstrated ability to build business cases and establish financial and operational measures for technology and transformation investments.
• Strong product-oriented approach, including problem definition, discovery, experimentation, minimum viable products, hypothesis testing, and evidence-based prioritization.
• Connects AI and data investments directly to company strategy, customer and franchisee economics, operating models, and value creation.
• Builds credibility with senior executives, communicates complex subjects clearly, and influences decisions across organizational boundaries.
• Applies disciplined prioritization and focuses investment on opportunities capable of producing material, measurable business value.
• Understands the organizational, behavioral, role, workflow, and skill changes required to realize value from AI.
• Builds strong cross-functional relationships and successfully leads through influence in a matrixed operating model.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, technology, computer science, data science, information systems, engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree.

Responsibilities

• Set and continually evolve the enterprise AI strategy and roadmap, translating strategic priorities into a sequenced investment agenda spanning near-term opportunities and longer-term capabilities.
• Lead the enterprise AI use-case portfolio by establishing a disciplined approach to sourcing, evaluating, prioritizing, and retiring opportunities based on economic value, feasibility, data readiness, strategic differentiation, and measurable outcomes.
• Own and advance enterprise data strategy, including data governance operating model, data catalog, semantic capabilities, data architecture, standards, and risk-based data practices.
• Deliver measurable business value by building business cases for AI investments, establishing success measures with Finance and business owners, and creating accountability for realized benefits.
• Drive AI literacy, adoption, change management, and enablement so new capabilities meaningfully change roles, workflows, skills, behaviors, and operating practices across associates, franchisees, and hotel operations.
• Influence enterprise priorities as the Data & AI strategic voice, partnering with Product, Technology, and Process Innovation & Transformation and influencing investment and business decisions.
• Advise executive leadership on AI and data, translating complex topics into clear strategic choices and helping leaders distinguish substantive opportunities from technology hype.
• Monitor emerging technologies and market developments, including generative AI, agents, machine learning, and adjacent technologies, and assess implications for distribution, guest experience, franchisee value, and Choice Hotels’ competitive position.
• Attract, develop, engage, and retain a high-impact team of senior AI and data professionals while establishing clear roles and accountabilities in a matrixed operating environment.
• Set functional vision and direction, make strategic resource and prioritization decisions, build collaborative cross-functional relationships, and operate independently against short- and long-term objectives.

Benefits

• Annual bonus eligibility under Choice’s Management Incentive Plan (MIP).
• Annual awards of Choice Hotels International common stock through Choice’s Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTI Plan).
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Paid leave and time off for holidays, vacation, personal, family, volunteer, sick, jury duty, bereavement, military, and religious observance.
• Financial benefits for retirement and health savings.
• Employee recognition programs.
• Discounts at Choice hotels worldwide.

What This Job Offers

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