VP, Data & AI Strategy

Choice Hotels•North Bethesda, MD

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, including 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 involving 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.
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.
Ability to connect AI and data investments to company strategy, customer and franchisee economics, operating models, and value creation.
Ability to build credibility with senior executives, communicate complex subjects clearly, and influence decisions across organizational boundaries.
Disciplined financial and value orientation, prioritizing opportunities capable of producing material, measurable business value.
Understanding of organizational, behavioral, role, workflow, and skill changes required to realize value from AI.
Ability to build cross-functional relationships and lead 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 covering 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 the 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 efforts that translate new capabilities into changes in roles, workflows, skills, behaviors, and operating practices across associates, franchisees, and hotel operations.
Influence enterprise priorities and investment and business decisions in partnership with Product, Technology, and Process Innovation & Transformation, including through influence without necessarily having direct authority over execution teams.
Advise executive leadership by translating complex AI and data topics into strategic choices, challenging assumptions, and helping leaders distinguish substantive opportunities from technology hype.
Monitor generative AI, agents, machine learning, and adjacent emerging technologies; 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, establishing clear roles and accountabilities within 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.
Retirement and health savings financial benefits.
Employee recognition programs.
Discounts at Choice hotels worldwide.

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