Head of AI & Customer Experience (CX)

High Level ‑ Role Overview

Our client is advancing AI driven transformation across the enterprise. The Head of AI & Customer Experience (CX) is a newly created global leadership role within Data & Analytics. Reporting to the Senior Director of Analytics & AI, this role will shape, scale, and govern AI capabilities that enhance ‑customerfacing‑ experiences across our client’s global ecosystem.

The role leads the AI Center of Excellence (CoE) for CX, builds a worldclass AI product and analytics capability, and serves as a strategic influencer to senior commercial, digital, and data leaders. This position bridges AI innovation with commercial impact-delivering the next generation of personalised, ‑datadriven‑, digitally enabled customer experiences.

Main Responsibilities & Scope

Key Responsibilities Include

• Lead AI Center of Excellence for CX, establishing vision, governance, operating model, standards, and success metrics globally.
• Accelerate adoption of AI across customer facing‑ functions, ensuring scalable, ethical, secure, and high value‑ solutions are deployed across regions and business units.
• Own the AI product roadmap for CX, including LLM implementations, GenAI copilots, conversational interfaces, recommendation engines, and AI driven personalisation‑ features.
• Build and unify customer analytics & AI capabilities, harmonising data models, behavioural datasets, and insight platforms into a cohesive global framework.
• Define and drive the AI strategy for CX, ensuring alignment with commercial, digital, and enterprise data strategies.
• Lead cross functional‑ product teams to develop AI enabled‑ solutions that enhance the customer journey across digital commerce, service, marketing, and sales.
• Stand up and manage a research & delivery partner ecosystem, including AI vendors, academic institutions, and innovation partners.
• Act as a strategic advisor to global commercial, digital, and data leadership on AI maturity, ethics, platform selection, and business impact.
• Collaborate with Salesforce product teams and related CX systems to ensure AI integration, scalability, and governance.
• Promote an agile product culture, embedding iterative delivery, experimentation, rapid value demonstration, and user centric‑ design.

Scope

This is a global leadership role, serving teams, markets, and platforms across our client’s geographic footprint. Stakeholders are located across major hubs and regions.

Travel requirement: up to 25%.

Education, Language, Skills & Qualifications

Education / Qualifications

• Graduate degree in technology, AI/ML, computer science, engineering, data, or a comparable field.
• Advanced degrees (MSc/PhD) in AI, ML, or related areas preferred.

Languages

• Proficient in English.

Technical Skills & Expertise (Mandatory)

• Deep expertise in LLMs, generative AI, and modern AI product architectures.
• Strong experience with Azure, Databricks, and MLOps practices.
• Knowledge of Salesforce ecosystem and customer facing‑ AI integration patterns.
• Proven ability to lead AI product development and agile product teams.

Industry Background (Required/Preferred)

• Food & Beverage
• Manufacturing
• FMCG
• AI/ML product companies (preferred for technical depth)

Additional Considerations or Comments

• Global role with 25% travel.
• Responsible for global delivery partners and external AI ecosystem relationships.

Section 2 - Candidate Profile

Essential Experience & Knowledge / Technical or Functional Competencies

• Significant experience leading AI, analytics, or digital product teams in complex, global organisations.
• Proven success delivering AI solutions for customer experience, digital products, or commercial processes at scale.
• Strong background in building AI capabilities, including GenAI, LLMs, orchestration frameworks, and behavioural modelling.
• Experience with enterprise data platforms, model lifecycle management, and working with MLOps frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to create and grow research & delivery partner ecosystems.
• Ability to influence senior leadership across commercial, digital, and data functions.
• Experienced in managing diverse global teams, building capability, and scaling operating models.

Leadership Competencies & Personal Style

The ideal candidate:

• Inspires through purpose—championing AI innovation with clear ethical standards and business alignment.
• Demonstrates a user centric‑ mindset with enthusiasm for solving complex CX challenges.
• Thrives in fast paced‑ environments, embracing agile methodologies and iterative value delivery.
• Excels at stakeholder management, translating advanced AI concepts into business relevant‑ language.
• Promotes collaboration across functions, geographies, and cultures.
• Demonstrates strategic thinking, balancing innovation, risk, and business value.
• Is resilient and adaptable, able to pivot priorities in a dynamic transformation environment.
• Champions diversity and inclusion; fosters a culture of curiosity and experimentation.

Additional Context

This is a newly created, strategically critical role designed to accelerate our client’s AI transformation. It will lead the global AI Center of Excellence for Customer Experience and work closely with senior leaders to shape the future of digital, data enabled‑ customer engagement.

Key Stakeholders - Job Profile Definition & Selection

Job Profile Definition - Involved Stakeholders

• Senior Director, Analytics & AI (line manager)
• Chief Data & Analytics Officer
• Chief Digital Officer

Candidate Selection - Interview Stakeholders

• Senior Director, Analytics & AI
• Chief Data & Analytics Officer
• Chief Digital Officer
• VP for CX / CX Leaders
• External global AI partners (as part of technical assessment, if applicable)
• AI user community representatives (as appropriate)