Director, Artificial Intelligence Strategy (AI Strategist)

Job Summary

The Director, Artificial Intelligence Strategy is responsible for developing and executing Sun's enterprise-wide AI strategy, governance, and cross-functional alignment to drive operational excellence and create competitive advantages across our portfolio of manufactured housing and RV resort communities. This role bridges business strategy and artificial intelligence implementation, serving as the strategic leader for identifying, evaluating, and implementing AI and machine learning solutions that align with business objectives.

The Director, AI Strategy works collaboratively across teams to identify high-value AI use cases, build internal capabilities, establish governance frameworks, and ensure responsible AI deployment. This role drives adoption efforts, promoting understanding and enablement across the organization so team members recognize how AI enhances their work and the organization maximizes the sustained value of its AI investments. This role will also help cultivate relationships with external AI vendors, technology partners, and industry thought leaders to keep Sun at the forefront of innovation in the real estate and hospitality sectors.

Job Duties

• Drive and maintain a comprehensive AI strategy and roadmap aligned with Sun’s business objectives, identifying opportunities across key business functions. (Essential)
• Lead the evaluation and recommend prioritization of AI opportunities and partner with key business functions to develop and validate business case justifications for AI initiatives. (Essential)
• Drive cross-functional team engagement to optimize operational efficiency through intelligent automation, enhance team member satisfaction, and promote informed decision-making. (Essential)
• Establish and oversee AI governance frameworks and responsible AI practices ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations, fair housing laws, and industry standards. (Essential)
• Partner with technology team leaders to build and maintain the infrastructure, data architecture, platform capabilities, and guardrails required to support AI/ML model development, deployment, and monitoring at scale. (Essential)
• Collaborate with business leaders to identify pain points, inefficiencies, and opportunities where AI can deliver measurable value, conducting feasibility assessments and ROI analyses. (Essential)
• Promote a culture of innovation and partner with business leaders to drive consistent AI adoption practices and promote the advancement of enterprise-wide AI programs. (Essential)
• Coordinates team member selection and development and ensures team members comply with appropriate policies and procedures.
• Foster effective leadership and communication at all organization levels.
• Manage relationships with AI technology vendors, consultants, and strategic partners, evaluating solutions and supporting negotiation of contracts that deliver optimal value.
• In partnership with the learning & development team, build internal AI literacy and capabilities through training programs, workshops, and change management initiatives that foster an innovation-oriented culture.
• Oversee proof-of-concept projects and pilot programs, establishing success metrics, monitoring performance, and scaling successful initiatives across the organization.
• Stay current with emerging AI technologies, industry trends, regulatory developments, and competitive landscape, providing thought leadership and recommendations to executive leadership.
• Support development and management of an AI strategy budget, ensuring efficient resource allocation and demonstrable return on investment.
• Establish performance metrics and reporting frameworks to track AI initiative outcomes, business impact, and value realization.
• Lead cross-functional teams in the design and implementation of AI solutions, ensuring seamless integration with existing systems and processes.
• Lead, coach, and mentor high-performing leaders and teams within the AI and Innovation function.
• Ensure AI solutions enhance rather than diminish the human touch that defines Sun’s resident experience objectives.
• Collaborate with others to address AI-related risks including bias, transparency, security, and regulatory compliance.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, or Business Administration (Required)
• Master's Degree (Preferred)
• 8 years in progressive experience in AI/ML strategy (Required)
• 5 years in experience in leadership or management positions (Required)
• Professional certification(s) in AI, machine learning, or data science (e.g., AWS ML Specialty, Google Cloud ML Engineer, Microsoft Azure AI Engineer) (Strongly Preferred)
• Demonstrated expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing, and related technologies
• Proven track record of successfully developing and executing enterprise AI strategies that delivered measurable business outcomes
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and drive accountability for enterprise-wide initiatives
• Strong understanding of AI governance, responsible AI practices, and regulatory considerations including data privacy and algorithmic fairness
• Experience in real estate, property management, hospitality, or related industries preferred
• Excellent business acumen with ability to translate technical concepts into business value and communicate effectively with non-technical stakeholders
• Strong project management skills with experience leading cross-functional initiatives and managing complex technology implementations
• Knowledge of data architecture, cloud platforms, MLOps, and AI development lifecycle
• Strategic thinking capabilities with ability to balance long-term vision with short-term execution
• Experience managing vendor relationships and evaluating enterprise technology solutions
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with data-driven decision-making approach
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to present to senior leadership team
• Ability to drive successful organizational adoption of new technologies
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Proficiency with AI/ML tools, platforms, and programming languages such as Python, R, TensorFlow, or similar technologies preferred