Job title: AI lead
Location: Boston, MA
Client: retail
Employment type: C2C, W2, 1099
Job overview
We are seeking an accomplished AI lead to drive enterprise-scale artificial intelligence and machine learning initiatives for a leading retail organization in Boston, MA. This role leads the strategy, design, and delivery of advanced AI solutions that enhance product capabilities, optimize operations, and elevate customer experiences across digital and physical retail channels.
The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in AI and machine learning leadership, generative AI, and cloud-native architectures, combined with strong business acumen and the ability to influence executive stakeholders.
Key responsibilities
* Lead and mentor cross-functional teams, including data science, engineering, product, and business, to deliver AI and machine learning solutions across retail use cases.
* Define, own, and execute the AI and machine learning roadmap, aligned with business strategy, customer experience goals, and emerging technologies.
* Architect, design, and oversee scalable AI platforms, including generative AI, large language models, retrieval-augmented generation pipelines, and agentic systems.
* Drive end-to-end AI solution delivery, from ideation and proof of concept to production deployment and optimization.
* Establish AI best practices, governance frameworks, responsible and ethical AI standards, and model lifecycle management.
* Collaborate with senior leadership and C-level stakeholders to translate business challenges into measurable AI-driven value.
* Monitor industry trends, evaluate new tools and frameworks, and promote continuous innovation.
* Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
Required skills and experience
* More than 10 years of experience in AI and machine learning, data science, consulting, or digital transformation roles, with demonstrated leadership at scale.
* Proven experience delivering AI and machine learning solutions in retail, including personalization, recommendation systems, demand forecasting, pricing, and customer insights.
* Strong hands-on and architectural knowledge of generative AI, large language models, retrieval-augmented generation, and agentic AI systems.
* Experience working with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.
* Strong understanding of MLOps, data pipelines, model governance, and production-grade AI systems.
* Proven ability to manage complex initiatives involving multiple stakeholders and executive leadership.
Preferred qualifications
* Experience implementing responsible and ethical AI frameworks.
* Background in modern retail ecosystems, including e-commerce, omnichannel, loyalty, supply chain, or in-store analytics.
* Experience scaling AI teams and platforms in fast-paced environments.
* Advanced degree in computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, or a related field.
