Sr. Director, AI Center of Excellence (Remote)

Join Us!
Take the next step in your journey at Inspira Financial. You will help businesses and individuals thrive today, tomorrow, and into retirement. Become part of a company that is people centric and client obsessed in every interaction; a community of forward-thinking individuals focused on driving results to deliver our mission with an unwavering commitment to integrity. Join us as we strengthen and simplify the health and wealth journey -- relentlessly pursuing better outcomes for all. We believe in finding the best talent! While some roles are based at one of our office locations, remote roles can sit in any of the following states: AL, AZ, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA and WV. Remote status and role locations are subject to change. Relocation is not provided.
Employees within a 90-minute radius of our Oak Brook, IL headquarters are required to adhere to the company in-office work guidelines of 4 days per month minimum from 10 am to 2 pm (1 of the 4 days must be a Monday or Friday).
This requirement does not apply to support specialist positions.
Don't meet every single requirement? Here at Inspira Financial, we believe there is no "perfect" candidate and want to encourage applying even if all the requirements listed aren't met. Our goal is to build an authentic workplace by valuing diversity in our candidates. We work to ensure that our team reflects the diversity of the businesses and clients we serve. We are always looking to expand our growing team with dynamic and enthusiastic individuals. If you enjoy a collaborative, fun environment that champions career development, Inspira Financial is the place for you! We look forward to receiving your application! Check out this Inspira Financial video to learn more about our company!
Inspira Financial provides health, wealth, retirement, and benefits solutions that strengthen and simplify the health and wealth journey. With more than 7 million clients, representing over $62 billion in assets, Inspira works with thousands of employers, plan sponsors, recordkeepers, TPAs, and other institutional partners -- helping the people they care about plan, save, and invest for a brighter future. Inspira relentlessly pursues better outcomes for all with our automatic rollover services, health savings accounts, emergency savings funds, custody services, and more. Learn more at inspirafinancial.com .
We have been recognized for our remarkable growth on lists such as Crain's Fast 50 and Inc. 5000, and for our outstanding workplace culture and benefits with Built In's 2025 Best Places to Work and Gallagher's 2022 Best-In-Class Employer awards.
Job Summary & Responsibilities
The Senior Director, AI Center of Excellence (CoE) is a visionary leader responsible for setting the strategic direction, roadmap, and governance for the company's AI initiatives. This role bridges executive leadership and technical teams, ensuring the AI strategy accelerates the company's transformation from services to software. The Senior Director is accountable for driving AI adoption, managing risk, fostering a culture of innovation, and delivering measurable ROI. This leader will collaborate across business units to identify opportunities, oversee the AI/ML portfolio, and ensure alignment with business priorities.
Key Responsibilities:

• Set the vision, strategy, and governance model for the AI Center of Excellence, ensuring alignment with company transformation goals.
• Act as the primary liaison between executive leadership and technical teams, translating business objectives into actionable AI initiatives.
• Lead the identification, prioritization, and execution of high-impact AI use cases, balancing feasibility, impact, and ethical considerations.
• Oversee the end-to-end lifecycle of AI/ML products and solutions-from ideation and prototyping to deployment, scaling, and adoption across the enterprise.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure AI product success, adoption, and business value.
• Drive a culture of responsible AI, embedding risk management, compliance, and ethical frameworks into all AI initiatives.
• Champion change management and upskilling, partnering with business leaders to promote AI fluency and adoption.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to evaluate AI platforms, tools, and vendors, ensuring best-in-class solutions.
• Support business leaders in capturing and communicating ROI from AI investments.
• Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory developments to inform AI strategy.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of AI professionals, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
• Other duties as assigned.

Leadership Responsibilities:

• Provide direction, guidance, and support to the AI CoE team. Set clear expectations, delegate tasks, and ensure effective communication.
• Evaluate team performance, provide feedback, and conduct performance reviews. Identify areas for development and create growth plans.
• Remove barriers for the team, ensuring access to tools, resources, and context needed for execution.
• Actively coach and develop individual team members, fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment.
• Make decisions that balance strategic priorities and operational realities, contributing to the overall success of the organization.
• Cultivate relationships with clients, partners, and other departments to facilitate collaboration and achieve common goals.
• Recruit, interview, hire, and train new team members as needed.

Preferred Qualifications
Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in technology leadership roles, with a focus on AI/ML, digital transformation, or product management.
• Proven track record of leading enterprise-scale AI initiatives and delivering measurable business outcomes.
• Experience managing cross-functional teams and complex portfolios in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
• Deep understanding of modern AI/ML architectures, cloud platforms, and AI technology stacks.
• Demonstrated ability to drive change management, adoption, and upskilling across diverse business units.
• Experience with risk management, compliance, and ethical frameworks in AI.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.

Skills & Abilities:

• Strategic, innovative, and creative thinker with strong analytical skills.
• Ability to balance vision with hands-on execution and operational rigor.
• Strong collaboration, facilitation, and interpersonal skills to engage stakeholders and drive alignment.
• Experience with Agile and iterative development methodologies.
• Ability to present complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture.

Other Requirements:

• Ability to work occasional overtime.
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Compensation & Benefits
$190,000-$215,000 per year