Senior Director, Artificial Intelligence

Description The Senior Director, Artificial Intelligence defines and operationalizes the enterprise AI strategy, architecture, and learning ecosystem in direct support of the company’s core business priorities: growth acceleration, operational efficiency, and scalable portfolio integration through M&A. This role leads the AI Center of Excellence and serves as the senior technical authority for AI platforms, governance, and enablement.
This leader ensures AI investments translate into measurable business value by accelerating innovation, improving decision intelligence, and embedding AI capability into the workforce. The role bridges enterprise architecture, business strategy, and human capability — shaping both the technology landscape pertaining to AI and the organization’s ability to use it competitively. A core mandate of the position is to help in building an AI-empowered workforce by ensuring employees have the training, knowledge and tools needed to leverage AI in their daily activities. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
AI Strategy & Direction
Define and maintain the enterprise AI vision and multi-year roadmap
Align AI investments to growth, efficiency, and M&A integration priorities
Issue formal statements of architectural direction for AI platforms
Anticipate emerging technologies and guide adoption decisions
Ensure AI strategy aligns with enterprise architecture principles Leadership of the AI Center of Excellence
Lead and scale the AI Center of Excellence (AI COE)
Establish reusable frameworks, playbooks, and delivery models
Standardize AI engineering practices across the enterprise
Promote enterprise-wide AI fluency and adoption
Create a scalable operating model for AI delivery AI Architecture & Assurance
Provide architectural assurance for AI initiatives in flight
Review designs for scalability, security, and sustainability
Partner with Enterprise Architecture and Architecture Review Board
Prevent platform fragmentation and tool sprawl
Maintain technical coherence across the AI landscape Standards, Governance & Practices
Establish AI lifecycle engineering standards
Define model governance and ethical AI guardrails
Create deployment and monitoring frameworks
Ensure compliance, privacy, and risk management
Maintain enterprise trust in AI systems Enterprise AI Learning & Enablement Strategy
Define and lead enterprise AI learning strategy
Build structured AI fluency programs across roles
Develop training libraries and best practice repositories
Partner with HR and Learning & Development to institutionalize AI skills
Grow internal AI champions and power-user communities
Measure workforce AI maturity and adoption Vendor & Ecosystem Management
Manage strategic relationships with AI platform vendors
Lead evaluation of emerging tools and ecosystems
Drive vendor selection aligned with architecture principles
Negotiate enterprise partnerships and cost structures with CIO
Prevent vendor sprawl through disciplined strategy Financial & Business Partnership
Model AI platform cost structures and investments
Partner with finance to forecast AI operating expenses
Develop business cases with business leaders
Ensure ROI visibility and measurable outcomes
Balance innovation speed with cost discipline AI Industry Liaison & R&D Leadership
Serve as liaison to AI research and innovation ecosystem
Maintain relationships with industry thought leaders
Translate external innovation into enterprise capability
Lead enterprise R&D pilots with business units
Represent the company in AI forums and partnerships
Position the organization as an AI-forward enterprise Roadmapping & Enterprise Alignment for AI
Build AI enablement roadmaps with Enterprise Architecture
Align with Architecture Review Board priorities
Sequence platform evolution intentionally
Prioritize capabilities based on business value
Define long-term AI maturity trajectory QUALIFICATIONS
Senior enterprise technology leadership experience (ideally 10+ years)
Deep expertise in AI/ML platforms and cloud ecosystems
Proven ability to scale technical organizations
Enterprise architecture strategy experience
Vendor negotiation and platform strategy expertise
Financial modeling and investment prioritization skills
Executive communication and influence capability
Ability to translate technology into business outcomes
Experience building high-performing teams
Strategic systems thinker
Builder of platforms, not just projects
Balances innovation with discipline
Collaborative across business and technology
Trusted advisor to executive leadership
Bias for clarity and simplification
Operates comfortably at enterprise scale POSITION INFORMATION
This position pays $175,000-275,000 per year based on experience and location BENEFITS PACKAGE & EMPLOYEE PROGRAMS
Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
Free Life and Disability Insurance
Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
401k with 3% company match and annual employer discretionary contribution
Paid vacation, holidays and sick time
Employee Assistance Program
Access to thousands of free online courses
Discounts on cell phones, movie tickets, gym memberships, and more!
Education Assistance (both college degrees and professional certifications)
Referral Program with cash bonus
Access to on-demand pay
Paid parental leave Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) (NASDAQ: CENTA) is a leading consumer goods company in the pet and garden industries. Guided by the belief that home is central to life, the Company's purpose is to proudly nurture happy and healthy homes. For over 45 years, its innovative and trusted solutions have helped lawns grow greener, gardens bloom bigger, pets live healthier, and communities grow stronger. Central is home to a diversified portfolio of market-leading brands including Amdro®, Aqueon®, Best Bully Sticks®, Cadet®, C&S®, Farnam®, Ferry-Morse®, Kaytee®, Nylabone®, Pennington®, Sevin® and Zoёcon®. With fiscal 2025 net sales of $3.1 billion, Central has strong manufacturing and logistics capabilities supported by a passionate, entrepreneurial growth culture. The Company is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, and employs over 6,000 people, primarily across North America. Visit www.central.com to learn more. We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.