Senior Manager – AI and Smart Data

Organization: Well Known Insurance Company in UAE.

JOB PURPOSE:

The job holder is responsible for leading the development and implementation of data management, analytics, AI, machine learning, and business intelligence (BI) solutions across the organization. This role focuses on establishing a strong data governance framework, enabling advanced analytics capabilities, and driving AI-driven insights to support strategic decision-making. The individual will oversee predictive analytics, data quality, master data management, and BI platforms, ensuring alignment with the company’s AI and data transformation strategy.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Strategic Contribution:

• Collaborate with senior leadership to ensure data and AI initiatives drive measurable business outcomes.

• Actively engage in the execution of the AI and BI roadmap aligned with business goals.

• Manage the data and AI center of excellence.

• Develop data and AI-driven use cases.

• Actively participate in the development and deployment of AI models and data solutions.

• Lead the design and deployment of predictive and prescriptive analytics models.

• Drive data democratization by making insights accessible to business users.

Technical Leadership:

• Clean, transform, and analyze structured and unstructured data. Perform feature engineering to improve model accuracy and ensure data quality for advanced analytics and AI application.
• Oversee the implementation of self-service BI practice including platforms and data visualization tools.
• Oversee and engage in the development of AI and data models using Azure or other technologies.
• Ensure successful integration of AI models with existing systems and real-time data pipelines.
• Ensure continuous improvement of data platforms and AI models to align with evolving business needs.
• Evaluate and implement AI/ML frameworks, cloud-based data platforms, and automation tools.
• Partner with InsurTech firms and AI vendors to explore new opportunities.
• Ensure the scalability and security of AI and BI solutions.
• Define KPIs for AI and BI initiatives and track ROI.
• Optimize data pipelines and AI model performance through continuous monitoring.
• Excellent analytical skills, data presentation skills and data visualization ability.
• Stay abreast of the latest trends in AI, machine learning, and data engineering.

Team and Stakeholders Management:

• Engages in strategic discussions and provides recommendations based upon work analysis with quantified opportunities to drive business optimization. Synthesizes results, drive conclusions, make recommendations to senior management, and implements changes.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of data engineers, scientists, and AI professionals.
• Manage day-to-day activities of the AI and Data teams, ensuring effective resource allocation.
• Work closely with business units to identify AI and data use cases with high business impact.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define requirements and drive AI-driven solutions.
• Act as a liaison between technical and business teams to ensure alignment and understanding.

AI and Data Governance:

• Establish data and AI governance policies to ensure accuracy, data quality, security, compliance, and ethical AI practices.
• Collaborate with IT, data stewards, and business units to enhance data-driven culture.
• Drive the adoption of Responsible AI practices, ensuring transparency and accountability.
• Maintain a strong focus on ethical AI practices and compliance with UAE-specific regulations.

PEOPLE MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Manages the effective achievement of unit / department objectives through setting individual and/ or team objectives, managing performance, developing employees and providing formal and informal feedback in order to maximize overall performance and team motivation.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or a related field.

RELEVANT CERTIFICATIONS:

Additional certifications or training in AI, Azure technologies, or data management such as:

• Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate
• Certified Artificial Intelligence Practitioner (CAIP)
• Certified Data Scientist (CDS)

YEARS & NATURE OF EXPERIENCE:

• 12+ years in AI, data science, or business intelligence, with at least 5 years in a leadership role in insurance or financial services.
• Experience in data fabric and data mesh frameworks
• Experience in delivering data and AI-driven business solutions Programming: Python, R, Java.
• Machine Learning & Deep Learning Frameworks: TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-Learn, XGBoost, LightGBM.
• Large Language Models (LLMs) & NLP: Transformer models (GPT, BERT, T5, LLaMA), Named Entity Recognition (NER), Sentiment Analysis, OCR.
• MLOps & DevOps: Docker, Kubernetes, MLflow, Airflow, Kubeflow, CI/CD for AI pipelines.
• Extensive experience with Azure technologies, including Azure Data Factory and data bricks , Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Lake, Azure SQL Database, Azure Machine Learning, and Azure Cognitive Services.
• Version Control & Collaboration Tools: Git, JIRA.
• Database & Data Engineering: SQL, NoSQL
• Strong knowledge of BI tools (Power BI, Qlikview, Qlik Sense) and SQL.
• Expertise in data modeling, MDM, and real-time analytics.
• Experience with data pipelines, ETL/ELT processes, and real-time data integration.
• Experience in data modelling and data monitoring tools.
• Good Knowledge of data privacy, security, and AI ethics.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS:

Full Professional Proficiency of English Language