Director of Artificial Intelligence

Director of Data & AI | €25B+ Revenue | DAX 40 | Enterprise Strategy & Innovation | Düsseldorf (Hybrid)

AI Futures have been exclusively retained to appoint a Director of Data & AI for a major organisation headquartered in Düsseldorf, part of a group generating over €25 billion in annual revenue and listed on the DAX 40. This is a unique opportunity to define and execute a group-wide data and AI strategy, shaping how data is used across the organisation to drive innovation, efficiency, and competitive advantage.

You will lead Data & AI across the business, from foundational platforms and governance to productionised AI systems, delivering strategic impact and technical excellence. Your remit will include team building, cross-functional leadership, and scaling modern data and AI capabilities across the organisation.

Hybrid: 2 days per week onsite in Düsseldorf

Remuneration: Up to €350k total package

The Role

• Define and deliver a scalable Data & AI strategy aligned to business-wide objectives
• Lead and grow a multi-disciplinary team of Data Scientists, ML Engineers, and Data Analysts
• Provide hands-on technical leadership across Machine Learning, Gen AI, and data architecture
• Shape and drive use cases across forecasting, optimisation, personalisation, and automation
• Oversee implementation of modern data platforms and MLOps capabilities (e.g. Azure, Databricks, Spark)
• Partner with business, product, and engineering leaders to embed data-driven decision-making at scale

The Candidate

• 10+ years of experience in Data Science, Machine Learning, or Analytics roles, with recent leadership responsibilities
• Strong track record building and leading Data & AI teams in complex, enterprise environments
• Proven experience developing and implementing data strategies and AI applications with measurable business outcomes
• Deep knowledge of modern AI/ML tooling and data infrastructure, including Python, SQL, Azure, Spark, and Databricks
• Skilled in hiring, mentoring, and building high-performing technical teams
• Fluent in German; English is a strong advantage
• Comfortable influencing executive stakeholders and operating at both strategic and technical levels

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