Associate Director, Technology Strategy and Innovation

Job description

Choose a workplace that empowers your impact. Join a global workplace where employees thrive. One that embraces diversity of thought, expertise and experience. A place where you can personalize your employee journey to be — and deliver — your best. We are a purpose-driven, dynamic and sustainable pension plan. An industry leading global investor with teams in Toronto to London, New York, Singapore, Sydney and other major cities across North America and Europe. We embody the values of our 665,000 members, placing their best interests at the heart of everything we do. Join us to accelerate your growth & development, prioritize wellness, build connections, and support the communities where we live and work. Don’t just work anywhere — come build tomorrow together with us. Know someone at OMERS or Oxford Properties? Great! If you're referred, have them submit your name through Workday first. Then, watch for a unique link in your email to apply. Job Summary Reporting to the Vice President, Customer Success and Innovation, the Associate Director plays a critical leadership role in shaping how Data, AI, and emerging technologies drive measurable business value across the organization. This role acts as the primary bridge between Data & Technology and internal business leaders translating strategy into execution, accelerating innovation, and ensuring technology investments deliver tangible outcomes with a strong focus on Data and AI solutions. You will leverage your deep understanding of products and current technology landscape to provide advisory support to the internal customers for any building or buy products for Data & AI solutions. You will also champion the adoption of AI tools, helping the business understand how these technologies can drive alpha and operational efficiency. We are seeking an individual who excels at building trust-based relationships and influencing technology outcomes across diverse stakeholder groups. The Associate Director must demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills, the ability to align technology with business objectives , and a proven track record of delivering results through collaboration. Key Responsibilities Strategic Partnership & Customer Success Act as a trusted advisor to internal business units, understanding their strategy, priorities, and challenges . Participate, build and drive solutions in Proof of concept stage to show value to the customers Collaborate with technology and business teams to co-develop and execute customer- centric technology roadmaps for Data and AI solutions. Advocate for the adoption of D&T programs and ensure the programs are in alignment with customer goals. Establish a scalable engagement model that delivers value to our stakeholders and enhances the relationship between D&T and internal customers. Stay current with AI updates, AI trends, and industry best practices to ensure innovative and effective solutions. Leadership Lead and mentor a high-performing team of customer success and innovation professionals. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement across D&T. Provide strategic direction, coaching, and professional development to team members. Demonstrate thought leadership by consistently contributing innovative ideas and insights that drive the business unit strategic direction Collaboration Build and nurture strong relationships with the Data and Technology Leadership Team (DTLT) and technology stakeholders across the organization . Support leadership in developing technology operating / interaction models and strategies. Act as an intake point for new initiatives and escalations . Build and o rchestrate technology teams with members across the organization to deliver cohesive technology solutions . Share learnings with D&T to drive continuous improvement and operational effectiveness. Technology & I nnovation Have strong understanding and working knowledge of Data Platforms and AI products/models Serve as the subject matter expert on AI models within the business context; explain how models work, their limitations, and their potential application and use cases Help i dentify AI Workflows: Collaborate with team members to identify opportunities for agentic workflows, AI-augmented decision-making Identify and drive innovation initiatives that enable growth, efficiency, and improved decision-making in the organization . Support the delivery of workshops and training sessions that help leaders s hift from "decision-makers" to "learners," promoting a culture of experimentation and AI adoption. Support the team in navigating the complex ecosystem of AI vendors and tools. You will perform research and competitive analysis to provide framework-driven recommendations on build-vs-buy scenarios Assess the business impact of emerging technologies, especially in data and analytics. Develop a strong understanding of technology capabilities in the organization and outside; advise customers and technology leaders on leveraging them for initiatives. Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in a relevant field; advanced degree (MBA, Technology ) preferred. 8 to 10+ years of leadership experience in technology, with a focus on data and analytic s and AI Implementation . Worked in various domain like HR, Finance or Real Estate/ Public/Private Investments Advance working knowledge of SQL and Python Demonstrated success in technology business partnering or similar strategic roles. Strong understanding of data, analytics , AI platforms, and emerging technologies. Proven track record of influencing senior stakeholders and driving business-aligned technology outcomes. Exceptional leadership, communication, and relationship management skills. Ability to navigate complex issues with sound judgment and resilience. Exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. Strong leadership skills and ability to manage a team effectively through change We believe that time together in the office is important for OMERS and Oxford, the strength of our employees, and the work we do for our pension members. In delivering on our pension promise, keeping us connected to our work and each other, our flexible hybrid work guideline requires teams to come in to the office 4 days per week. This posting is for an existing vacancy. The expected salary range for this position is $138K - $188K per year. You may also be eligible to receive an annual Incentive Award pursuant to our Short-term Incentive plan and our Long-Term Incentive plan (if applicable), and to participate in our group benefits and retirement plans – details on these elements of compensation are included within OMERS & Oxford offer letters. As one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension plans, our people-first culture is at its best when our workforce reflects the communities where we live and work — and the members we proudly serve. From hire to retire, we are an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection process that extends all the way through your employee experience. This sense of belonging and connection is cultivated up, down and across our global organization thanks to our vast network of Employee Resource Groups with executive leader sponsorship, our Purpose@Work committee and employee recognition programs. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are used to support certain stages of the OMERS recruitment process. While AI assists us in our process, human judgment and decision-making remain central to our candidate experience.