Director, Global Support Services (GSS) AI Initiatives

Job description

Why Ryan? Hybrid Work Options Award-Winning Culture Generous Personal Time Off (PTO) Benefits 14-Weeks of 100% Paid Leave for New Parents (Adoption Included) Monthly Gym Membership Reimbursement OR Gym Equipment Reimbursement Benefits Eligibility Effective Day One 401K with Employer Match Tuition Reimbursement After One Year of Service Fertility Assistance Program Four-Week Company-Paid Sabbatical Eligibility After Five Years of Service The Director, GSS (Corporate) AI Initiatives is responsible for identifying, prioritizing, and executing AI-driven initiatives across Ryan’s global corporate support functions, including Finance, Legal, Marketing, HR, and other centralized teams. This role owns a portfolio of AI initiatives from intake through delivery, ensuring efforts are focused on high-value use cases and produce measurable outcomes. The Director partners closely with functional leadership, IT, and external vendors to translate business needs into practical AI solutions, while also driving adoption and building AI capability across the organization. This is a hybrid role based in Plano, TX, with an expectation of working from the office 3–4 days per week. Duties and Responsibilities People Lead cross-functional teams to deliver AI initiatives, including coordination across business stakeholders, IT, data teams, and external partners Provide hands-on guidance to functional leaders and individual contributors on applying AI tools effectively in their day-to-day work Design and coordinate AI training and enablement programs for corporate functions, including role-based training, workshops, and ongoing support Establish a network of AI “power users” or champions within functions to accelerate adoption and scale knowledge, and lead this group through frequent meetings, ensuring creation of use cases, adoption of tracking processes, and execution of completed initiatives Client (Internal) Partner with leaders across Finance, Legal, Marketing, HR, and other functions to identify and prioritize high-impact AI opportunities Establish and manage a structured intake and prioritization process for AI initiatives based on value, feasibility, and alignment with firm priorities Serve as a practical advisor to functional teams on how AI can be applied to improve efficiency, quality, and scalability of their work Value Own and manage a portfolio of AI initiatives, including business case development, prioritization, execution tracking, and value realization Lead execution of initiatives through internal resources and/or third-party vendors, ensuring delivery against defined objectives Evaluate, select, and manage external vendors, platforms, and tools to support AI initiatives Define and implement a repeatable operating model for AI initiatives across corporate functions, including governance, prioritization, and delivery processes Ensure alignment with firm standards related to data security, confidentiality, and risk management while enabling practical implementation Track and report on outcomes, including efficiency gains, cost savings, and adoption metrics Education and Experience Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred 10+ years of experience in strategy, transformation, analytics, or technology roles Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional initiatives in a complex, global organization Experience working with or implementing AI/ML or Generative AI solutions in business environments Experience managing third-party vendors or technology partners Experience in professional services or corporate support functions strongly preferred Required Skills Ability to translate business problems into clearly defined, actionable AI use cases Strong program and project management capabilities across multiple concurrent initiatives Ability to work effectively across functions in a matrixed environment Strong communication skills, including the ability to work directly with senior leadership Experience establishing or operating an AI or digital transformation function Familiarity with AI governance and risk considerations Practical understanding of AI capabilities and limitations Experience evaluating and selecting technology vendors Ability to balance strategic prioritization with hands-on execution Preferred Skills Experience designing and delivering training or enablement programs Experience in a global, professional services environment Success Metrics / KPIs – First 12 Months Portfolio & Delivery Establish a prioritized AI initiative portfolio across corporate functions within first 90 days Deliver 3–5 high-impact AI initiatives to production with measurable outcomes Achieve on-time delivery for ≥80% of approved initiatives Value Realization Demonstrate quantifiable efficiency gains or cost savings from delivered initiatives (e.g., time reduction, automation impact) Implement a consistent framework for tracking ROI across all AI initiatives Deliver at least 1–2 scaled use cases per major function (Finance, HR, Marketing, etc.) Adoption & Enablement Achieve targeted adoption metrics for AI tools within corporate functions (e.g., % of users actively leveraging tools monthly) Design and roll out role-based AI training programs across corporate functions within first 6 months Train a defined percentage of employees within corporate functions (e.g., 50%+) on approved AI tools and use cases Establish and activate an AI champions network within key functions Operating Model & Governance Stand up a repeatable intake, prioritization, and governance process for AI initiatives within first 90–120 days Define and implement standards for vendor selection, use case approval, and risk alignment Establish regular reporting cadence on AI portfolio performance and outcomes Stakeholder Impact Achieve strong alignment and engagement with functional leadership, measured through adoption and participation Be recognized as a go-to resource for practical AI application within corporate functions