Head of Data & AI Practice, New York

Job description

Lab49 is seeking a senior leader to build and scale our Data & AI Practice, based in New York. This role sits at the intersection of consulting and technology - owning both the growth of the practice and the successful delivery of client engagements. You will play a key role in shaping our Data & AI strategy, leading high-impact client work, and driving pre-sales efforts across key accounts, particularly within financial services. ### What you’ll do: - Lead and grow the Data & AI practice, defining offerings, go-to-market strategy, and delivery standards - Partner with clients to identify opportunities, shape solutions, and drive business outcomes through data and AI - Actively contribute to pre-sales efforts - solutioning, proposals, client presentations, and deal support - Build and maintain senior client relationships, acting as a trusted advisor - Lead cross-functional teams across data engineering, analytics, and AI/ML - Collaborate with sales and account teams to expand existing engagements and win new business - Stay current on industry trends and bring innovative ideas to clients and internal teams ### What we’re looking for: - Strong experience in data, analytics, and AI, with a mix of hands-on and leadership exposure - Background in consulting or client-facing environments (not necessarily exclusively consulting) - Proven involvement in pre-sales activities, including shaping solutions and supporting deals - Experience working with financial services, capital markets, or similar industries is highly preferred - Solid understanding of modern data platforms, AI/ML, and data architecture - Leadership experience managing teams and delivering complex projects - Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage senior clients - Based in New York, with the ability to work closely with clients and internal teams