Staff AI Operations Lead

Job description

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, which manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Staff AI Operations Lead based in United States .** We are seeking a strategic, hands-on Staff AI Operations Lead to turn emerging AI capabilities into reliable, measurable improvements across business operations. In this senior individual contributor role, you will identify high-impact workflows, understand how teams operate, and build production-ready AI-powered solutions that deliver tangible results. Working closely with teams across Sales, Customer Success, Revenue Operations, and other business functions, you will connect AI technologies with real operational needs. You will also establish reusable frameworks, evaluation practices, and shared infrastructure that make future AI implementations faster, safer, and more effective. Beyond building solutions, you will champion adoption through practical enablement, documentation, and knowledge sharing. This opportunity is ideal for an experienced AI practitioner who combines technical depth, business judgment, cross-functional leadership, and a strong commitment to responsible AI deployment. ### Accountabilities - Partner with department leaders to identify high-value business workflows that can benefit from AI automation, developing a deep understanding of existing processes, challenges, and opportunities. - Design, build, deploy, and maintain end-to-end AI-powered workflows that improve operational efficiency, consistency, quality, and speed. - Define measurable success criteria before implementation, including cycle time, output quality, cost, and risk, and track results transparently after deployment. - Develop production-ready AI systems with robust evaluation frameworks, appropriate human review mechanisms, ongoing monitoring, and clear performance indicators. - Improve adoption through user research, practical documentation, stakeholder engagement, and structured rollout plans. - Establish reusable patterns and shared components for model access, orchestration, AI agents, prompt and tool management, evaluation, logging, and cost control. - Build on existing data infrastructure and collaborate with Engineering to develop shared capabilities, identify dependencies, and coordinate implementation plans. - Create templates, playbooks, safety checklists, and recommended implementation patterns that help teams adopt AI consistently and effectively. - Lead enablement initiatives, including office hours, demonstrations, community-of-practice sessions, and tailored learning materials for business operations, go-to-market teams, and leadership. - Help employees develop sound judgment around AI adoption, including when to use AI, when alternative approaches are more appropriate, and how to evaluate outcomes. - Partner with Security, IT, Legal, and Data teams to establish appropriate access controls, data-handling practices, vendor-risk assessments, and governance policies. - Apply data classification standards to AI use cases, ensuring sensitive information is handled appropriately and required audit trails are maintained throughout AI workflows. - Continuously assess emerging AI capabilities and refine solutions based on operational evidence, user feedback, performance data, and evolving business needs. ## Requirements - Extensive experience delivering production-ready systems that automate or improve real business workflows, with end-to-end ownership of solutions used regularly by nontechnical teams. - Hands-on expertise with modern AI technologies, including large language models (LLMs), retrieval techniques, tool use, AI agents, evaluation frameworks, and guardrails. - Strong ability to translate business problems into practical technical solutions, with the judgment to distinguish where AI adds value from where simpler approaches are more effective. - Demonstrated success leading cross-functional initiatives without relying on formal authority, bringing structure, clear decisions, and momentum to complex projects. - Experience working closely with business stakeholders to understand operational processes, identify inefficiencies, and deliver measurable improvements. - Familiarity with security, privacy, and compliance considerations in enterprise environments, including data classification, retention policies, access controls, and vendor risk. - Strong communication and teaching skills, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly, create useful documentation, and adapt guidance to different audiences. - A continuous-learning mindset, with the ability to evaluate emerging AI technologies, challenge assumptions, and adjust implementation decisions based on evidence. - Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with Data, Engineering, Security, IT, Legal, and business teams. **Nice-to-have qualifications:** - Proficiency in SQL and familiarity with modern data platforms, including dbt, cloud data warehouses, and business intelligence tools. - Experience with workflow automation and enterprise systems such as CRM platforms, ticketing tools, case management systems, and knowledge bases. - Familiarity with AI observability practices, including quality monitoring, evaluation pipelines, cost tracking, and latency analysis. - Experience managing organizational change and supporting AI adoption across distributed, cross-functional teams. - Interest in external knowledge sharing through writing, speaking, podcasts, or professional communities. ## Benefits - **Competitive base salary:** CAD $310,000–$360,000, depending on experience and level. - **Equity participation:** Generous equity opportunities through an employee-friendly stock program. - **Transparent compensation:** A structured pay approach based on role level and experience. - **Unlimited paid time off:** Flexibility to take time away from work and recharge. - **Remote-first culture:** A distributed working environment that emphasizes results, autonomy, and accountability. - **Home office support:** Stipends for home office equipment, coworking spaces, and internet expenses. - **Healthcare coverage:** Comprehensive benefits for employees, with additional coverage available for eligible dependents. - **Paid parental leave:** Up to 16 weeks of paid leave, regardless of the path to parenthood. - **Professional development:** An annual allowance to support learning and career growth. - **Work authorization:** Employment sponsorship and visa transfers are not currently available. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in Canada. - **Location eligibility:** Hiring is currently limited to candidates residing in British Columbia, Ontario, or Quebec. - **Inclusive workplace:** A commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process.