VP, AI Services

Job description

### About Toptal Toptal is a global network of top talent in business, design, and technology that enables companies to scale their teams, on-demand. With $200+ million in annual revenue **and team members based around the globe**, Toptal is the [world’s largest fully remote workforce](https://www.toptal.com/remote-work-playbook). We take the best elements of virtual teams and combine them with a support structure that encourages innovation, social interaction, and fun. We see no borders, move at a fast pace, and are never afraid to break the mold. ### Job Summary: We are a managed service provider (MSP) at the forefront of AI-driven IT service transformation. As our Vice President of AI Services, you will be the executive owner of how we design, deliver, and scale AI-powered IT Service Management (ITSM) solutions for our clients. This is a client-facing leadership role that sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, ITIL best practices, and ServiceNow — and is central to our growth strategy. This role carries P&L accountability for the AI Services practice. You will build and lead our AI Services practice, partnering directly with client executives to understand their ITSM challenges and translating those needs into repeatable, high-impact AI-enabled service offerings. You will also work internally to develop the methodologies, tooling, and talent that allow our delivery teams to execute at scale. This is a remote position. Resumes and communication must be submitted in English. ### Responsibilities: *The following information is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or required skills.* AI Services Practice Leadership. - Own the vision, strategy, and P&L for the AI Services practice, establishing it as a differentiated, revenue-generating offering within our MSP portfolio. - Develop repeatable service offerings and delivery frameworks that apply AI to ITIL processes — including Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Enablement, Service Request, and Knowledge Management — across a diverse client base. - Define pricing models, packaging, and go-to-market strategy for AI-enabled ITSM services in collaboration with Sales and Marketing. - Build internal IP: playbooks, accelerators, and pre-configured AI assets on ServiceNow that reduce time-to-value for clients. Client Engagement & Advisory. - Serve as the executive-level AI advisor to key clients, engaging C-suite and IT leadership stakeholders to assess maturity, identify opportunities, and co-create AI-driven ITSM roadmaps. - Lead discovery workshops and maturity assessments to baseline clients’ current ITSM and AI capabilities. - Present business cases and ROI models for AI investments to client executives, translating technical capabilities into tangible outcomes (e.g., MTTR reduction, ticket deflection rates, cost avoidance). - Maintain trusted advisor relationships across a portfolio of accounts, ensuring client satisfaction and identifying expansion opportunities. ServiceNow AI Delivery. - Oversee the architecture and delivery of ServiceNow AI solutions for clients: Now Assist, Virtual Agent, Predictive Intelligence, ITOM AIOps, NLU, and generative AI integrations. Govern integrations between ServiceNow and external AI platforms (e.g., Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock, Anthropic) to extend client capabilities. - Establish delivery standards and quality assurance processes to ensure consistent, best-practice implementation across all client engagements. - Drive adoption of AI-powered ServiceNow features that measurably reduce client operational burden and improve end-user experience. ITIL & Process Excellence. - Apply deep ITIL v4 expertise to ensure AI augments and elevates client service management processes rather than introducing risk or technical debt. - Champion a shift-left philosophy through AI-driven self-service, knowledge deflection, and automated resolution for clients. - Establish governance and measurement frameworks (KPIs, SLAs, OLAs) for AI-enhanced ITSM processes delivered to clients. Team Building & Talent Development. - Recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing team of AI architects, ServiceNow practitioners, and ITSM consultants. - Establish career paths and capability-building programs to grow AI and ITSM expertise across the broader services organization. - Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, encouraging the team to test and adopt emerging AI capabilities. - Lead by example for your team and exercise discretion and independent judgment. Partnerships & Ecosystem. - Manage and deepen the company’s relationship with ServiceNow as a partner, including ISV/reseller programs and co-sell opportunities. - Evaluate and manage relationships with complementary AI and AIOps vendors to enrich the client solutions portfolio. - Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and ServiceNow communities as a thought leader in AI-powered ITSM. #### In the first week, expect to: - Onboard and integrate into Toptal; meet your colleagues. - Learn about Toptal’s history, culture, and vision, with a focus on the state of our industry, the Future of Work, and the core messages important to Toptal. - Shadow critical teams throughout the organization to learn Toptal’s core operations and capabilities. #### In the first month, expect to: - Deepen your understanding of the current client portfolio and internal capabilities. - Establish relationships with key clients and the ServiceNow partner team. #### In the first three months, expect to: - Define the AI Services practice roadmap and initial service offerings. - Identify, scope, and land your first client AI-ITSM engagement. #### In the first six months, expect to: - Finalize the repeatable delivery playbooks. - Measurable client outcomes (ticket deflection, MTTR improvement) will be documented and used in new business development. #### In the first year, expect to: - Grow and operate a profitable AI Services practice. - Continue to grow the revenue line. - Ensure the practice is recognized externally as a differentiator in the company’s MSP positioning. ### Qualifications and Job Requirements: - Bachelor’s degree is required. - 10+ years of IT services experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role within a managed service provider, systems integrator, or IT consulting firm. - Proven track record of building or scaling an ITSM or AI-focused practice within an MSP or professional services organization. - Hands-on expertise with ServiceNow — ITSM Pro, ITOM, Virtual Agent, or Now Assist — at an architect or delivery leadership level. - Deep, applied knowledge of ITIL v4 frameworks; ITIL Managing Professional or Strategic Leader certification strongly preferred. - Demonstrated experience applying AI, automation, or ML within ITSM or IT Operations environments for enterprise clients. - Experience engaging and influencing C-suite stakeholders, including presenting investment cases and managing executive relationships. - P&L management experience with accountability for practice revenue, margin, and utilization targets. - Outstanding written and verbal communication skills. - Ability to work in a fast-paced, rapidly growing company and handle a wide variety of challenges, deadlines, and a diverse array of contacts. - You must be a world-class individual contributor to thrive at Toptal. You will not be here just to tell other people what to do. Preferred Qualifications: - ServiceNow Certified Implementation Specialist (CIS-ITSM) or higher-level ServiceNow partner certification. - Familiarity with LLMs, generative AI APIs (OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Anthropic), and prompt engineering in enterprise contexts. - Experience with AIOps platforms (Moogsoft, BigPanda, Dynatrace) and their integration with ServiceNow. - Background in solution architecture for multi-tenant or multi-client MSP environments. - MBA or advanced degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field. - Active presence in the ServiceNow partner ecosystem or ITSM industry community.