Director, Industrial Artificial Intelligence

About the Role
Industrial Artificial Intelligence enables organizations to harness operational data and emerging AI capabilities to create safer, more productive, reliable, and efficient operations across exploration, mining, mineral processing, and industrial assets. The Director, Industrial Artificial Intelligence is responsible for shaping the strategy and portfolio that transforms high-value operational challenges into scalable AI solutions. This role directly connects operational priorities with AI, data, digital, operational technology (OT), and engineering capabilities to enhance safety, productivity, recovery, reliability, process stability, energy efficiency, and sustainability. The objective is to create lasting value by advancing Industrial AI from experimentation to production and sustained operational adoption, while establishing the required capabilities, governance, partnerships, and responsible AI practices to maximize impact.

What You Will Deliver

Industrial AI Strategy & Portfolio

• Shape and evolve the Industrial AI strategy and investment portfolio, directing resources towards the strongest strategic, operational, and economic opportunities.
• Translate exploration, mining, processing, and asset performance priorities into a balanced portfolio of scalable AI opportunities, ensuring clarity on value, feasibility, risk, and adoption criteria.
• Establish the operating model, standards, and governance necessary for the responsible and consistent scaling of Industrial AI across operations.

Operational Performance & Value

• Drive measurable improvements in safety, productivity, recovery, reliability, process stability, cost, energy efficiency, and sustainability through targeted Industrial AI solutions.
• Facilitate AI-enabled decision-making across various functions including exploration, geology, mine planning, mineral processing, process control, maintenance, and asset performance.
• Transition high-value AI initiatives from experimentation into production and adoption, leading to sustained operational ownership and realized benefits.

Scalable AI & Technology Integration

• Lead the development and deployment of production-grade AI capabilities that address complex industrial and operational challenges at scale.
• Enable effective integration of AI with operational technology, control systems, historians, fleet systems, digital twins, laboratory platforms, and relevant enterprise technologies.
• Utilize enterprise AI platforms and architecture standards to accelerate deployment while mitigating duplication and technology risk.

Governance & Operational Assurance

• Govern Industrial AI solutions regarding model performance, reliability, cybersecurity, data governance, explainability, operational safety, and responsible AI requirements.
• Establish transparent performance metrics, value tracking, and risk oversight to support informed investment and scaling decisions.
• Ensure Industrial AI initiatives meet established quality, financial, technical, risk, and performance standards throughout their lifecycle.

People, Partnerships & Enterprise Adoption

• Build and lead a cohesive Industrial AI function that spans exploration, mining, mineral processing, and operations, enhancing both AI capability and operational expertise.
• Foster senior partnerships across operations, engineering, digital, OT, IT, and business functions to integrate AI into operational workflows.
• Develop strategic relationships with technology providers, OEMs, universities, research institutions, and specialists to expedite innovation and capability development.

What Success Looks Like

• A prioritized Industrial AI portfolio that delivers demonstrable operational and financial value aligned with strategic priorities.
• AI solutions that achieve measurable improvements in safety, productivity, recovery, reliability, process stability, energy efficiency, cost, and sustainability.
• High-value AI use cases successfully progress from experimentation into production, ensuring sustained adoption and operational ownership.
• Industrial AI solutions exhibit reliable performance supported by effective governance, cybersecurity, responsible AI practices, and operational assurance.
• Clear operational interfaces between Enterprise AI, Digital, OT, IT, and operational teams that enhance delivery and minimize duplication.
• A high-performing Industrial AI function that nurtures strong technical and domain capabilities, with effective leadership succession and knowledge transfer.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Computer Science, Mining Engineering, Mineral Processing, Engineering, or a related quantitative discipline.
• A PhD in a relevant discipline is preferred.

Experience

• 15+ years of relevant experience, with at least 7 years in AI, advanced analytics, optimization, automation, or digital transformation.
• Preferred experience in mining, metals, energy, manufacturing, or another asset-intensive industrial environment.
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams and delivering scalable, production-grade AI solutions that achieve measurable operational impact.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead complex initiatives from strategy and use-case prioritization through deployment, operational adoption, stakeholder alignment, and benefits realization.

Skills That Matter

• Industrial AI strategy and portfolio management
• Proficiency in artificial intelligence, machine learning, GenAI, NLP, LLMs, and Agentic AI
• Expertise in optimization, computer vision, and predictive and prescriptive analytics
• Knowledge of mining, mineral processing, and industrial operations
• Understanding operational technology, control systems, historians, and digital twins
• Familiarity with MLOps and AI model lifecycle management
• Awareness of responsible AI, cybersecurity, data governance, and operational risk
• Experience in business case development and benefits realization
• Competence in executive stakeholder influence and change leadership
• Skills in talent development and strategic partnership management