Director, Data & AI Platforms

As an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Waste Management (WM), a Fortune 250 company, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste and environmental services in North America. We are strongly committed to a foundation of operating excellence, professionalism and financial strength. WM serves nearly 25 million customers in residential, commercial, industrial and municipal markets throughout North America through a network of collection operations, transfer stations, landfills, recycling facilities and waste-based energy production projects. 

I. Job Summary 
Waste Management (WM) is seeking an experienced and innovative Data & AI Platform and Architecture Director to lead and drive the strategic vision, development, deployment and support of our data and AI platform architecture. This role is pivotal in transforming data into actionable insights, leveraging AI to enhance our operations, and ensuring the scalability, reliability, and security of our data infrastructure.  This role will manage a multi-functional team of architects and platform support services.  Day to day focus on ensuing secure, reliable and performant platform services.   In addition, the role will serve as the technical thought leader for Data & AI technologies, sponsoring PoCs, piloting and implementing new Data and AI technologies to serve business objectives and maturity our capabilities.  If you like a fast paced, dynamic, outcome-driven environment where people are valued and work is meaningful, this is it!   

II. Essential Duties and Responsibilities 
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Other minor duties may be assigned.

• Develop and implement a strategic roadmap for the data and AI platform environments, aligning with WM's business objectives and industry technological advancements. 
• Manage a team of principal architects that define the data architecture standards and design the reference architectures applied across solution development. 
• Lead the design, architecture, and implementation of scalable, robust, and secure data platforms to support advanced analytics and AI initiatives. 
• Oversee the management of a managed service that provides platform admin support across our technology ecosystem.   
• Develop metrics to share the overall health and usage of our key platforms within Digital and our business partners 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure the seamless integration of data sources, tools, and technologies. 
• Advise and guide the development and deployment of machine learning models and AI solutions to optimize operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive innovation. 
• Ensure the data platform complies with data governance, privacy, and security standards and regulations. 
• Mentor and guide a team of data engineers, data scientists, and AI researchers, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. 
• Stay abreast of emerging trends and technologies in data management, AI, and machine learning to drive continuous innovation. 

 

III. Supervisory Responsibilities 
The highest level of supervisory skills required in this job is management through one or more managerial levels. This includes: 
 

• Direct supervision of full-time employees including senior management and individual contributor positions; 
• Indirect supervision of full-time employees including management and individual contributor positions.
   

IV. Qualifications 
The requirements listed below are representative of the qualifications necessary to perform the job. 

 

A. Demonstrated Performance 
 

• Leadership potential including ability to influence up, down, and across the organization 
• Proven track record of consistently delivering results
• Strong written and verbal communication skills 
• Demonstrated ability of hiring and developing talented individuals 
   

B. Education and Experience 
 

Education: Bachelor's Degree (accredited) in Computer Science, MIS, Finance or similar area of study or, in lieu of degree, High School Diploma or GED (accredited) and four (4) years of relevant work experience

Experience: Eight (8) years of prior work experience (in addition to education requirement) within Information Technology including at least two years managing a team of two of more individuals

Preferred Education: Master's Degree (accredited) in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering or related field. 

Preferred Experience: Ten (10) years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, and AI platform development, with at least 5 years in a leadership role. 
 

C. Certificates, Licenses, Registrations or Other Requirements 
 

Technical Skills

• Extensive experience in data architecture, data engineering, and analytics.
• Proficiency in understanding programming languages such as SQL, Python, R, Java, or Scala.
• Knowledge and understanding of AI and ML algorithms, frameworks, LLMs, and tools
• Experience with data platform technologies such as Snowflake, Azure Fabric and cloud-based data platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
• In-depth understanding of database management systems, data warehousing solutions, and ETL processes.
• Familiarity with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) and business intelligence platforms.
• Expertise in data governance frameworks, data privacy regulations, and security best practices.

Soft Skills

• Leadership: Proven ability to lead and inspire a diverse team of professionals, driving collaboration and achieving common goals.
• Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Problem-solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a strategic mindset to overcome challenges and identify opportunities.
• Project Management: Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Innovation: A forward-thinking approach, constantly seeking new ways to leverage data and AI for business improvement.
• Adaptability: Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and emerging technologies in a fast-paced environment.

 

D. Other Knowledge, Skills or Abilities Required 
 

• Experience in the most current technologies and products used in the industry. May require in depth skills in one or more of the following: technical software development and deployment, employee management, program and project management, budget development and monitoring, organizational change and development. 
• Proven Track Record of Successfully implementing data and AI Solutions that drive business value.
   

V. Work Environment 
Listed below are key points regarding environmental demands and work environment of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. 
 

Required to use motor coordination with finger dexterity (such as keyboarding, machine operation, etc.) most of the work day; 
Required to exert physical effort in handling objects less than 30 pounds part of the work day; 
Required to be exposed to physical occupational risks (such as cuts, burns, exposure to toxic chemicals, etc.) rarely; 
Required to be exposed to physical environment which involves dirt, odors, noise, weather extremes or similar elements rarely; 
Normal setting for this job is an office setting. 
 

Benefits 
At WM, each eligible employee receives a competitive total compensation package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance and Short Term Disability. As well as a Stock Purchase Plan, Company match on 401K, and more! Our employees also receive Paid Vacation, Holidays, and Personal Days. Please note that benefits may vary by site. 

If this sounds like the opportunity that you have been looking for, please click Apply.

 

ABOUT WM WM (WM.com) is North America’s largest comprehensive waste management environmental solutions provider. Previously known as Waste Management and based in Houston, Texas, WM is driven by commitments to put people first and achieve success with integrity. The company, through its subsidiaries, provides collection, recycling and disposal services to millions of residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. With innovative infrastructure and capabilities in recycling, organics and renewable energy, WM provides environmental solutions to and collaborates with its customers in helping them achieve their sustainability goals. WM has the largest disposal network and collection fleet in North America, is the largest recycler of post-consumer materials and is the leader in beneficial reuse of landfill gas, with a growing network of renewable natural gas plants and the most gas-to-electricity plants in North America. WM’s fleet includes nearly 11,000 natural gas trucks – the largest heavy-duty natural gas truck fleet of its kind in North America – where more than half are fueled by renewable natural gas. To learn more about WM and the company’s sustainability progress and solutions, visit Sustainability.WM.com.