AI Strategy & Execution Senior Manager

WHO WE ARE

Elliott Davis pairs forward-thinking tax, assurance and consulting services with industry-leading workplace culture. Our nine offices — located in the fastest growing cities in the US — are built on a foundation of inclusivity, collaboration, and collective growth. We work daily to provide exceptional service to our people, customers, and our communities. Audit and assurance services are provided by Elliott Davis, LLC (doing business in NC and D.C. as Elliott Davis, PLLC), a licensed CPA firm.

We're Elliott Davis, and we're revolutionizing what it means to work in the public accounting field. Around here we may do the work of accountants, but we think like startup entrepreneurs, social do-gooders and community leaders.

As part of the Elliott Davis team, you'll get hands-on experience working alongside some of the leading experts in the financial and consulting field, while enjoying the freedom and autonomy to manage your career and make a positive impact on the world. Our Consulting practice is fast-growing and we are eager for you to be part of this growth!

The role of the AI Strategy & Execution Senior Manager is to help clients turn AI into measurable business value, guiding them along the firm's AI Value Path. The Senior Manager owns the strategy, people and process work that makes AI capability real and makes it stick, runs the engagement end to end, coordinates the firm's bench of practices into one coordinated experience for the client, and proves the value delivered.

This is a leadership role within the AI Strategy & Execution practice. Excellent leadership, communication, and client-advisory skills are crucial for this role.

Responsibilities

• Meet with client leadership to assess AI readiness across strategy, people, process and data, and establish shared intent
• Facilitate use-case discovery and prioritization, scoring candidate use cases against value and risk, and help leaders set the weak ones aside before a dollar is spent
• Partner with the client to develop their AI thesis, roadmap and sequencing, tied to business value
• Guide governance, risk and responsible-AI guardrails in partnership with the firm's risk and compliance teams
• Design and oversee repeatable, AI-enabled workflows with human-in-the-loop review, ownership and measurement, partnering with AI engineers on the build
• Lead cross-functional process redesign above the affected functions
• Advise leadership on turning capability into competitive advantage, including new offerings and operating-model refresh
• Structure and lead Proof of Value engagements that produce one scoped, measurable win, then compound into the full Path
• Prepare key findings, assessments and recommendation reports for client leadership
• Own change management, adoption and coaching so AI capability sticks with the people who use it
• Measure and report the business value delivered
• Run the engagement end to end and bring the firm's bench of practices together into one coordinated engagement
• Formulate the plan, timeline, scope and staffing for AI engagements
• Review work performed by staff and ready for practice leader sign-off
• Prepare scope of work for projects, proposals and client engagement letters
• Contribute to business development by building existing client relationships, spotting openings, and supporting proposals
• Attend client and networking functions
• Manage project budgets, change orders and timelines; schedule department workflow, client billing, and maintain quality control
• Supervise staff on projects and provide performance feedback

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Analytics, Business, Organizational Psychology, Accounting, or related field
• 10-15 years relevant work experience, including at least 3 years focused on AI or emerging technology
• 5+ years experience as a senior level leader
• Strong communication and organizational skills
• Demonstrated ability to translate AI concepts into business value for non-technical client leadership
• Conversant across: generative AI and large language model platforms; data readiness and analytics fundamentals; AI governance frameworks; AI project delivery and the vendor/solution landscape; and approaches to measuring AI ROI and business value
• Experience guiding clients or an organization through an AI or digital transformation from strategy through adoption
• Experience with project management, managing a delivery team, and evaluating and redesigning processes
• Change management and stakeholder-alignment experience
• Ability to manage project budgets, change orders and timelines
• Ability to think "outside the box" and provide solutions to clients for various business-related tasks and analysis
• Client relationship management and business development contribution experience

Preferred but not Required

• Prior professional services or consulting experience
• Master's degree in Information Systems, Data Science, Organizational Psychology, Business Administration, or related field
• Strong accounting knowledge: proficiency with financial statements and general ledger accounting
• Industry certifications in AI, data, cloud, change management, or program/project management
• Experience serving mid-market or regulated-industry clients

WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN US

We believe that when our employees are able to thrive in all facets of life, their work and impact are that much greater.
That's right – all aspects of life, not just your life as an employee, because we understand that there's life beyond your job. Here are some of the ways our work works for your life, your growth, and your well-being: 
•    generous time away and paid firm holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s
•    flexible work schedules
•    16 weeks of paid maternity and adoption leave, 8 weeks of paid parental leave, 4 weeks of paid  and caregiver leave (once eligible) 
•    first-class health and wellness benefits, including wellness coaching and mental health counseling
•    one-on-one professional coaching
•    Leadership and career development programs
•    access to Beyond:  a one-of-a kind program with experiences that help you expand your life, personally and professionally

NOTICE TO 3RD PARTY RECRUITERS
Notice to Recruiters and Agencies regarding unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions without prior express written approval. Resumes submitted or candidates referred to any employee of Elliott Davis by any external recruiter or recruitment agency by any means (including but not limited to via Internet, e-mail, fax, U.S. mail, and/or verbal communications) without a properly executed written contract for a specified position by an authorized member of the Talent Acquisition team become the property of Elliott Davis. Elliott Davis will not be responsible for, or owe any fees associated with, referrals of those candidates and/or for submission of any information, including resumes, associated with individuals.
 

ADA REQUIREMENTS
The physical and cognitive/mental requirements and the work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Requirements
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is:
•    Regularly required to remain in a stationary position; use hands repetitively to operate standard office equipment; and to talk or hear, both in person and by telephone
•    Required to have specific vision abilities which include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus

Cognitive/Mental Requirements
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to:
•    Use written and oral communication skills. 
•    Read and interpret data, information, and documents. 
•    Observe and interpret situations. 
•    Work under deadlines with frequent interruptions; and
•    Interact with internal and external customers and others in the course of work.