Head of Data, ML & Analytics

Job Description

Job Description

Village Farms International (Nasdaq: VFF) is a vertically integrated global leader in cannabis and plant-based consumer packaged goods, and sustainable innovation. As one of North America’s longest-standing produce operators built on decades of expertise, we’re a company where growers, innovators, and creators come together to shape the future of high performing plant-based brands, globally.

Joining Village Farms means joining a global team built on purpose, integrity, and ambition. Here, we grow people, ideas and possibilities.

The Opportunity

The Head of Data, ML & Analytics is a newly created executive role accountable for building and leading the enterprise data platform, analytics strategy, and applied machine learning and AI initiatives that accelerate sustainable growth, operational efficiency, and stakeholder value. This leader will establish modern data architecture, governance, and business intelligence capabilities (with deep familiarity in Microsoft Fabric or Azure Synapse and Power BI) to unlock high‑quality insights across farming operations, supply chain, finance, sales, and sustainability. The role partners closely with Technology, Finance, Operations, and Commercial leaders, and reports to the CITO.

What You'll Do

Enterprise Data Strategy & Architecture

• Define and own the enterprise data strategy, reference architecture, and roadmap, aligning with the company’s technology strategy and sustainability goals.
• Stand up and evolve the enterprise data platform (Microsoft Fabric or Azure Synapse), integrating core systems and external data sources while enforcing scalable, secure patterns.
• Drive data modeling, master/metadata management, data quality, lineage, and observability across the data lifecycle.

Analytics & Business Intelligence

• Institutionalize enterprise reporting and self‑service analytics; standardize executive and functional dashboards in Power BI as the enterprise reporting platform.
• Partner with business teams to translate questions into analytic products (KPIs, forecasts, optimization models) and deliver them reliably and repeatably.

Applied Machine Learning & Advanced Analytics

• Build a pragmatic ML portfolio aligned with AI initiatives and focused on measurable outcomes (yield optimization, demand forecasting, inventory/supply planning, pricing, sustainability metrics).
• Establish model governance and MLOps practices; ensure responsible AI/ML aligned to regulatory, privacy, and cybersecurity standards.

Data Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Chair/enable the enterprise data governance function (policies, standards, stewardship) to ensure integrity, security, and approved publication of reports/data assets across the organization, consistent with enterprise policy.
• Collaborate with Security, Audit, and Compliance to meet legal, ESG, and market disclosure obligations.

Platform Engineering & Integration

• Oversee data platform engineering, pipelines, and integrations; ensure performance, reliability, and cost efficiency across cloud resources.
• Set and enforce development standards, CI/CD, and test automation for data products.

Leadership, Partnership & Change Management

• Recruit, develop, and retain a high‑performing team (data engineering, analytics, AI/ML, data governance).
• Create strong partnerships with Technology (including the CITO’s office), Operations, Finance, and Commercial leaders to prioritize investments and deliver outcomes.
• Lead change management and data literacy programs to scale adoption of analytics and AI.

Financial & Vendor Management

• Own the data/analytics budget; optimize cloud and licensing costs (e.g., Microsoft Fabric/Power Platform, Power BI) and manage vendor relationships.

What You Bring

Education:

• 12+ years in data/analytics leadership with 5+ years building enterprise data platforms and BI at scale.
• Proven experience with Microsoft Fabric (or Azure Synapse ) and Power BI ; hands‑on familiarity with data lakehouse patterns, pipelines, and semantic modeling.
• Demonstrated success establishing enterprise data governance, stewardship, and quality frameworks aligned to business needs.
• Track record of delivering applied AI/ML solutions with clear business impact and strong model governance.
• Executive presence; ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead cross‑functional initiatives.

Preferred

• Industry experience in agriculture, CPG, food systems, or sustainability‑centric businesses.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Power Platform (Power Automate/Apps) to extend analytics into workflow and decision support.
• Exposure to ESG reporting, sustainability analytics, and operational excellence in asset‑intensive environments.

Success Metrics (12–18 Months)

• Platform: Enterprise data platform (Fabric/Synapse) live with priority domains integrated; performance and cost KPIs met.
• Governance: Data governance operating model, policies, and stewardship roles implemented; quality and approval workflows enforced per enterprise policy.
• Insights: Executive and functional Power BI dashboards adopted company‑wide; measurable improvements in decision cycle times and forecast accuracy.
• AI Impact: Portfolio of AI/ML use cases in production with quantified ROI (e.g., yield, waste reduction, inventory turns).
• Engagement: Improved data literacy and self‑service adoption; positive feedback from business stakeholders.

Work Environment & Travel

• Based in Orlando, FL with periodic travel to farm/greenhouse, distribution, and corporate locations as needed.
• Work mode (on‑ site/hybrid/remote) aligned to company policy and business requirements.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary, annual bonus, and long‑term incentives commensurate with executive responsibilities; comprehensive benefits; potential relocation assistance.

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. All employment decisions are based on merit, competence, and business need.

Life at Village Farms

We believe It Takes A Village ® and we mean it.

It shows up in how we support each other, how we innovate, and how we win as a team.

Our values guide every decision we make:

Versatility | Innovation | Leadership | Loyalty | Accountability | Grit | Entrepreneurship

What you do here matters - to our people, our products, and the customers we serve.

We’ve got you covered with company-paid comprehensive benefits and education assistance to support your growth.

Ready to Grow With Us?

If you want to be part of something that has real impact - we’d love to meet you.