Lead Artificial Intelligence Business Partner

Role Description

The Lead AI Business Partner serves as a key member of the AI Enablement Center of Excellence (CoE), acting as the strategic liaison between AI Enablement and Corporate Functions, including HR, Finance, Marketing, Legal, Communications, purchasing, and other shared services teams. This role partners closely with business leaders, Function AI Leads, and AI Enablement teams to identify, prioritize, and advance high-value AI opportunities that deliver measurable business outcomes. This is a dynamic, hands-on business partnership role responsible for opportunity discovery, portfolio stewardship, and business outcome ownership.

Beyond gathering requirements, the AI Solutions Partner works directly with business customers to understand strategic priorities, operational challenges, and process inefficiencies, translating them into scalable AI opportunities aligned with enterprise standards, governance, and delivery frameworks.

The ideal candidate combines strong Ferguson business sense with exceptional relationship-building and systems-thinking capabilities, along with a curiosity for AI and emerging technologies. Success in this role requires connecting business needs with technical possibilities. You must influence diverse customer groups and navigate ambiguity. You will help ensure AI solutions are practical, scalable, responsible, and passionate about meaningful outcomes.

Location: This role is approved to be either Remote within the United States or Hybrid for associates in Newport News, VA, in accordance with company policy.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Partnership & Opportunity Discovery
  • Partner with leaders across Corporate Functions to understand business priorities, challenges, and opportunities.
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to Function AI Leads and internal customer groups, helping identify where AI can deliver relevant business value.
  • Lead discovery sessions to define business problems, map current-state processes, and find opportunities for improvement.
  • Assess potential use cases for business value, feasibility, data readiness, and alignment to enterprise priorities.
• AI Use Case Development & Portfolio Management
  • Convert business needs into well-defined AI use cases with clear objectives, requirements, risks, and encouraged outcomes.
  • Maintain visibility of AI opportunities throughout the lifecycle, from discovery and prioritization through delivery and adoption.
  • Collaborate with Function AI Leads to build and manage a pipeline of AI initiatives aligned to business goals and enterprise strategy.
  • Find opportunities for reuse, standardization, and multi-functional collaboration aimed at improving value and reducing duplication.
• Solution Strategy, Governance & Delivery
  • Recommend the most effective solution approach, including AI, automation, process improvement, vendor solutions, or hybrid options.
  • Partner with AI CoE, IT, Security, Legal, Privacy, Procurement, and other business customers to ensure solutions are secure, compliant, and consistent with enterprise guidelines.
  • Act as the liaison between the business units and technical departments, converting business needs into actionable requirements and ensuring delivery aligns with intended outcomes.
  • Remain engaged throughout delivery to support prioritization, clarify requirements, and maintain alignment with business objectives.
• Solution Delivery & Business Outcome Ownership
  • Serve as the business-side owner for approved AI initiatives, ensuring solutions deliver intended business outcomes.
  • Define business requirements, success measures, scope, priorities, and acceptance criteria.
  • Coordinate across customer groups, delivery teams, vendors, and governance partners to manage dependencies and remove roadblocks.
  • Support vendor evaluations, business cases, and solution selection activities when applicable.
  • Ensure organizations are prepared for implementation by addressing process readiness, partner alignment, and change impacts.
• Change Management & Adoption
  • Partner with Function AI Leads, change management teams, and adoption partners to drive successful implementation and value realization.
  • Support collaborator engagement, communication, training, and adoption activities.
  • Track adoption, business impact, and return on investment to measure success and find opportunities for continuous improvement.
  • Promote AI awareness and standards while helping business teams build their ability to identify and prioritize AI opportunities.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in business analysis, program management, business operations, digital transformation, process improvement, product ownership, consulting, or a related business-facing role.
• Good understanding of Ferguson's organizational structure, operating model, and corporate functions.
• Demonstrable ability to build trusted relationships, understand business priorities, and influence decisions across teams without direct authority.
• Strong analytical and systems-thinking skills with experience identifying business challenges, mapping processes, and developing practical solutions.
• Experience leading discovery efforts, gathering requirements, defining scope, and translating business needs into actionable solution recommendations.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and effectively partner across business, technology, and leadership teams.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate sophisticated technical concepts into clear business language.
• Demonstrated ability to balance business value, risk, governance, scalability, and collaborator needs while managing multiple priorities and getting results.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Generative AI, AI-enabled workflows, and low-code/no-code platforms such as Microsoft Copilot Studio, Power Platform, Gemini Enterprise, or similar technologies.
• Experience managing portfolios, backlogs, cases, intake processes, or technology initiatives from concept to implementation.
• Experience working with or supporting Corporate Functions such as Human Resources, Financial Management, Marketing, Legal Affairs, Public Relations, Procurement, or other shared services organizations.
• Background in technological advancement, operational improvement, automation, business systems, analytics, or technology-enabled change initiatives.
• Understanding of governance, compliance, data privacy, information security, vendor management, or enterprise technology review processes.
• Experience driving collaborator adoption, supporting transitions, communications, training, and value realization for new solutions.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Paid time off.
• Life insurance.
• 401(k) with a company match.
• Mental health coverage.
• Gender affirming and family building benefits.
• Paid parental leave.
• Associate discounts.
• Community involvement opportunities.