AI Center of Excellence Director

Role Description

The AI CoE Director is the founding leader of Cherry Bekaert’s AI Center of Excellence — a greenfield role with direct executive sponsorship, budget authority and the mandate to build a production AI capability from the ground up. While peer firms are layering AI onto existing structures, this position will design the operating model, hire the team and ship the workflows that 3,000 professionals use to deliver client work.

• Provides leadership to the AI CoE team including coaching, mentoring and professional development.
• Responsible for providing performance feedback on a regular basis.
• Stands up the AI Center of Excellence from inception: defines the organizational structure, recruits the team, establishes the operating model and delivers the first wave of production AI workflows within the initial six months.
• Owns the Firm’s AI production strategy end to end, prioritizing investments across Tax, Assurance, Advisory and Wealth Management based on use case value, technical feasibility and adoption readiness.
• Directs the Production Track — the Workflow Architect and Prompt + Skills Engineers — in shipping reusable prompt libraries, Claude skills, workflow templates and integration patterns that service line professionals adopt without CoE hand-holding.
• Activates and sustains the Coordination Track, partnering with the AI Training Lead and Use Case + ROI Lead to onboard Ambassadors, track adoption metrics and build the business case for continued investment.
• Builds and manages the AI Ambassador network of 12 to 20 professionals across service lines and shared services, providing them with production-ready tools, structured training and a monthly communication cadence.
• Establishes AI governance policies in partnership with the AI Governance Council, including use case tiering, risk classification and escalation protocols for complex or high-risk deployments.
• Translates AI production outcomes into executive-ready business cases, demonstrating measurable ROI, competitive positioning and realized value to the C-suite and the Firm’s investors.
• Monitors the competitive landscape — including peer firms deploying agentic AI workflows, proprietary compliance tools and billion-dollar technology investments — and identifies opportunities to accelerate Cherry Bekaert’s AI maturity.
• Collaborates with Information Security, Legal and Compliance teams to maintain responsible AI use, data privacy and regulatory alignment across all deployed workflows.
• Manages the CoE budget, vendor relationships and platform licensing to maximize production output within a lean, high-impact staffing model.
• Represents the Firm’s AI capabilities externally at industry events, recruiting channels and peer forums, positioning Cherry Bekaert as a destination for AI talent in professional services.

Qualifications

• Bachelors Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Information Systems or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive technology and AI experience, with five or more years in leadership roles directing AI strategy, production or adoption programs.
• Prior experience building an AI function at a professional services, consulting or knowledge-work firm is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated track record of standing up and scaling an AI program within a professional services, consulting or knowledge-work environment.
• Working knowledge of AI governance frameworks including risk tiering, use case classification, responsible AI principles and regulatory compliance in a professional services context.
• Collaboration instincts suited to a matrixed environment, with the ability to work productively across Technology, Tax, Assurance, Advisory, Wealth Management and corporate functions without positional authority.

Benefits

• Our shared values that foster inclusion and belonging including uncompromising integrity, collaboration, trust, and mutual respect.
• The opportunity to innovate and do work that motivates and engages you.
• A collaborative environment focused on enabling you to further your career growth and continuous professional development.
• Competitive compensation and a total rewards package that focuses on all aspects of your wellbeing.
• Flexibility to do impactful work and the time to enjoy your life outside of work.
• Opportunities to connect and learn from professionals from different backgrounds and with different cultures.

Company Description

Cherry Bekaert, ranked among the largest assurance, tax and advisory firms in the U.S., serves clients across industries in all 50 U.S. states and internationally.