VP, AI & Data Engineering - Scale AI & Data Platform

VP, AI & Data Engineering Who are we, and what do we do? Edible Brands® was launched in 2022 to bring together powerful, purpose‑led brands under one unified purpose: to enrich everyday life through celebration, nourishment, and wellness. Today, Edible Brands powers three bold and growing concepts across 700+ locations worldwide. Our portfolio spans Edible Arrangements®, the iconic gifting brand; Rōti®, a Mediterranean‑inspired fast‑casual restaurant; edibles.com™, a trusted marketplace for low‑dosage THC & CBD wellness products; and BerryDirect®, our robust supply‑chain infrastructure. Together, these brands are fueled by The Edible Way—a set of employee‑driven values that keep us committed, collaborative, adaptable, results‑driven, and always ready to celebrate. The Big Picture We are at an inflection point. We have ambitious AI and machine learning goals, a talented but early‑stage team, and data infrastructure that needs to mature in order to fully unlock those ambitions. This role exists to close that gap. Responsibilities Define and execute the enterprise AI and data engineering roadmap across our multi‑brand portfolio, translating CEO vision into a concrete, phased build plan. Lead the maturation of our data architecture on Azure—including evaluation and implementation of a modern data platform (Snowflake or Databricks)—to create the infrastructure foundation that AI and ML initiatives require. Direct and mentor AI engineers, providing technical leadership, structure, and growth opportunities. Oversee the data engineering team, setting standards, priorities, and quality expectations. Identify, evaluate, and implement AI and ML use cases across customer experience, operations, and revenue— including personalization, demand forecasting, and predictive analytics. Own vendor relationships, tool selection, and technology investments for the AI and data engineering stack. Champion AI adoption and governance across the enterprise, including stewardship of AI tools such as Claude Enterprise. Establish data governance, security, and privacy standards in partnership with IT and Legal leadership, aligned to Azure cloud compliance requirements. Serve as a trusted thought partner to the CEO and senior leadership, proactively surfacing high‑value opportunities where AI and data can drive efficiency and growth. What you bring Experience 10+ years of progressive experience in data engineering, data science, or AI/ML, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role. Demonstrated track record of standing up AI and ML capability from scratch—ideally within a mid‑market, multi‑brand, or similarly resource‑constrained organization. Proven experience managing and growing junior technical talent into high performers. Experience leading data architecture modernization, including cloud migrations and modern data platform implementation. Background in eCommerce, retail, or consumer brands is a strong plus. Technical Skills Deep expertise in Azure cloud data services (required). Hands‑on experience with or strong knowledge of Snowflake and/or Databricks—implementation experience preferred. Proficiency in Python and SQL for data manipulation, modeling, and automation. Working knowledge of ML frameworks, experimentation design, and model deployment. Familiarity with BI platforms (Tableau, Power BI) and data pipeline tooling. How you work You have done this before in an environment without unlimited resources and you thrived. You are as comfortable writing a technical architecture document as you are presenting a strategic roadmap to a CEO. You lead by doing—your team sees you as a credible technical leader, not just a manager. You are energized by ambiguity and motivated by building, not maintaining. You communicate complex technical concepts in plain language and earn trust quickly across functions. You are entrepreneurial, adaptable, and excited by the opportunity to shape culture in a fast‑moving, family‑owned business. What We Offer Strong team‑oriented environment, emphasizing cross‑functional partnerships. The stability and resources of an industry‑leading company successfully operating for 25 years, with the agility and innovation of a startup, allowing you to make a significant impact and shape our future. Growth & Development—each team member has a visible and immediate impact on the business, offering abundant opportunities for personal and professional growth as we scale in size and sophistication. Healthcare plans that include health/dental/vision insurance, 401K Plan, company‑paid life insurance and short‑term disability, flexible spending account options and more. Paid time off, including sick days & holidays to support work‑life balance. We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer. Applicants for employment are considered without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or being a member of the Reserves or National Guard. #J-18808-Ljbffr Work with Adiona