Head of AI Strategy

About the role

A leading, highly respected banking institution in Saudi Arabia is looking for a well-experienced Head of AI Strategy to lead the development and execution of its enterprise-wide AI vision. This is a strategic leadership opportunity to drive AI adoption, innovation, and transformation across business and technology functions while ensuring alignment with regulatory and governance frameworks.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and lead the bank’s AI strategy, roadmap, and transformation initiatives aligned with business objectives.
• Identify high-impact AI and Generative AI use cases across retail banking, corporate banking, risk, operations, compliance, and customer experience.
• Establish AI governance, ethical AI standards, risk management frameworks, and model oversight processes.
• Partner with executive leadership to drive AI-enabled innovation, operational efficiency, and revenue growth.
• Lead cross-functional teams including data science, analytics, technology, and business stakeholders.
• Oversee AI product development, implementation, and scaling across the organization.
• Monitor emerging AI technologies, market trends, and regulatory developments.
• Build strategic partnerships with technology providers, fintechs, and academic institutions.
• Define KPIs and measure the business impact and ROI of AI initiatives.
• Promote an AI-driven culture through education, change management, and capability building.

Key Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Engineering, or a related discipline. Master’s degree or PhD preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in AI, advanced analytics, data science, digital transformation, or technology leadership roles.
• Proven experience developing and implementing enterprise AI strategies within banking, financial services, fintech, or highly regulated industries.
• Strong understanding of Machine Learning, Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), MLOps, data governance, and cloud technologies.
• Experience leading large-scale transformation programs and managing senior stakeholder relationships.
• Strong knowledge of AI governance, model risk management, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and executive presentation skills.
• Banking or financial services sector experience within the GCC region.
• Exposure to digital banking, customer analytics, fraud detection, credit risk, and intelligent automation solutions.
• Experience working with leading AI platforms and cloud ecosystems.
• Knowledge of emerging Saudi and international AI regulations and frameworks.