Director, Strategy & Operations

This job is with Warner Bros. Discovery, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community. Please do not contact the recruiter directly.

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.

Who We Are…

When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…

From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

Your New Role :

The Director of Strategy and Business Operations will play a pivotal role in supporting the execution and governance of Enterprise data and AI initiatives within the organization. While the technology teams will manage the strategy and development of data and AI solutions, this role will focus on supporting business transformation including change management, product thinking, effective implementation, aligning business processes, optimizing performance, managing vendor relationships, and ensuring operational success. This individual will foster cross-functional collaboration, drive governance, and ensure the successful integration of data and AI projects into business operations to enable transformative, data-driven decision-making and AI solutions.

Execution of Data and AI Strategy :

Work with the leaders in Data and AI teams to arrive at a cohesive strategy for the enterprise data and AI team

Drive the long term objectives, success criteria and continuous performance measurement vs goals, create impact stories and communicate to stakeholders across businesses

Collaborate with business leaders and technical teams (engineering, AI, analytics, and product teams) to prioritize initiatives and ensure effective execution of data and AI projects.

Ensure the smooth integration of enterprise data and AI solutions into day-to-day business functions, supporting the operationalization of the data and AI strategy.

Monitor and track the progress of data and AI projects, ensuring alignment with business goals, timelines, and resource availability .

Cross-functional Leadership :

Work closely with the enterprise data platforms and AI teams to align on objectives, timelines, and deliverables.

Support cross-functional collaboration to ensure that data and AI projects meet business needs and contribute to broader digital transformation objectives.

Foster innovation, knowledge-sharing, and best practices to drive the successful execution and adoption of data and AI initiatives.

Governance & Risk Management :

Implementation of effective governance frameworks to ensure that projects are delivered on-time and within budget.

Contribute to risk management efforts by identifying potential risks and ensuring mitigation strategies are in place.

Assist with maintaining data quality, privacy, and compliance standards across all enterprise data assets.

Business Process Management & Performance Optimization :

Support the Data and AI led business transformations through adequate change management, business process reengineering, solution support

Oversee the integration of data and AI initiatives into business operations, ensuring alignment with key business processes.

Track the performance of data and AI projects, recommending adjustments as necessary to ensure business value is being realized.

Help maintain balanced scorecards to track KPIs and measure project success against defined objectives .

Vendor Strategy & Relationship Management :

Development of a vendor strategy, ensuring that third-party vendors support data and AI project timelines and quality requirements.

Manage vendor relationships, participating in negotiations to secure favorable terms and establish long-term, collaborative partnerships.

Data Culture Leadership :

Assist in fostering a culture of innovation, learning, and continuous improvement across the data and AI teams.

Creation of training and development programs to build data literacy and skill sets both within the functional team and across the organization.

Help nurture talent and support the development of succession plans for team members.

Stakeholder Management & Communication :

Serve as a key point of contact for enterprise data and AI teams, facilitating communication and alignment with other technology teams.

Help prepare regular progress updates for executive leadership, highlighting key initiatives, risks, and opportunities.

Cultivate a transparent communication culture, ensuring clarity across teams and stakeholders on project goals and outcomes .

Qualifications & Experiences :

10+ years of experience in strategic planning, data management, AI project governance, technology leadership, and cross-functional collaboration, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field (Master’s is a plus).

Proven track record of overseeing the execution and operationalization of data and AI strategies within large organizations.

Expertise in data governance, business process management, project performance management, and vendor relations.

Extensive experience in leading teams to execute complex enterprise-wide data and AI projects.

Strong knowledge of data architecture, AI technologies, cloud platforms, and machine learning frameworks.

Familiarity with regulatory requirements related to data security, privacy, and AI ethics.

Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills with a focus on delivering operational success.

Excellent leadership, communication, and negotiation skills, with the ability to manage complex relationships with stakeholders, vendors, and business leaders.

Proficient in performance management, balancing competing priorities, and ensuring alignment with organizational goals.

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com / guiding-principles / along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, disability or any other category protected by law.

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and / or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.

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