Director of Data and AI

Based in Springfield, NJ, Village Super Market, Inc. operates a chain of grocery stores including thirty ShopRite supermarkets, five Fairway Markets, and three Gourmet Garage specialty markets located in NJ, NY, PA, and MD. The markets offer many specialty departments including an on-site bakery and pharmacy, extensive delicatessen, and many natural and organic, prepared, and ethnic food choices. As a family-owned business, Village Super Market has been “Helping Families Live Better” since 1937. We are proud to be an active part of every community that we serve by offering many programs that directly support local organizations. We are living our Purpose – To Care Deeply about People, Helping them to Eat Well and Be Happy. This Purpose guides everything we do and is why we are in business. We are using our service priorities - Safety, Friendliness, Presentation, and Efficiency to help us make decisions at work every day and are critical to the success of our business goals.

Position Summary: 

We are seeking an experienced and technical visionary to lead data and AI initiatives. The Director of Data and AI will be pivotal in shaping our data roadmap and advancing the business forward through the deployment of AI. The ideal candidate will have deep technical expertise and strong people skills to quickly thrive in this foundational role.

Key Responsibilities of this Role:

• Design a comprehensive data & AI strategy and roadmap that aligns with the company’s short and long term needs.
• Develop and maintain scalable data pipelines and infrastructure.
• Ensure data quality, integrity, and security across all data systems.
• Guide the company’s data & analytics offering to drive insights and support growth across business teams.
• Research and thoughtfully integrate AI solutions to solve complex business problems, always evaluating and measuring impact.
• Stay informed of the latest research and advancements in AI to apply for the benefit of the company. 
• Implement best practices for data governance, compliance, AI ethics, quality, and security across the organization.
• Foster a data-driven culture across the organization, promoting continuous improvement and innovation.

Experience and Skills Required 

• 10+ years of progressive data experience
• 2-4+ years AI/ML experience, with strong understanding of AI applications and their business implications 
• Bachelor’s Degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field (Master’s preferred)
• Strong understanding of data architecture, security and governance
• Proven track record of developing data & AI initiatives from ideation to execution 
• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g. Tableau), GenAI solutions, and cloud-based data platforms (e.g. Azure, Google Cloud)
•  Knowledge of programming languages such as Python, R, Java, or C++. 
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to collaborate effectively with executives and business teams, translating business needs and coordinating into prioritized initiatives
• Experience at a publicly traded company preferred. 

Core Competencies of the Role:

• Strategic Mindset: Anticipates future trends and implications accurately; Readily poses future scenarios; Articulates credible pictures and visions of possibilities that will create sustainable value; Creates competitive and breakthrough strategies that show a clear connection between vision and action
• Manages Complexity: Asks the right questions to accurately analyze situations; Acquires data from multiple and diverse sources when solving problems; Uncovers root causes to difficult problems; Evaluates pros and cons, risks and benefits of different solution options.
• Cultivates Innovation: Comes up with useful ideas that are new, better, or unique; Introduces new ways of looking at problems; Can take a creative idea and put it into practice; Encourages diverse thinking to promote and nurture innovation.
• Business Insight: Knows how businesses work and how organizations make money; Keeps up with current and possible future policies, practices, and trends in the organization, with the competition, and in the marketplace; Uses knowledge of business drivers and how strategies and tactics play out in the market to guide actions.
• Tech Savvy: Anticipates the impact of emerging technologies and makes adjustments; Scans the environment for new technical skills, knowledge, or capabilities that can benefit business or personal performance; Rejects low-impact or fad technologies; Readily learns and adopts new technologies.
• Decision Quality: Makes sound decisions, even in the absence of complete information; Relies on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment when making decisions; Considers all relevant factors and uses appropriate decision-making criteria and principles; Recognizes when a quick 80% solution will suffice. 
• Drives Results: Has a strong bottom-line orientation; Persists in accomplishing objectives despite obstacles and setbacks; Has a track record of exceeding goals successfully; Pushes self and helps others achieve results
• Communicates Effectively: Is effective in a variety of communication settings: one-on-one, small and large groups, or among diverse styles and position levels; Attentively listens to others; Adjusts to fit the audience and the message.  Provides timely and helpful information to others across the organization.  Encourages the open expression of diverse ideas and opinions. 
• Balances Stakeholders: Understands internal and external stakeholder requirements, expectations, and needs; Balances the interests of multiple stakeholders; Considers cultural and ethical factors in the decision-making process; Acts fairly despite conflicting demands of stakeholders

Additional Qualification:

• Capable of sitting, standing, and walking for extended periods.
• Requires the ability to work in both office and retail settings, adapting to frequent changes in movement and posture.
• Occasionally required to lift objects up to 50 lbs.
• Vision must be sufficient to see information in print and/or on electronic devices.
• Regular travel to multiple retail locations is necessary, trade shows, and vendor offices as needed.
• Must be able to engage in hearing, talking on the telephone, attending in-person meetings, typing, and managing paper/files, etc.

We strongly encourage people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and non-binary people, veterans, and individuals with disabilities to apply. Village Super Markets, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team.