AI Coordination and Acceleration Lead
Vertiv · Cluj-Napoca
Who are we?
At Vertiv, we’re on a mission to empower the people that will power the future. From a simple swipe to life-changing medicines, from push notifications to generative AI. We design, manufacture, and service the products and solutions that keep the world connected. With $6.9 billion in sales, a strong customer base and global reach spanning nearly 70 countries, we are uniquely positioned to deliver greater value to our customers and create new opportunities for our people.
We are now looking for an AI Coordination and Acceleration Lead to join our team in Cluj-Napoca, Romania!
The AI Coordination and Acceleration Lead serves as the single point of orchestration for AI and machine learning initiatives across the organisation. This is a strategic-technical hybrid role combining deep hands-on AI/ML credibility with programme governance, stakeholder influence, and cross-functional coordination. The role bridges business stakeholders and technical delivery — identifying AI opportunities across functions, building governance structures with senior leaders, assessing scalability, providing technical support to priority initiatives, and driving deployment through influence rather than direct authority. The goal is to transform fragmented, organic AI energy into a governed, prioritised, and deployed portfolio of initiatives that deliver measurable business impact at enterprise scale.
Key responsibilities:
1. AI Opportunity Identification & Pipeline Management
- Proactively scan the organisation for AI/ML opportunities across all functions, geographies, and locations.
- Maintain a centralised AI initiative tracker and pipeline, capturing status, impact estimates, feasibility assessments, and prioritisation scoring.
- Conduct initial feasibility and scalability assessments for each identified opportunity to inform leadership decision-making.
- Consolidate fragmented AI efforts already underway and eliminate duplication of investment across teams and sites.
2. Governance Framework & Leadership Alignment
- Design and operate an AI governance cadence — including steering committees, review boards, and prioritisation sessions — engaging senior leaders and functional heads.
- Establish clear intake, evaluation, and prioritisation criteria for AI initiatives to bring rigour and transparency to investment decisions.
- Ensure alignment between AI initiatives and the broader business and digital strategy of the organisation.
- Facilitate decision-making on which initiatives to accelerate, scale, pause, or retire based on evidence and strategic fit.
3. Scalability Assessment & Standardisation
- Evaluate which AI initiatives can scale across multiple locations and functions versus remaining local or point solutions.
- Define standards, templates, and quality gates for AI solution development, testing, and deployment across the organisation.
- Identify replication opportunities and drive consistent methodologies for scaled rollouts.
- Ensure proper validation frameworks are in place before production deployment to prevent quality and reliability issues.
4. Technical Advisory & Hands-On Support
- Provide direct technical guidance on AI/ML architecture, model selection, data requirements, and development best practices.
- Support priority initiatives with hands-on problem-solving — including prototyping, code review, solution design, and troubleshooting.
- Stay current on AI/ML trends, tools, platforms, and emerging capabilities to advise the organisation effectively.
- Ensure quality and reliability of AI outputs through rigorous testing, validation, and post-deployment monitoring frameworks.
5. Cross-Functional Influence & Resource Orchestration
- Work through influence — not direct authority — with functional leaders and site leaders to secure resource commitments and support for priority AI initiatives.
- Negotiate prioritisation of AI work across competing business demands and resource constraints.
- Build coalitions of support across key stakeholders and drive alignment on investment and resourcing decisions.
- Coordinate with hub leaders, Centres of Excellence, and IT teams globally to ensure cohesive execution.
6. Deployment, Impact Tracking & Change Enablement
- Drive end-to-end deployment of prioritised AI initiatives from pilot through to production at scale.
- Track and report return on investment, adoption metrics, and business impact post-deployment.
- Support change management efforts to ensure sustainable adoption of AI solutions across the business.
- Build internal AI capability through knowledge transfer, training sessions, and best practice sharing.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, AI/ML, Software Engineering, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.
- 7+ years of experience in AI/ML, software development, or data science roles.
- 3+ years in a programme management, strategy, coordination, or governance role involving technology initiatives.
- Proven hands-on experience with machine learning frameworks, AI platforms, and the software development lifecycle.
- Strong understanding of AI/ML domains including NLP, computer vision, generative AI, and predictive analytics.
- Demonstrated experience building and managing initiative pipelines or technology portfolios.
- Track record of driving outcomes through influence in matrixed, global organisations.
- Excellent communication skills — ability to translate complex technical concepts for senior business leaders and non-technical audiences.
- Fluent English, both written and spoken.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience in shared services, global business services, or hub operations environments.
- Familiarity with RPA, process automation, and intelligent automation ecosystems.
- Experience with AI governance frameworks, responsible AI practices, and AI ethics standards.
- Knowledge of enterprise AI platforms such as Azure AI, AWS AI/ML, or Google Cloud AI.
- Change management certification or hands-on experience (e.g., Prosci, ADKAR).
- PMP, Agile, or comparable project and programme management credentials.
- Experience working across multiple geographies and cultures in a global organisation.
Key competencies:
- Influence Without Authority — drives outcomes through persuasion and coalition-building, not hierarchy.
- Strategic Thinking — connects AI possibilities to tangible, measurable business value.
- Technical Credibility — earns trust from engineers and business leaders alike by understanding technology at depth.
- Stakeholder Management — navigates complex, multi-stakeholder environments including C-suite and senior leadership.
- Execution Orientation — relentlessly moves from ideation to deployed, scaled solutions with business impact.
- Data-Driven Decision Making — uses evidence, metrics, and impact analysis to prioritise and course-correct.
- Adaptability — thrives in ambiguous, fast-evolving AI landscape with comfort in uncertainty.
- Communication Excellence — bridges technical and business language fluently across diverse global audiences.
What we offer:
- A unique opportunity to shape AI strategy and drive enterprise-wide transformation at Vertiv.
- A collaborative, global environment working across multiple hubs, functions, and geographies.
- Direct exposure to senior leadership and participation in strategic decision-making.
- A culture that values innovation, simplicity, accountability, and measurable impact.
The successful candidate will embrace Vertiv’s Core Principals & Behaviors to help execute our Strategic Priorities.
OUR CORE PRINCIPALS: Safety, Integrity, Respect, Teamwork, Diversity & Inclusion.
OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
- Customer Focus
- Operational Excellence
- High-Performance Culture
- Innovation
- Financial Strength
OUR BEHAVIORS
- Own It
- Act With Urgency
- Foster a Customer-First Mindset
- Think Big and Execute
- Lead by Example
- Drive Continuous Improvement
- Learn and Seek Out Development
At Vertiv, we offer the stability of a global leader in a growing industry and the opportunity of a startup. We design, manufacture and service the mission-critical infrastructure technologies for vital applications in data centers, communication networks and commercial and industrial environments. With $5 billion in sales, a strong customer base and global reach in nearly 70 countries, our move to establish a standalone business enables us to deliver greater value to our customers and create new opportunities for our people.
Vertiv is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We promote equal opportunities for all with respect to hiring, terms of employment, mobility, training, compensation, and occupational health, without discrimination as to age, race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity / expression (including transgender status or sexual stereotypes), genetic information, citizenship status, national origin, protected veteran status, political affiliation, or disability. If you have a disability and are having difficulty accessing or using this website to apply for a position, you can request help by sending an email to help.join@vertivco.com. If you are interested in applying or learning more about this role, please visit the company’s career page located on Vertiv.com/Careers.
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We are now looking for an AI Coordination and Acceleration Lead to join our team in Cluj-Napoca, Romania! The AI Coordination and Acceleration Lead serves as the single point of orchestration for AI and machine learning initiatives across the organisation. This is a strategic-technical hybrid role combining deep hands-on AI/ML credibility with programme governance, stakeholder influence, and cross-functional coordination. The role bridges business stakeholders and technical delivery — identifying AI opportunities across functions, building governance structures with senior leaders, assessing scalability, providing technical support to priority initiatives, and driving deployment through influence rather than direct authority. The goal is to transform fragmented, organic AI energy into a governed, prioritised, and deployed portfolio of initiatives that deliver measurable business impact at enterprise scale.