Director, Navigators, Global

Vantage Data Centers powers, cools, protects and connects the technology of the world's well-known hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. Developing and operating across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage has evolved data center design in innovative ways to deliver dramatic gains in reliability, efficiency and sustainability in flexible environments that can scale as quickly as the market demands.

Information Technology Department

The Information Technology Department architects and operates the digital foundation powering Vantage Data Centers' global operations while pioneering the intelligent transformation of how we work. Our integrated IT/AI organization delivers enterprise-grade infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, and end-user services with operational excellence, while simultaneously developing artificial intelligence capabilities that drive measurable business value. We are transforming our service delivery model around ITIL best practices, comprehensive automation frameworks, and governance structures that enable both stability and innovation. Our teams collaborate across Infrastructure, Network, Service Desk, IT Engineering, and Artificial Intelligence functions, emphasizing service over technology and recognizing that success is measured by business outcomes rather than technical implementations. This is an exceptional time to join as we fundamentally reshape how technology serves the organization, creating an environment where operational discipline and innovative experimentation work as complementary forces.

Artificial Intelligence Team

The Artificial Intelligence Team exists to amplify human potential through intelligent technology. We're building an AI-powered ecosystem that transforms how Vantage creates value, freeing our people from routine work so they can focus on innovation and strategic thinking that truly differentiates us in the market. Through responsible AI implementation across operations, engineering, and business functions, we're not just automating processes; we're reimagining what's possible when human creativity partners with artificial intelligence. Our approach centers on measurable business outcomes, ethical governance, and creating capabilities that make every team member more effective while positioning Vantage at the forefront of the intelligent infrastructure revolution.

Position Overview

This position is based remotely in the United States.

The Director, Navigators leads Vantage's embedded AI business partner function, overseeing Navigators who serve as trusted advisors within core functional areas across the enterprise. This role is the strategic intake engine for Vantage's AI transformation, ensuring the organization invests prototyping resources in opportunities that deliver genuine business value rather than pursuing impressive technical demonstrations that fail to justify continued investment. The Director establishes discovery methodologies, validation frameworks, and quality standards that distinguish high-impact opportunities from those unlikely to warrant development effort, preventing common AI failure modes through rigorous front-end filtering before prototyping cycles begin. Success requires building trusted relationships with business leaders across diverse functions while developing team members who combine business acumen, technical fluency, and the interpersonal skills to navigate organizational complexity. This is not traditional program management focused on roadmap execution; this role creates the demand pipeline that feeds Vantage's rapid prototyping engine, balancing opportunity volume against prototyping capacity while ensuring every validated opportunity advances with clear business context, stakeholder alignment, and realistic success criteria.

Essential Job Functions

• Lead a team of Navigators embedded across Engineering & Construction, Operations & Facilities, Corporate Services, Sales/Marketing/Customer, IT & Security, Market Development, and Development & Asset Lifecycle functions, developing capabilities that balance business understanding with AI opportunity assessment.

• Establish and continuously refine discovery methodologies, validation frameworks, and intake processes that enable Navigators to identify friction points, assess business value, and prepare comprehensive handoff documentation for the Accelerators team.

• Build and maintain executive relationships across all functional areas, establishing credibility as a trusted advisor who understands business challenges while providing realistic assessment of AI capabilities and limitations.

• Partner with Director, AI Delivery, Global to ensure seamless handoffs from validated opportunities to rapid prototyping execution, maintaining accountability for business context transfer that enables solutions teams to succeed without excessive discovery rework.

• Partner with Director, AI Platforms, Global to ensure Navigators understand current platform capabilities, adoption metrics, and roadmap priorities, enabling them to identify opportunities that leverage existing infrastructure rather than requiring net-new development.

• Develop organizational AI literacy through champion networks, ideation workshops, and educational initiatives that help business stakeholders understand AI possibilities while maintaining realistic expectations about implementation timelines and complexity.

• Manage opportunity pipeline health, balancing discovery volume against Accelerators team capacity to ensure AI Solutions Engineers maintain sustainable sprint velocities while business functions receive appropriate attention and responsiveness.

• Champion responsible AI principles throughout discovery and validation, ensuring ethical considerations, bias mitigation, data privacy compliance, and governance requirements are assessed before opportunities advance to prototyping investment.

• Drive continuous improvement of intake effectiveness by analyzing conversion rates, stakeholder satisfaction, prototype success rates, and lessons learned that inform methodology refinement and team capability development.

Duties

• Recruit, onboard, and develop Navigators, providing coaching on discovery techniques, stakeholder management, opportunity assessment frameworks, and business value articulation that enables team success across all seven functional domains.

• Facilitate weekly team syncs sharing discovery insights, emerging patterns, cross-functional opportunities, and lessons learned that accelerate collective capability while preventing duplicated effort across functions.

• Conduct quarterly business reviews with functional leaders, presenting discovery pipeline health, validated opportunity summaries, and strategic recommendations that inform AI investment prioritization.

• Establish quality gates for opportunity validation, defining criteria that distinguish opportunities ready for prototyping from those requiring additional discovery, business case development, or stakeholder alignment before advancement.

• Create standardized intake documentation templates, assessment frameworks, and handoff packages that ensure Accelerators teams receive comprehensive business context without requiring Navigator involvement during prototyping sprints.

• Build champion networks across all functional areas, identifying power users, early adopters, and influential stakeholders who amplify AI adoption while providing valuable feedback on prototype demonstrations.

• Monitor emerging AI capabilities, industry trends, and competitive intelligence to proactively identify opportunity patterns applicable across multiple functions while educating team on relevant innovations worth exploring.

• Facilitate prioritization discussions balancing opportunity business value, technical feasibility, data availability, stakeholder readiness, and strategic alignment to optimize limited prototyping capacity allocation.

• Collaborate with the Platforms team on change management and adoption strategies, training programs, and communication approaches that support AI transformation while addressing resistance and building organizational change capability.

• Track discovery metrics including opportunities identified, validation cycle time, advancement rates, prototype approval percentages, and business value realization to demonstrate intake function effectiveness and identify improvement areas.

• Partner with Legal, Compliance, and Security teams to ensure discovery process incorporates appropriate risk assessment, regulatory consideration, and governance review before opportunities advance to resource-intensive prototyping phases.

• Design and facilitate ideation workshops, innovation sessions, and discovery sprints that help business stakeholders envision AI transformation beyond incremental automation while grounding expectations in realistic capability assessment.

• Support Navigators in handling organizational dynamics, stakeholder resistance, and political complexity that can derail discovery efforts, providing strategic guidance and executive air cover when needed.

• Maintain awareness of data center industry evolution, construction methodology advances, regulatory changes, and competitive landscape shifts that create new friction points or opportunity patterns worth exploring through AI solutions.

• Contribute to broader AI strategy development by sharing discovery insights, opportunity patterns, and organizational readiness assessment that inform strategic planning, capability building, and platform investment decisions.

• Handle additional duties as assigned by Leadership.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or related field; MBA or advanced degree highly desirable.

• Extensive experience leading business transformation initiatives, innovation programs, or strategic consulting engagements with proven track record developing opportunity pipelines that delivered measurable business value.

• Deep understanding of data center operations, construction workflows, infrastructure delivery, or AEC/O industry dynamics, enabling credible engagement with business stakeholders about operational challenges and improvement opportunities.

• Strong foundation in AI/ML capabilities, application patterns, and practical limitations with ability to assess opportunity feasibility without requiring hands-on technical implementation expertise.

• Demonstrated success building and leading teams across diverse functional domains, developing talent with varied business backgrounds while maintaining cohesive team identity and consistent methodology application.

• Exceptional stakeholder management capabilities with track record building trusted relationships with C-suite executives, functional leaders, and operational teams across complex matrix organizations.

• Experience designing discovery methodologies, assessment frameworks, and intake processes that balance rigor with velocity, ensuring quality opportunity validation without creating bureaucratic obstacles.

• Strong business acumen with ability to distinguish between opportunities that justify investment versus those better deferred, demonstrating courage to decline initiatives despite stakeholder enthusiasm when business case lacks substance.

• Excellent communication and facilitation skills with ability to run workshops, conduct discovery sessions, present to executives, and translate technical concepts into business narratives that resonate across diverse audiences.

• Understanding of change management principles, organizational development practices, and adoption strategies that support technology transformation while addressing resistance and building capability.

• Familiarity with responsible AI principles, data ethics frameworks, and governance requirements sufficient to ensure intake process incorporates appropriate risk assessment and compliance consideration.

• Track record of operating successfully in fast-paced, ambiguous environments where processes evolve continuously and team members require autonomy balanced with strategic alignment.

• Collaborative leadership style with ability to partner effectively with technical leaders, influence without authority, and navigate organizational complexity while maintaining focus on business outcomes.

• Growth mindset with curiosity about emerging AI capabilities, willingness to experiment with new discovery approaches, and commitment to continuous improvement of intake methodologies and team effectiveness.

• Travel required is expected to be 20-30% for relationship building within assigned functions and participation in validation sessions.

Physical Demands and Special Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to handle, or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop or kneel; talk and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Additional Details

• Salary Range: $200,000 - 210,000 Base + Bonus (this range is based on Colorado market data and may vary in other locations)

• This position is eligible for company benefits including but not limited to medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and AD&D, short and long-term disability coverage, paid time off, employee assistance, participation in a 401k program that includes company match, and many other additional voluntary benefits.

• Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including your qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience and may fall outside of the range shown.

#LI-Remote #LI-CD1

We operate with No Ego and No Arrogance. We work to build each other up and support one another, appreciating each other's strengths and respecting each other's weaknesses. We find joy in our work and each other, actively seeking opportunities to inject fun into what we do. Our hard and efficient work is rewarded with an above market total compensation package. We offer a comprehensive suite of health and welfare, retirement, and paid leave benefits exceeding local expectations.

Throughout the year, the advantage of being part of the Vantage team is evident with an array of benefits, recognition, training and development, and the knowledge that your contribution adds value to the company and our community.

Don't meet all the requirements? Please still apply if you think you are the right person for the position. We are always keen to speak to people who connect with our mission and values.

Vantage Data Centers is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Vantage Data Centers does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firm agencies. Fees will not be paid in the event a candidate submitted by a recruiter without an agreement in place is hired; such resumes will be deemed the sole property of Vantage Data Centers.

We'll be accepting applications for at least one week from the date this role is posted. If you're interested, we encourage you to apply soon-we're excited to find the right person and will keep the role open until we do!