AI & Data - Service Line Lead

HARTMAN EXECUTIVE ADVISORS 

Service Line Leader – AI & Data 

Hartman Executive Advisors (HEA) was founded to provide business-focused, vendor-independent leadership to mid-sized companies. As independent, trusted strategic advisors, our mission is to create meaningful business outcomes that foster growth, greater financial returns, and market leadership. We help clients uncover the transformational opportunities that come from strategically aligned technology, advancing, cultivating, and leveraging people, processes, and systems to change and transform organizations. 

Position Summary 

We are seeking an entrepreneurial Service Line Leader – AI & Data to grow and scale HEA's AI & Data advisory practice. This is a hands-on leadership role built around service definition and delivery. The successful candidate will be the subject-matter authority who scopes, estimates, and closes AI & Data engagements sourced by HEA's BD/Marketing team and account leaders, build the delivery methodology and team, and serve as HEA's public face and thought leader for AI & Data in the market. 

Reporting & Organizational Fit 

• Reports to the COO 

• Serves as a peer to HEA's existing Service Line Leaders 

• Partners directly with HEA's four industry vertical leads (Financial Services; Healthcare & Human Services; Nonprofit & Education; Supply Chain, Construction & Real Estate), who surface AI & Data opportunities within their existing client accounts 

• Partners with the CRO and BD/Marketing team, who own new-logo lead generation and pipeline sourcing for AI & Data 

Key Responsibilities 

1. Deal Estimating, Solutioning & Closing  

• Serve as the AI & Data subject-matter expert in active sales cycles sourced by BD/Marketing (new clients) and account leaders/account teams (existing clients) 

• Lead solution scoping, estimating, and proposal development for AI & Data engagements, translating client needs into credible statements of work and pricing 

• Personally participate in and help close deals, bringing technical credibility and executive presence to the table alongside account leaders and BD 

• Lead contract and commercial negotiation for AI & Data engagements 

• Own revenue, margin, and growth targets for the service line, with accountability for estimating accuracy, win rate, and deal profitability  

2. Market Presence & Thought Leadership 

• Serve as the face of AI & Data for HEA in the market, the go-to public voice, in partnership with Marketing, on AI & Data topics 

• Represent HEA at industry forums, conferences, webinars, and in publications as an AI & Data subject-matter expert 

• Partner with Marketing on content, point-of-view pieces, and campaigns that build HEA's AI & Data brand and credibility ahead of the sales cycle 

• Translate complex AI & Data concepts into clear, actionable insight for non-technical executive audiences, both externally and internally 

3. Practice Building & Delivery 

• Build, launch, and scale a profitable AI & Data service line, including staffing model, pricing strategy, and service catalog 

• Recruit, vet, and manage a bench of fractional AI & Data Associates consistent with HEA's fractional delivery model  

• Create repeatable delivery methodologies, accelerators, and reusable intellectual property 

• Collaborate with business and technical teams to define, prioritize, and roadmap client AI & Data initiatives 

4. Advisory & Innovation 

• Advise HEA leadership and clients on AI & Data strategy, market trends, and emerging opportunities 

• Evaluate emerging AI technologies, vendors, and partners, maintaining HEA's vendor-independent posture, no single-vendor bias in recommendations to clients 

5. Responsible AI & Risk Oversight 

• Apply right-sized, pragmatic AI governance and risk practices appropriate to mid-market clients, prioritizing practical guardrails over enterprise-scale compliance frameworks 

• Identify risks associated with client AI adoption and recommend proportionate mitigation strategies 

• Periodically assess delivered AI & Data engagements for business impact, scalability, and ROI 

Qualifications 

• 5+ years of experience in AI/ML, data science, or related fields, including demonstrated advisory or strategic leadership contributions 

• Proven track record scoping, estimating, and closing complex consulting or professional services engagements as the subject-matter expert in the sales cycle. Comfortable being brought in by account leaders and BD to help win deals 

• Established or emerging public profile as an AI & Data thought leader, speaking, writing, or media experience is a strong plus 

• Strong working knowledge of AI technologies including machine learning, NLP, computer vision, and generative AI/LLMs 

• Working knowledge of AI governance and responsible AI practices, applied pragmatically for mid-market clients 

• Strong business acumen with a track record of aligning technology strategy to business outcomes 

• Exceptional communication, executive presence, and stakeholder management skills 

• Comfort operating in an advisory delivery model rather than a traditional staffed-team consulting environment 

• Bachelor's degree in a related field required; Master's degree preferred but not required