Data Science & AI Senior Manager

At Suntory Global Spirits, we craft spirits of the highest quality and deliver brilliant experiences to people around the world. Suntory Global Spirits has evolved into the worlds third-largest leading premium spirits company, where each employee is treated like family and trusted with legacy. With our greatest assets - our premium spirits and our people - we drive growth through impactful marketing, innovation, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Suntory Global Spirits is a place where you can come Unleash your Spirit by making an impact each and every day.

What makes this a great opportunity? As the Senior Manager of Data Science & AI, you will shape the global AI and advanced analytics agenda by architecting and elevating enterprise-wide capabilities that transform data into strategic competitive advantages. Reporting to the Director of Data Science & AI, you will hold a high-visibility leadership role, partnering with senior leaders across Commercial, Finance, Supply Chain, Strategy, Marketing, and Operations to translate business strategy into AI-driven solutions that deliver measurable impact.

Role Responsibilities

• Leadership and Strategy: Help to define and execute the enterprise Data Science & AI strategy in alignment with corporate objectives and the global analytics operating model. Champion an AI-driven culture by embedding advanced analytics and machine learning best practices into day-to-day operations and strategic decision-making processes across all business functions.
• Technical Excellence: Drive the evaluation, selection, and optimization of AI/ML platforms and oversee the design of scalable data science models, architectures, ML Ops frameworks, and governance systems that ensure model accuracy, reliability, and ethical AI deployment. Drive innovation by exploring and implementing cutting-edge AI technologies including generative AI, computer vision, and natural language processing for commercial applications.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as trusted advisor to functional leaders and senior executives, translating complex business challenges into scalable predictive models and AI solutions. Design and deliver executive-level insights that accelerate data-driven decision-making and demonstrate clear ROI from data science and AI investments across the organization.
• Performance and Governance: Establish and monitor KPIs for adoption, data quality, system performance, and business impact; drive continuous improvement initiatives. Identify and mitigate risks related to AI bias, data privacy, regulatory compliance, and platform resilience. Build data science best practices, including code review standards, reproducibility, documentation, model governance, and knowledge-sharing frameworks.
• Organizational Capability Building: Promote a culture of data science literacy and AI governance across the organization, providing strategic guidance and advanced training to ensure understanding and adherence to AI best practices and ethical principles. Build and scale the data science function to support future organizational growth.
• Commercial Impact and Industry Expertise: Lead advanced analytics initiatives that drive sales productivity, revenue growth management (RGM), optimize brand investment effectiveness, enhance consumer insights, and improve operational efficiency. Apply deep understanding of global spirits market dynamics, consumer behavior, and regulatory requirements to deliver industry-specific AI solutions.

Qualifications

Education: Masters degree or PhD in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Physics, or a closely related quantitative field. Advanced degree strongly preferred.

Experience: Minimum of 10 years in Data Science, Machine Learning, or Advanced Analytics with progressive responsibility and demonstrated leadership impact. 8 or more years building and deploying production AI/ML solutions in enterprise environments. Proven success leading data science programs in a global CPG, beverage, or similar fast-moving consumer-goods environment preferred.

Technical Proficiency

• Deep expertise in machine learning, AI, and statistical modeling with proficiency in Python, SQL, and advanced analytics platforms.
• Working proficiency in cloud-native AI architectures (Google Cloud Platform, AWS, Azure), ML Ops, data engineering, and scalable AI deployment.
• Experience with generative AI, deep learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch), and modern AI development practices.
• Strong background in A/B testing, attribution modeling, demand forecasting, and recommendation engines preferred.

Leadership and Communication

• Proven leadership skills with the ability to manage cross-functional teams and communicate complex data concepts to non-technical stakeholders effectively.
• Demonstrated project management skills, including the ability to scope, prioritize, and deliver complex data science and AI initiatives on time and within resource constraints.
• Outstanding PowerPoint and presentation skills required.

Strategic and Commercial Acumen

• Strong strategic thinking and business acumen with the ability to translate AI/ML capabilities into measurable business value.
• Track record of delivering advanced analytics solutions that drive revenue growth, cost optimization, and competitive advantage.

Innovation Mindset

• A strong track record of leveraging emerging AI technologies and data science methodologies to drive transformational business outcomes and establish competitive differentiation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Industry Knowledge: Deep understanding of the beverage and alcohol manufacturing sector, including global market dynamics, consumer behaviors, regulatory constraints, and distribution complexities.

Salary Range

The salary range for this role, based in Chicago, Illinois, is $135-145k, along with an annual bonus, 401K match, profit sharing, and medical and wellness benefits. The salary range is commensurate with the candidates location, experience, and skillset. The range will vary if outside of this location. While relocation, immigration, and/or tax compliance support are not guaranteed, we may offer assistance to successful candidates depending on factors such as role requirements in accordance with company guidelines.

At Suntory Global Spirits

People are our number one priority, and we believe our people grow together in diverse and inclusive environments where their unique insights, experiences, and backgrounds are valued and respected. Suntory Global Spirits is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, military veteran status, and all other characteristics, attributes, or choices protected by law. All recruitment and hiring decisions are based on an applicants skills and experience.