Director, Finance AI Strategy & Transformation

Your opportunity

At Schwab, you’re empowered to make an impact on your career. Here, innovative thought meets creative problem solving, helping us “challenge the status quo” and transform the finance industry together.

At Charles Schwab, we are building the future of Finance, one that is data-driven, AI-enabled, and scalable across an increasingly complex and regulated environment. As part of the Finance Innovation Team (FIT), this role sits at the center of our transformation agenda, shaping how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is applied across the Office of the CFO.

We are seeking a Director, Finance AI Strategy & Transformation to define and execute the end-to-end AI strategy for Finance. This leader will operate as both a strategist and delivery owner, with clear ownership of prioritization and execution of the Finance AI roadmap. You will translate AI capabilities into practical, production-grade solutions across Treasury, FP&A, Controllers, Regulatory Reporting, and Finance platforms.

This role blends strategy, architecture, and hands-on execution. You will partner with Business stakeholders, Finance SMEs, and Technical teams to deliver AI solutions end-to-end, from ideation through production deployment, while embedding governance and controls.

You will operate across every level of the organization, driving strategic decisions with senior leadership, translating that vision into execution across cross-functional teams, and distilling complex topics into clear, executive-level narratives that drive alignment and action.

This is a high-visibility role with direct engagement with senior and executive leadership, offering meaningful opportunity to expand influence, and impact over time.

What you have

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience across Finance, Strategy, Data, or Technology roles with increasing leadership responsibility
• Proven track record delivering complex AI, data, or Finance transformation initiatives end-to-end in production environments
• Demonstrated ability to partner with Business stakeholders, SMEs, and Technical teams to drive execution
• Exceptional executive storytelling skills, with the ability to simplify complex technical and financial concepts into clear, concise narratives
• Experience operating in regulated environments with strong governance and control frameworks
• Strong foundation in data architecture, data pipelines, and cloud data platforms
• Demonstrated success managing complex cross-functional programs with multiple workstreams and dependencies 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Finance platforms such as Workday, Oracle, IBM, or SAP
• Background in transformation, internal strategy, or management consulting teams
• Deep understanding of Finance processes including planning, forecasting, liquidity, financial reporting, and regulatory reporting
• Background within the Office of the CFO, including FP&A, Treasury, Controllers, or related functions
• Exposure to Model Risk Management or regulatory AI frameworks
• Advanced degree in Business, Data Science, Engineering, or related field

Technical Skills (Highly Valued)

• Proficiency in SQL and working with large-scale datasets in cloud data warehouses such as BigQuery
• Working knowledge of Python for data analysis, automation, forecasting models, and machine learning workflows
• Hands-on experience building and orchestrating data pipelines using tools such as Airflow or similar frameworks
• Familiarity with forecasting techniques, time series modeling, and scenario simulation methodologies
• Exposure to AI platforms such as Vertex AI, Azure OpenAI, Microsoft or similar enterprise services
• Experience developing lightweight applications or dashboards using python based tools or other web-based frameworks
• Experience working with data visualization platforms such as Streamlit, Tableau or Power BI
• Understanding of APIs, data integration patterns, and system interoperability across Finance platforms
• Exposure to blockchain, digital assets, or tokenized financial data is a plus

What you'll do:

This role focuses on strategic ownership and delivery leadership, working through teams and partners rather than hands‑on coding.

AI Strategy & Delivery

• Define and lead the multi-year AI strategy for Finance aligned to enterprise priorities and CFO agenda
• Own prioritization and end-to-end delivery of AI initiatives from use case identification through deployment and value realization
• Partner with Business stakeholders and Finance SMEs to identify high-impact use cases including large-scale forecasting, dynamic scenario analysis, modeling, and decision support.
• Translate capabilities from Large Language Models (LLMs) and modern AI platforms into scalable, production-ready Finance solutions (e.g. Gemini, OpenAI, Anthropic)
• Drive measurable outcomes including efficiency gains, improved forecast accuracy, faster scenario turnaround, and enhanced decision-making

Cross-Functional Leadership & Execution

• Lead teams that operate across a matrix of Finance, Technology, Risk, and Compliance partners
• Serve as the connector across Business stakeholders, SMEs, and Technical teams to align priorities and drive execution
• Lead complex programs spanning multiple workstreams, dependencies, and executive stakeholders
• Establish clear delivery plans, milestones, and success metrics to ensure consistent execution and accountability
• Communicate with executive clarity, translating complex AI, data, and Finance topics into simple, actionable narratives

AI, Data & Architecture

• Collaborate with Data Engineering and Architecture teams to design and implement scalable AI and data solutions
• Lead execution of data pipelines, model development, and deployment workflows supporting enterprise-scale forecasting and scenario simulation
• Ensure solutions are production-ready, scalable, and aligned to enterprise data and architecture standards
• Support integration of traditional Finance data and emerging datasets including digital assets and blockchain-derived data

Governance, Risk & Operating Model

• Embed governance, controls, and auditability into AI and data workflows from inception through deployment
• Partner with Risk, Compliance, and Internal Audit to ensure regulatory alignment and model governance adherence
• Design and implement a federated AI operating model to scale delivery across Finance
• Develop standards, playbooks, and guardrails to enable consistent and governed AI adoption

Change Management & Adoption

• Drive adoption of AI solutions across Finance workflows including forecasting, planning, and decision support
• Build and scale AI and data talent through coaching and upskilling
• Track adoption, value realization, forecast performance, and scenario responsiveness
• Foster a culture of execution, accountability, and continuous improvement

In addition to the salary range, this position is also eligible for bonus or incentive opportunities