Director of IT- Data, Analytics and AI

Posted Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 4:00 AM SSA Holdings is looking for a talented Director of IT- Data, Analytics and AI to join our team! All applications should be submitted within 7-days following posting of the job; applications will be prioritized based upon time submitted and may not be reviewed beyond this time. The employer reserves the right to shorten or expand this timeframe as necessary to the job scope. Job Title: Director of IT- Data, Analytics and AI Reports to: VP, Data and Analytics WHO WE ARE: For more than 50 years, SSA has partnered with cultural attractions to design the hospitality experience journey, freeing our partners to remain mission-focused. We bring together admissions, culinary, and retail with innovation and human connection to shape a seamless guest journey. Our focus is on people, innovation, and operational intelligence as a means to create special moments with lasting impact. We call it 452 Hospitality, the foundation of how we serve our partners and their communities. JOB SUMMARY: The Director of IT - Data, Analytics and AI with a strong data Analytics and AI will play a pivotal role in delivering our next-generation data and AI solutions. In this role, you will lead a team of employees and consultants with a primary focus on delivering data and AI solution deployment. You will oversee the development and management of data and features pipelines, ensuring they are robust, scalable, and reliable. This is an ideal opportunity for a hands-on data analytics leader to apply technical, leadership, and problem-solving skills to deliver high-quality solution. This is a hands-on, player-coach Director role, combining technical leadership with direct contribution to architecture, development, and deployment of data and AI solutions. Your role will involve not only technical leadership and mentoring but also actively contributing to coding, architectural decisions, and data analytics strategy. You will guide your team through complex deployments, from planning to execution, ensuring that data and AI solutions are effectively integrated and aligned with goals. The candidate must be based in the United States. RESPONSIBILITIES Lead the configuration, deployment, and maintenance of data and AI solutions on SSA Data and AI platforms to support multiple use cases. Supervise and mentor the local and distributed data engineering and data analytics team, ensuring best practices in Data / AI architecture, pipeline development, and deployment. Contribute hands-on to design, coding, code reviews, and technical decision-making, ensuring scalability and performance. Work closely with internal customers and partners to advise on data engineering and AI best practices Lead critical projects, managing engineering and analytics resources, project timelines, and customer engagement. Provide technical guidance and support for complex enterprise data integrations with third-party systems (e.g., AI platforms, data providers, decision engines). Ensure compliance with data governance and security protocols when handling sensitive data. Develop and maintain documentation for solutions and business processes related to data engineering and analytics workflows. Other duties as required. QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or quantitative data science related fields. Equivalent work experience is also highly valued. 7–12 years of experience with at least 3–5 years in a technical leadership or player-coach role. Strong leadership skills, including the ability to mentor and motivate a team, lead through change, and drive outcomes. Experience in designing and deploying end to end AI solutions using cloud native technologies and modern AI stack, including Gen AI. Expertise in designing, building, and optimizing ETL/ELT data pipelines and AI solutions Deep knowledge of cloud services, particularly Azure, and their role in data engineering. Hands-on experience in either advanced data engineering or applied data science, with the ability to guide architectural and analytical decisions across both. Strong ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams, delivering technical solutions that meet business needs. Proven experience in unit testing, integration testing, and engineering best practices to ensure high-quality code. Familiarity with agile project management tools (JIRA, Confluence, etc.) and methodologies. Experience with data visualization and analytics tools such as Power BI, Looker, and Tableau. Strong communicator and problem solver, comfortable working in distributed teams. This is by no means an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts or working conditions associated with this job description. SSA reserves the right to revise the job description or to require that other or different tasks are performed when circumstances change (i.e. emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs or technological developments) Compensation and Benefits Full-Time, Exempt. $75 monthly cell phone stipend. Bonus eligible based on company performance and guidelines outlined by your manager. Flex Time Off: no accruals; employees are encouraged to schedule time off as needed within business scope. Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance and other voluntary benefits for you and your family; employee premiums applicable. Participation in a 401(k) program with a 15% company match (must be 21 years or older, eligible after one year of employment with 1,000 hours worked, available to enroll during Open Enrollment Periods). Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability, employer sponsored; scaled-salary pay following submission and approval of leave. Parental Leave: Birthing Parent Plan covers up to (6-8) weeks fully paid leave, based on the birthing event. SSA Paid Benefit: Up to 120 hours of Paid Leave for qualifying reasons, including Parental Bonding and your family’s serious medical conditions. Up to 5 days Paid Bereavement Leave. On-Demand Pay Program: Get access to a portion of earned wages before payday. Meal Plan & Employee Discounts where applicable. Paid sick leave is provided in accordance with applicable state and local laws. Accrual rates, caps, and usage rules vary by location. Locations include: Arizona, California, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, D.C.. Colorado: Employees accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year, under the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA). Maryland: Employees accrue at least 1 hour of paid sick and safe leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per 0year, as required under the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act. Washington: Employees accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked, in accordance with the Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Time. SSA Holdings and its affiliated companies, including SSA Group, A&F Souvenir, Cinchio Solutions, and Behavioral Essentials, are equal opportunity employers. We are committed to diversity and inclusion in our hiring practices and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. A diverse team strengthens our collective impact. All California Residents: By submitting your job application, you agree you have reviewed the SSA Group California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Candidate and Employee Privacy Notice ("Notice"). San Francisco Residents: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Please see the "Fair Chance Ordinance - Know Your Rights" document for more information. By submitting your job application, you agree you have reviewed the "Fair Chance Ordinance - Know Your Rights" document.