Apply now »

Director of Innovation Automation and AI

Location: 

Singapore, SG, 11

At Barry Callebaut, we are on a journey to transform the cocoa and chocolate industry. As the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, our actions truly shape the future of our industry. We are a business-to-business company, serving the entire food sector, from the cocoa bean to the finest chocolate product. We are a company with a purpose, we believe in doing well by doing good and reinvesting in the communities we operate. We have a long-standing commitment to sustainability and our goal is to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate future. We are headquartered in Zurich, and have more than 12,000 passionate Employees working in more than 40 countries worldwide. We are very proud of who we are and what we do. And of course, we are always looking for talented people to help us have a positive impact on our industry and beyond!

Barry Callebaut Digital (BC Digital) continues to push the boundaries of digital innovation and AI transformation. The Head of AI & Customer Experience (CX) is a newly created global leadership role within the Data & Analytics organisation. Reporting to the Senior Director of Analytics & AI, this role will play a pivotal part in shaping, scaling, and governing AI capabilities that enhance customer-facing experiences across Barry Callebaut’s global ecosystem. The role leads building a world‑class AI product and analytics capability and leads the Center of Excellence (CoE) focused on customer experience. It serves as a strategic influencer to senior commercial, digital, and data leaders across the organisation. This is a highly visible position that bridges AI innovation with commercial impact, delivering the next generation of personalised, data-driven, digitally enabled customer experiences.

 

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

 

Key Responsibilities Include:

  • Define and drive the AI strategy, ensuring alignment with commercial, digital, and enterprise data strategies.
  • Act as a key strategic advisor to global digital, data and commercial leadership.
  • Lead guidance on AI maturity, opportunities, ethics, and business impact.
  • Accelerate the adoption of AI across Barry Callebaut across regions and business units.
  • Deploy scalable, ethical, and high-value solutions across regions and business units.
  • Lead Barry Callebaut’s AI Centre of Excellence, setting vision, governance, operating model, and delivery standards globally.
  • Build and unify Decisioning & AI capabilities, harmonising data models, behavioural datasets, and insight platforms.
  • Own the Decisioning and AI product roadmap, including LLM implementations, GenAI copilots, conversational interfaces, recommendation engines, and AI-driven personalisation features.
  • Create and nurture a research & delivery partner ecosystem, including AI vendors, academic institutions, innovation partners, and Singapore ecosystem.
  • Collaborate extensively with product teams and related systems to ensure AI integration, scalability, and governance.
  • Promote an agile product culture, embedding iterative delivery, experimentation, rapid value demonstration, and user-centric design.

 

Scope:

 

  • This is a global leadership role based in Singapore, with key stakeholders located in Belgium, UK, India, Switzerland, and other locations of our global footprint.
  • Will have responsibility for global delivery partners and external AI ecosystem relationships.
  • Will have responsibility for the Singapore ecosystem.

 

EDUCATION, LANGUAGE, SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

 

Education / Qualifications

  • Graduate degree in technology, AI/ML, computer science, engineering, data, or a comparable field.
  • Advanced degrees (MSc/PhD) in AI, ML, or related areas preferred.

Languages

  • Proficient in English.

Technical Skills & Expertise

  • Proven ability to lead AI product development and agile product teams.
  • Proven ability to create and nurture a partner ecosystem.
  • Deep expertise in LLMs, generative AI, and modern AI product architectures.
  • Strong experience with Azure, Azure OpenAI, Databricks, and MLOps practices.
  • Knowledge of Salesforce and SAP ecosystem with be beneficial.
  • Knowledge of AI integration patterns.

Industry Background (Required/Preferred)

  • Food & Beverage
  • Manufacturing
  • FMCG
  • AI/ML product companies

 

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS OR COMMENTS

  • Travel requirements: Global role requires ability and willingness to travel (up to 25%)
  • Others: none

 

 

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE / TECHNICAL OR FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIes

  • Significant experience leading AI, Decisioning, or digital product teams in complex, global organisations.
  • Proven success delivering AI solutions, customer experience, or digital products at scale.
  • Strong background in building AI capabilities at scale.
  • Experience with enterprise data platforms and AI frameworks.
  • Demonstrated ability to create and grow research & delivery partner ecosystems.
  • Ability to influence senior leadership across digital, data and commercial functions.
  • Experienced in managing diverse global teams, building capability, and scaling operating models.

 

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES & PERSONAL STYLE

 

The ideal candidate:

  • Inspires through purpose, championing AI innovation with clear ethical standards and business alignment.
  • Demonstrates a user-centric mindset with enthusiasm for solving complex customer experience challenges.
  • Thrives in fast-paced environments, embracing agile methodologies and iterative value delivery.
  • Excels at stakeholder management, with the ability to translate advanced AI concepts into business‑relevant language.
  • Promotes collaboration across functions, geographies, and cultures.
  • Demonstrates strategic thinking, with the ability to balance innovation, risk, and business value.
  • Is resilient, adaptable, and able to pivot priorities in a dynamic transformation environment.
  • Champions diversity and inclusion and fosters a culture of curiosity and experimentation.

 

 

 

At Barry Callebaut, we are committed to Diversity & Inclusion. United by our strong values, we thrive on the diversity of who we are, where we come from, what we’ve experienced and how we think. We are committed to nurturing an inclusive environment where people can truly be themselves, grow to their full potential and feel they belong. #oneBC - Diverse People, Sustainable Growth.

If you want to learn more about Barry Callebaut, please find further information here.

Were you missing anything in this job ad? Please share your feedback with us by clicking here.


Job Segment: Product Development, Manager, Engineer, Research, Management, Engineering

Apply now »