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Description

Company Overview

Burns & McDonnell is a globally respected AEC firm delivering complex infrastructure, energy, industrial, and public-sector projects. The company operates entrepreneurially as 22 distinct business units. Leadership has prioritized an enterprise data strategy that preserves this agility while harmonizing shared project execution (80–90% consistent across units) to unlock operational excellence, client value, and new revenue opportunities through advanced analytics and AI.

Role Summary

The Managing Director, Data & AI will define and execute an enterprise-wide data and information strategy that turns data into a durable competitive advantage. The role spans data governance, information management, master data management (MDM), analytics, and AI, embedding data-driven decisioning across both project delivery (Professional Services/Engineering, Program Management, EPC) and corporate functions (Finance, HR, Legal, Risk Management, Supply Chain/Procurement, Marketing/BD, IT, HSE, and others). This leader will harmonize common project-execution data and processes across 22 business units while enabling flexibility where go-to-market approaches differ.

Scope & Priorities

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**Enterprise Coverage:** Project delivery plus corporate functions (Finance, HR, Legal, Risk, Supply Chain, Marketing/BD, IT, HSE, etc.).

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Project Focus:

1. Professional Services/Engineering

2. Program Management

3. EPC (Engineering, Procurement & Construction)

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**Core Mandate:** Create a unified, governed, high-quality data foundation; deploy analytics/AI to improve execution, reduce variance, increase win rates, accelerate cash flow, and enable new business models.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategy & Operating Model

2. Define a 3-year enterprise data strategy and target operating model covering data architecture, governance, MDM, analytics/AI, and data culture.

3. Balance enterprise standardization (shared execution data) with local agility (market-specific pursuits) across 22 units.

4. Build and manage a prioritization roadmap (0-12-24-36 months) with value cases, milestones, and adoption metrics.

5. Governance, MDM & Information Management

6. Stand up an enterprise data governance council, policies, standards, and stewardship roles.

7. Implement MDM for key domains (Projects, Clients, Suppliers, Assets, People, Financials, Contracts, Risk).

8. Establish data quality, lineage, and metadata practices; ensure a single source of truth for project and corporate data.

9. Design scalable data platforms and pipelines (batch/real-time) to support analytics and AI across business and corporate functions.

10. Analytics, AI & Value Creation

11. Operationalize advanced analytics and AI (predictive/prescriptive insights, ML, GenAI where appropriate) in project execution and support functions.

12. Prioritize high-impact use cases; pursuit/win-rate optimization, estimate accuracy, schedule & cost predictability, change-order/claims analytics, safety & quality insights, resource optimization, working-capital & cash-flow acceleration, risk early warning, talent/workforce planning, and legal/contract intelligence.

13. Embed insights into workflows and systems when appropriate (ERP, project controls, EPM, CRM, HRIS, EAM) to drive decisions, not just dashboards.

14. Stand up a Data & AI Center of Excellence and community of practice across units.

15. Leadership, Culture & Change

16. Hire and develop a multi-disciplinary team (data engineering, platform, governance/MDM, data science/ML, analytics translators, product owners, etc.).

17. Drive data literacy and change programs across project and corporate teams; communicate value transparently.

18. Risk, Security & Compliance

19. Partner with InfoSec, Legal, and Risk to integrate privacy, security, compliance, and responsible AI into all data practices.

20. Protect client and proprietary data across jurisdictions and contracts.

21. Investment & Partnerships

22. Own the data & analytics budget; partner with IT to influence the vendor ecosystem (cloud, MDM, integration, analytics/AI).

23. Evaluate emerging technologies and standards to maintain a future-ready capability.

Core Responsibilities:

+ Develop, manage, and execute a strategic business plan for the department.

+ Identify, develop, and direct the implementation of business strategies, including operational strategies and procedures, marketing strategies and pricing strategies, and business development and client retention strategies.

+ Manages the development and execution of the department business plan to achieve stated targets and standards for financial performance such as sales, revenue, and profitability.

+ Partner with leadership to ensure opportunities are being adequately and appropriately pursued and supported.

+ Provide leadership to the team; direct and coordinate work assignments and review performance to ensure the efficient, cost-effective utilization of staff.

+ Responsible for profitable growth of the department; manage staff levels, staff loading, and staff assignments to meet client requirements while maintaining profitability goals.

+ Implement, apply, and support company, global practice and/or regional office programs and initiatives; successfully navigating and managing change within the group.

+ Provide expert level technical, consulting guidance, and support.

+ Develop and manage department budgets and expenditure of funds.

+ Prepare and present monthly financial reports to global practice or regional management.

+ Responsible for leading and/or collaborating with business development managers, business line leads, project managers, and proposal production staff on proposals to secure work for staff.

+ Ensure quality is maintained and exceptional deliverables are being provided to clients.

+ Responsible for the recruitment, development, training, and retention of staff.

+ Responsible for conducting performance evaluations for department staff.

+ Provide leadership, guidance, and instruction to the department.

+ Responsible for interpreting the organization's policies, purposes, and goals to staff.

+ Responsible for overall QA/QC process adherence.

+ Enforce compliance with company and site safety policies.

+ Performs other duties as assigned

+ Complies with all policies and standards

Why Join Burns & McDonnell

+ Shape and scale a world-class data & AI capability across one of the industry’s most entrepreneurial and successful AEC firms.

+ Direct line of sight from data strategy to project outcomes, client value, and revenue.

+ Enterprise scope spanning project delivery and corporate functions, with strong executive sponsorship.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

+ Bachelor’s degree in information technology, business, or a related field from an accredited program.

+ Minimum 13 years related professional consulting experience in complex industries required.

+ Previous leadership and/or management experience is strongly preferable.

+ Must demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to clearly and effectively present complex information to all levels of employees, management, and clients.

+ Position requires the ability to thoughtfully and positively influence, lead, and manage change.

+ Proven ability to develop business strategies and establish relationships with clients and staff.

+ Must possess strong project/process management skills and a strategic perspective.

+ Expert proficiency in the use of computer software (i.e., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Strongly Preferred Qualifications & Experience

+ 15 years progressive leadership in data/analytics; 5 years at VP/CDO or equivalent enterprise scale.

+ Proven success delivering enterprise data strategy, governance, information management, and MDM in complex, multi-business or decentralized environments.

+ Demonstrated outcomes deploying advanced analytics and AI into project-based operations (AEC, engineering, industrials, EPC) and corporate functions (Finance, HR, Legal, Risk, Supply Chain).

+ Expertise in data architecture (data lake/warehouse, streaming), integration, metadata/lineage, data quality, and BI/analytics platforms.

+ Strong business acumen and stakeholder management; able to translate data strategy into measurable business results and align executives across 22 units.

+ Track record building high-performing data organizations and leading change management at scale.

+ Advanced degree in a relevant field (Data/Computer Science, Engineering, Statistics, Business Analytics, or MBA with quantitative focus) or equivalent experience strongly preferred.

This job posting will remain open a minimum of 72 hours and on an ongoing basis until filled.

EEO/Disabled/Veterans

**Job** Information Technology

**Primary Location** US-MO-Kansas City

**Schedule:** Full-time

**Travel:** Yes, 50 % of the Time

**Req ID:** 260048

**Job Hire Type** Experienced #LI-SS #COR N/A