Associate Director- AI Product Strategist

VML is a global creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce to create connected brands that drive growth. Guided by a Human First philosophy, VML is known for its innovative work for brands and consistently ranks among the world’s leading creative companies, including the WARC ...

VML is part of WPP, the trusted growth partner for the world's leading brands. Powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform WPP Open, WPP unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel.

For more information, please visit www.vml.com and follow along on  LinkedIn #WeAreVML.

Serve as the primary strategic interface between WPP | Ford business and capability owners and the central AI team
Conduct structured discovery and requirements-gathering across SME teams (Shopper, Media, Production, Creative), mapping current-state workflows before recommending AI-enabled solutions
Re-engineer and document business processes as a precondition to any agent or AI build — ensuring solutions are architected around real workflows, not assumptions
Translate business needs into clear, technically actionable briefs for the AI Architect and Applied AI Product Manager
Partner with the AI Architect and Development on feasibility assessments, ensuring SME-identified needs are properly scoped and prioritized into the product roadmap
Ensure workstreams build toward a shared AI architecture rather than in silos — flagging duplication, misalignment, or gaps early
Track execution of SME-requested builds through to deployment; manage timelines and communicate status to stakeholders
Partner with the AI Value Engineering & Measurement function to ensure every use case sourced from SMEs is logged, centralized, and routed to measurement
Flag blockers, risks, and architectural gaps to Rachel Beecroft; maintain visibility into AI program status across all business-facing workstreams
Act as a change-sensitive advocate for the business — ensuring the AI program builds with the business, not in a vacuum

6–8 years in solutions consulting, technical product management, business process consulting, or delivery management
Comfortable operating across creative, media, production, and shopper/retail domains simultaneously
Experience translating ambiguous business requirements into structured technical briefs for engineering/product teams
Familiarity with AI/ML tools and platforms in a marketing, content, or commercial environment
Strong stakeholder management skills; ability to build trust with both SME teams and technical product owners
Comfortable working in a fast-moving, evolving program with incomplete information and shifting priorities
The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click WPP Benefits for more details.
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$75,000—$180,000 USD
We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.
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