Principal Data & AI Strategist

At Cadence, we hire and develop leaders and innovators who want to make an impact on the world of technology.

The Principal Data & AI Strategist is a senior individual contributor who provides deep data science and AI expertise to solve complex, ambiguous business problems with broad organizational impact. This role leads multi-project and cross-team initiatives, develops new analytical and AI-driven approaches, and influences decision-making across functions. The position operates with a high degree of autonomy and is expected to mentor other practitioners while shaping best practices for the effective and responsible use of data and AI.

Key Responsibilities

Data & AI Strategy

• Lead the application of advanced data science, analytics, and AI techniques to address complex, non-routine problems where requirements and outcomes may be ambiguous.
• Translate business objectives into scalable data and AI approaches that drive measurable impact across multiple initiatives or teams.
• Evaluate emerging data and AI methods and determine practical applicability within the organization.

• Develop, adapt, or refine new methods, frameworks, or analytical approaches beyond established standards.
• Assess trade-offs among model performance, explainability, risk, cost, and operational feasibility.
• Ensure solutions align with enterprise standards for data quality, security, privacy, and responsible AI.

• Influence stakeholders across functions (e.g., Product, Engineering, HR, Finance, Operations) through expert guidance and evidence-based recommendations.
• Act as a trusted advisor on data- and AI-driven decision-making at the senior leadership level.
• Contribute to cross-functional initiatives with sustained impact beyond a single team or project.

• Mentor and coach data scientists, analysts, and AI practitioners, strengthening technical depth and strategic thinking across the organization.
• Contribute to shared standards, documentation, and best practices to improve consistency and effectiveness of data and AI work.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
• Approximately 8 or more years of relevant experience in data science, analytics, AI, or related disciplines.
• Demonstrated success solving highly complex, ambiguous problems with limited precedent.
• Proven ability to influence outcomes across teams and functions without direct authority.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to convey complex concepts to non-technical audiences.

• Master's degree or higher in a relevant field (e.g., Data Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, Computer Science).
• Experience shaping or contributing to enterprise-level data or AI strategy.
• Experience mentoring senior-level peers or leading complex analytical initiatives.