AI Solutions Manager

AI Solutions Manager Amphenol Industrial Operations Reports To:  Controller, AIO The AI Solutions Manager will lead the development and deployment of enterprise artificial intelligence solutions across all Amphenol Industrial Operations (AIO) functions. This position serves as AIO's central AI resource, partnering with engineering, operations, manufacturing, quality, sales, marketing, finance, customer service, and information technology to identify, prioritize, and implement high-value AI initiatives. The manager will be responsible for developing AI systems that improve productivity, automate business processes, enhance decision-making, and drive business growth. This role requires strong technical expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, large language models (LLMs), intelligent automation, and data-driven systems, combined with strong business acumen to align AI investments with organizational objectives and measurable business outcomes.    The individual will operate as a working manager, personally contributing to the design, development, deployment, and support of AI solutions while simultaneously leading projects, coordinating internal resources, and managing external technology partners. This role will evaluate and determine the most effective delivery approach for each AI initiative, leveraging internal resources, external partners, outsourced development, or hybrid models as appropriate to optimize speed, quality, scalability, and return on investment.  Reporting through the Information Technology organization, the manager will establish and grow AIO's AI capabilities, define enterprise AI standards and governance practices, and lead the development of future Amphenol-owned AI systems and platforms.  Essential Duties & Responsibilities: AI/ML Architecture & Development (Initial + Future Responsibility)  Serve as the central AI/ML technical resource for all AIO functions and business units.  Collaborate with technology partners to architect enterprise LLM platform.  Ensure AI capabilities integrate with engineering, sales, marketing, operations, manufacturing, quality, finance, customer service, IT, and customer-facing systems.  Participate in cross-functional design sessions, capturing enterprise-wide requirements.  Develop scalable APIs and AI services enabling LLM usage across multiple business units.  Build internal capability for future LLM fine-tuning, training, and lifecycle management.  Help define, support, and execute the division AI roadmap aligned with business objectives, operational efficiency, revenue growth, and measurable return on investment.  Evaluate AI opportunities and determine the optimal development strategy using internal resources, external partners, outsourced development teams, or hybrid approaches.  Define enterprise standards, governance, architecture, and best practices for AI systems deployment and support.  Enterprise Automation Use Cases  Automate engineering outputs including BOMs, drawings, ECNs, FAIs, validation reports, design tasks and processes including FMEAs.  Develop AI-driven product configurators supporting sales, marketing, distributors, and customers.  Enable automated generation of datasheets, catalogs, application notes, and technical marketing content.  Create intelligent website tools that guide customers through product selection with real-time technical outputs.  Automate manufacturing process documentation including routings, work instructions, and validation records.  Develop conversational AI tools for CRM platforms, distributor portals, and customer service workflows.  Sales, Marketing & Website AI Configurator Development  Build AI configurators that generate part numbers, compatibility checks, quotes, and selection recommendations.  Integrate configurators into CRM, ERP, digital catalog systems, and public-facing websites.  Enable automated production of customer-ready outputs including drawings, BOMs, and datasheets.  Collaborate with marketing to ensure accuracy, branding, and regulatory compliance.  Cross-Functional Collaboration  Serve as AIO's primary AI resource supporting all functional groups including engineering, operations, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, sales, marketing, finance, customer service, and IT.  Partner with business leaders to identify high-value opportunities where AI can improve efficiency, quality, revenue growth, customer experience, and decision making.  Work closely with internal teams and external technology partners to ensure successful implementation of AI initiatives.  Provide leadership, mentoring, training, documentation, rollout support, and change management support during enterprise AI adoption.  Function as a working manager by balancing hands-on AI system development with project leadership, resource planning, and vendor coordination.  Data Engineering & Governance  Develop datasets for enterprise LLM training including engineering data, sales inputs, marketing content, and manufacturing information.  Build RAG pipelines ensuring AI systems reference validated engineering, commercial, manufacturing, and operational data.  Establish data governance and security frameworks to protect IP and ensure compliance.  Work with IT to ensure AI systems follow enterprise security, access control, data retention, and system support requirements.  Continuous Improvement & Innovation  Develop and maintain an enterprise AI roadmap aligned with AIO strategic objectives.  Continuously evaluate whether future AI initiatives should be internally developed, outsourced, partnered, or acquired based on business requirements and resource availability.  Establish metrics to measure AI effectiveness, business value, user adoption, cost, reliability, and return on investment.    Qualifications: Education & Experience Requirements Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Business Technology, or related discipline. Experience building software systems at scale and improving data architecture including developing and integrating AI tools across engineering, sales, marketing, operations, manufacturing, quality, finance, customer service, or IT. Experience working with technology partners on AI development programs.  Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-wide technology or AI initiatives.  Experience managing technology projects and coordinating internal and external development resources.  Experience evaluating build-versus-buy decisions and outsourced software development partnerships.  Technical Skills  Advanced expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, large language models (LLMs), intelligent agents, autonomous workflows, MLOps, vector databases, RAG systems, and enterprise AI architecture.  Demonstrated ability to design, develop, deploy, and support production AI systems delivering measurable business outcomes.  Experience with LLM fine-tuning, prompt engineering, model performance evaluation, monitoring, reliability, latency, cost control, and AI quality/safety assessment.  Business & Leadership Skills  Strong business acumen with ability to align AI investments to strategic business objectives and financial returns.  Ability to translate business requirements into effective AI solutions and implementation roadmaps.  Proven working manager capable of balancing hands-on technical contributions with project leadership responsibilities.  Strong vendor management and outsourcing assessment capabilities.  Ability to evaluate costs, risks, timelines, capabilities, and business impacts when determining AI implementation approaches.  Excellent communication and collaboration skills across executive leadership, technical teams, and functional business groups.  Soft Skills  Ability to collaborate across global teams and business units.  Strong communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences.  Self-directed with ability to lead enterprise-wide AI initiatives through influence, hands-on contribution, and structured execution.    Position must be located within the United States. Hybrid or remote work arrangements may be considered based on business needs. Domestic and international travel will be required.    Company Introduction: Amphenol Industrial Operations, headquartered in Endicott, New York, with global manufacturing, design, sales, and marketing locations, specializes in delivering a comprehensive range of high-reliability power and signal connectors along with interconnection systems designed specifically for harsh environments and high performance. Our solutions cater to diverse, high-growth industrial sectors such as alternative energy, energy storage, hyperscale datacom, telecom, rail and mass transit, electric and hybrid vehicles, transportation, factory automation, robotics, and heavy equipment. Our product portfolio addresses modern power and signal requirements and emerging system technology needs encompassing high-amperage power interconnects utilizing proprietary RADSOK® contact technology, ruggedized circular, rectangular interconnects and board level contacts (GT, AC, PT, Amphe-Lite, Radsert, PowerBlok, SurLok Plus, ePower, UPC, H4 Plus, and more), advanced power distribution including value-add box builds, custom-engineered cable assemblies and overmolded harnesses. With a dedicated team of over 2500 skilled staff operating across a growing international footprint—including eight key manufacturing sites in North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East providing localization for our customer base.  Amphenol Industrial Operations consistently meets the highest global standards of quality, product performance, design capabilities, and regionalized technical and sales support. Amphenol Industrial Operations proudly operates as a business unit of Amphenol Corporation (NYSE: APH), a global leader in the electronics revolution, headquartered in Wallingford, Connecticut. www.amphenol-industrial.com   Physical/Environmental Requirements: The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, sit, stand; walk; and use hands to finger, handle, or feel. Must be able to sit and/or stand for long periods of time.