Senior Manager: Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Adoption at MTN

Mission/ Core purpose of the Job

• The Senior Manager AI Strategy and adoption role is a member of MTN Group Technology IT Strategy and Architecture team, who is responsible for the design, development, implementation, and management of AI technology across MTN.  The team are focused on driving the digitization and innovation strategy across MTN’s markets through technology leadership and collaboration with the relevant stakeholders to enable new growth engines, achieve operational excellence, deliver superior customer experience and unlock value through TCO reduction as part of the PACE strategy. The role will focus on driving the design and delivery of creating cutting edge AI solutions for different technology domains through AI journeys, processes, models and KPIs.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Manager AI Strategy and Adoption role will have the following responsibilities: 

• Lead and co-create cross functionally with other BUs (e.g., CBU, Digital, EBU), MTN platform businesses (e.g., Fintech) and other stakeholders and execute their AI journey.  Design AI-first businesses.
• Conceptualise and design full AI stack solutions - AI infrastructure and tools / environment selection, AI/ML model development and deployment, AI applications.  AI Architecture, Business Architecture, Customer Insight & Segmentation, Data Mining, Optimization, Big Data Technologies.
• Strategic consulting, implementation, and support for our operating companies, advising and solutioning for AI at scale.
• Strategic thinking, in-depth understanding of business drivers, deep knowledge of legacy & emerging technologies.  AI specific strategy development - “as is” and “to be” scenarios, followed by gap analysis, options development, and technology/execution roadmap.
• Facilitate Collaborations and Partnerships - Collaborate with strategic partners and organisations in bringing industry consortium solutions together. Innovation through partnering, an eco-systems approach.
• Define AI value realization framework, Track and report key impact metrics across user cases in different domains to stakeholders
• Business transformation powered by data analytics and Artificial Intelligence. 
• Leverage cloud and edge computing, accelerated computing.
• Identify, source and assess data for the purposes of AI/ML solutions 
• Establish community of practice within MTN. Drive roadshows to increase awareness
• Ensure governance model and processes adopted in Opco(s) is in alignment to the established reference standards; conduct reviews, identify issues, and determine root cause, and improve processes to prevent recurring issues
• Ability to network across new areas and build strong and trusted business relationships

Deliverables

• AI Reference architecture and framework
• AI Governance framework 
• AI Value Realisation framework
• AI Community of Practice through dedicated IT Circle (tribes, squads) to drive AI products
• AI adoption business case framework and Business cases for scenarios related to channel transformations, products and services related to commerce; collaboration on network optimization use cases 
• AI standards, policies, guidelines
• AI emerging trends with a 3-year roadmap
• Conceptualize and ideate future AI solutions through Proof of Concepts with strategic partners

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Minimum 4-year relevant Academic Degree with Honours (B Eng / BSc Degree Preferred)
• MBA / Masters advantageous
• English (French and/or Arabic advantageous)
• Relevant certification/accreditation/membership with professional body as required for role (e.g. AWS Certified ML Speciality, AI 900 – Microsoft Azure AI fundamentals, AI -102 Designing and implementing a Azure AI solution)

Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years of overall experience in IT with proficiency in computer languages associated with different components in the AI solution life-cycle: data collection, data manipulation, feature extraction, model creation, solution architecture, development and operationalization of the solution (e.g. Linux; Docker; Python: Flask, SQLAlchemy; Java; JavaScript: Angular)
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience building and optimizing AI based solutions (using appropriate tools and libraries, e.g., TensorFlow, Keras, scikit learn, Prophet, xgboost, RAPIDs (NVIDIA), Pandas, matplotlib) within a cloud native paradigm. 
• Minimum 2 years’ experience in creating and serving AI Cloud solutions for different data modalities (e.g., image, machine telemetry, time-series, text, structured data), and different solution approaches (classification and regression, anomaly detections, time series forecasting)
• Minimum 2 years’ experience engaging and working with eco-system partners and vendors in the AI and automation fields
• Hands on experience working on AWS, Azure, Google Cloud building AI, Machine Learning systems. Ability to review code and designs.
• Proficiency in Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service and related concepts on the public cloud.
• Demonstrated specialised technical and strategic leadership through customer engagements, deliverables, and presentation of AI solutions.
• Appropriate certification in AI/ML fundamentals and engineering technologies (e.g. Azure, AWS or GCP AI certifications)
• Experience in working across diverse cultures and geographies is advantageous
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex messages and ideas and influence decision-makers
• Excellent presentation skills and experience in public speaking

Competencies:

• Business Acumen, Problem Solving, Information processing, Influencing others
• Data interpretation, Judgement, Continuous improvement, Reporting
• Get it done, Communication, Innovative, Agile, Accountable
• Ability to function across multiple business lines in a multicultural environment