Senior Director, AI Infrastructure Strategy

AFL is seeking a strategic forward-looking leader to serve as Senior Director AI Infrastructure Strategy and right hand to the Vice President Corporate Strategy.

This role will define AFLs enterprise perspective on AI infrastructure and translate market technology and competitive shifts into actionable corporate and divisional strategies.

The successful candidate will bring a panoramic view of the AI infrastructure landscape spanning power compute data centers networks and emerging AI technologies.

This is not a fiber optics network engineering or product engineering role; AFL already has deep technical expertise within its operating businesses. This leader will connect technology economics regulation and infrastructure trends to AFLs long-term strategy and customer opportunities.

The role requires executive presence with Boards C-Suites customers investors and partners combined with the ability to work hands-on with business leaders to translate strategy into execution.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Strategy Leadership

Define AFLs strategic perspective on the AI infrastructure ecosystem and translate market technology and competitive trends into growth strategies investment priorities and long-range plans.

AI Infrastructure Market Intelligence

Develop and maintain AFLs perspective on the AI infrastructure ecosystem including power grid modernization data centers cloud and edge computing semiconductors networking cooling and sovereign AI. Monitor hyperscalers AI labs utilities communications providers investors and regulators to guide AFLs view of future market direction and strategic implications.

Strategic Foresight and Scenario Planning

Lead long-range scenario planning on AI infrastructure assessing implications of centralized versus distributed architectures training and inference economics agentic AI sovereign AI AGI energy constraints and regulatory shifts. Translate uncertainty into strategic recommendations investment priorities and competitive advantage for AFL.

Divisional Strategy Partnership

Partner with AFLs Products and Services leaders to align business strategies with evolving market opportunities guiding growth priorities market focus resource allocation partnerships capabilities and customer investment. Serve as a trusted advisor and servant leader who translates enterprise strategy into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.

Executive Communication and Influence

Develop executive narratives Board materials and strategic recommendations that translate complex market and technology developments into clear business actions. Support AFL leadership in customer investor and industry engagements and communicate AFLs strategic vision to executives customers partners and external stakeholders.

Strategic Partnerships and Ecosystem Development

Identify and evaluate strategic partnerships emerging technologies investment opportunities and new market entrants across the AI infrastructure ecosystem. Maintain a broad ecosystem perspective to inform AFLs growth strategy capital allocation competitive positioning and enterprise-level strategic decisions.

Organizational Leadership

Serve as the strategic partner and right hand to the Vice President of Corporate Strategy helping shape AFLs long-term direction strengthen enterprise planning capabilities and develop future leaders. Demonstrate the judgment leadership and executive presence required to grow into broader enterprise strategy responsibilities.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelors degree required; MBA masters degree or relevant advanced degree preferred.
• Preferred fields include Business Engineering Computer Science Economics Energy Systems Public Policy or related disciplines.

Experience

• 12 years of progressive leadership experience developing enterprise strategy evaluating growth opportunities and guiding business and investment decisions in complex technology infrastructure or industrial markets.
• Experience advising executive leadership teams.
• Strong understanding of AI digital infrastructure or adjacent technology markets.
• Experience operating in complex cross-functional environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in AI infrastructure cloud hyperscale digital infrastructure energy telecommunications or adjacent markets.
• Experience supporting executive teams boards or senior decision-making forums.
• Experience conducting scenario planning and strategic foresight exercises.
• Deep understanding of AI technology trends infrastructure requirements and ecosystem evolution including agentic AI inference compute platforms sovereign AI and next-generation architectures.
• Experience developing investment theses market-entry strategies or growth strategies.

Leadership Competencies

Strategic Thinking

Identifies long-term trends and converts uncertainty into strategic choices.

Systems Thinking

Connects technology infrastructure economics policy customers and competitors into a clear strategic view.

Executive Presence

Builds credibility and influence with executives customers partners and boards.

Business Acumen

Understands the financial operational commercial and strategic drivers of performance.

Innovation Orientation

Challenges conventional thinking and identifies emerging opportunities.

Influence Without Authority

Builds alignment across organizational boundaries and drives results through collaboration.

Servant Leadership

Enables operating teams while maintaining a hands-on practical approach.

Learning Agility

Adapts quickly to evolving technologies markets and business models.

Success Measures

Within the first 12 months the successful candidate will:

• Establish AFLs corporate point of view on AI infrastructure.
• Build scenario-planning frameworks to guide executive decision making.
• Improve alignment between corporate and divisional strategies.
• Develop recommendations that influence resource allocation and investment priorities.
• Strengthen AFLs executive thought leadership on AI infrastructure.
• Demonstrate readiness for broader enterprise strategy leadership responsibilities.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is not primarily a fiber expert network engineer or product specialist.

They are a strategist who understands how AI infrastructure creates value across power compute communications hyperscalers inference AI economics and future technology trajectories. They combine executive-level strategic thinking with hands-on partnership with business teams to drive outcomes.

Most importantly they possess the breadth judgment leadership capability and presence to develop into AFLs future Vice President of Corporate Strategy.

Required Experience:

Exec