Cruise Planners is the largest franchisor of home-based travel agencies across the country that independently book cruises, tour, and land vacations. Cruise Planners has achieved Top Producer status with virtually every cruise line, tour, and resort company. Cruise Planners has been named the No.1 Cruise Tour / Travel Agency by Entrepreneur Magazine for the past 10 years and recently featured in Entrepreneur as one of the top 30 franchise innovators in technology. Cruise Planners positions franchise owners for success by providing them with innovative marketing, booking and lead-generating tools as well as professional development and hands-on training with the industry’s top executives. Cruise Planners Home Office has won awards such as Coolest Offices and Top Places to Work in South Florida by Sun Sentinel and South Florida Business Journal. 

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Job Summary

The Senior Manager of Artificial Intelligence will oversee the implementation and management of AI-driven initiatives across the organization. Reporting to the Chief Information Officer (CIO), this role will manage the company’s AI infrastructure on AWS and coordinate integration with existing software systems and databases. The Senior Manager will guide AI projects that enhance business efficiency, automate processes, and support data-driven decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Manage the execution of the company’s AI roadmap in alignment with strategic business goals.
• Oversee AI infrastructure operations, including deployment, scaling, and optimization within AWS environments.
• Supervise and mentor AI engineers, data scientists, and developers to ensure project success.
• Ensure reliable integration between AI systems, the central MySQL database, and enterprise software applications.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify opportunities for AI implementation and efficiency improvement.
• Assist in evaluating and implementing appropriate machine learning frameworks, libraries, and cloud-based tools.
• Maintain best practices for AI model lifecycle management, including data preparation, training, validation, and deployment.
• Support compliance with data privacy, security, and governance standards for all AI initiatives.
• Track and report on project progress, performance metrics, and deliverables.
• Stay current with advancements in AI technologies and recommend improvements where beneficial.

The items listed above are intended to provide an overview of the essential functions of the job.

This is not an exhaustive list of all functions and responsibilities that the position may be required to perform.

Competencies

• Solid understanding of AWS cloud services (SageMaker, EC2, Lambda, S3, RDS, etc.) and infrastructure management.
• Proficiency in Python, SQL, and at least one major machine learning framework (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, etc.).
• Experience working with large data environments, including relational databases and data lakes.
• Understanding of API development, integration, and automation pipelines.
• Familiarity with DevOps and MLOps principles for AI model deployment.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proven ability to deliver AI projects that improve operational or analytical outcomes.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in software engineering, data science, or AI/ML development, with 3+ years in a leadership or supervisory role.

Cruise Planners provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all team members and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Cruise Planners complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities or team members. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment.