Head of Global GenAI Lab

Heineken is launching a transformative Global GenAI Lab in Singapore to drive AI-powered innovation, insights, and productivity across all business functions. The Head of Global GenAI Lab will lead day-to-day operations, steering the lab toward impactful GenAI solutions that span Heineken's global markets. This strategic role encompasses overseeing project execution, fostering cross-functional partnerships, and ensuring alignment with Heineken’s digital transformation and growth objectives.
Key Responsibilities:
Lab Leadership & Strategy
Shape and drive the vision and roadmap for the GenAI Lab, ensuring alignment with Heineken's strategic digital transformation goals.
Manage the lab’s operations, balancing immediate project deliverables with long-term strategic initiatives.
Oversee budget, staffing, and resources, ensuring the team meets project milestones and delivers value to business stakeholders.
GenAI Project Management
Lead the development, deployment, and scaling of GenAI solutions across key business areas such as sales, marketing, supply chain, finance, legal, HR, and within the Digital & Technology function.
Collaborate with global and regional teams, integrating GenAI solutions with existing data and digital infrastructure for seamless business impact.
Monitor and communicate project progress, challenges, and results to senior stakeholders, offering insights on scalability and areas for optimization.
Strategic Partnerships & Ecosystem Engagement
Cultivate partnerships with key technology providers (e.g., Microsoft, SAP, Databricks, AI Singapore, Accenture) to advance the lab's initiatives and leverage best-in-class expertise.
Foster a collaborative innovation ecosystem, connecting internal stakeholders, external partners, and academia to drive knowledge-sharing and GenAI advancements.
Serve as the primary liaison with Heineken’s Global Cognitive Services Team, Global Hyperautomation Team, and Tiger Tribe to ensure alignment on GenAI priorities and implementations.

Team Leadership & Development
Build and mentor a high-performing team of GenAI specialists, fostering a culture of agility, creativity, and continuous improvement.
Promote professional growth and a learning-oriented environment to ensure the team remains at the forefront of AI and industry developments.
Facilitate knowledge sharing within the lab and with broader Heineken teams to maximize the impact of GenAI solutions.
Stakeholder & Change Management
Engage senior leadership with updates on GenAI initiatives, showcasing successful use cases and their impact on business value.
Advocate for GenAI adoption within Heineken, driving awareness and alignment with the lab’s mission to enhance efficiency, innovation, and growth.
Key Requirements:
Education: Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant field such as Computer Science, Data Science, or AI.
Experience:
Over 10 years in technology and AI/ML, with at least 5 years leading high-impact AI or innovation labs, preferably with a focus on GenAI.
Proven track record of deploying GenAI solutions at scale, from ideation through to production, ensuring reliability, scalability, and security.
Demonstrated experience collaborating with C-suite and senior stakeholders, with strong skills in aligning technical solutions to business outcomes.
Technical Expertise:
Strong understanding of GenAI frameworks, models, and ecosystems, including hands-on familiarity with tools like OpenAI, Microsoft Azure AI, or similar platforms.
Experience in designing and optimizing machine learning pipelines, model lifecycle management, and MLOps practices for efficient and scalable AI deployment.
Knowledge of data management best practices, data privacy, and ethical considerations in AI, with a focus on responsible AI principles.
Competence in areas such as NLP, computer vision, and large language models (LLMs) to inform decision-making on GenAI applications and architecture.
Skills:
Visionary leadership with the ability to set and communicate a clear strategic direction for the lab.
Exceptional project management, organizational, and people leadership skills, with a focus on developing and motivating high-performance teams.
Strong partnership management skills to effectively collaborate with external providers and maximize the value of strategic alliances.
Excellent communication and influence skills, adept at translating complex technical concepts into actionable business insights for stakeholders at all levels.