About this role
Position Title: VP, Digital Technology and AI North America
Position Type: Regular - Full-Time
Requisition ID: 45548
Vice President, Digital Technology and AI North America
Chicago
Reports to: Chief Technology and Information Officer (CTIO)
Leadership Teams: Global Digital Technology (DT) Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and the North America (NA) Regional President's SLT
Key partners: Regional President, NA SLT, CTIO, and Global DT leaders
Our Global Digital Technology team harnesses technology, data, digital capabilities and AI to drive profitable growth, enhance customer experience and advance our purpose of “Celebrating real connections through delicious, planet-friendly food”.
Accelerating our 2030 strategy
We are undertaking an ambitious digital transformation across agriculture, manufacturing, supply chain, and commercial operations to accelerate our 20*30 Strategy. We are investing significantly in digital, AI, and technology capabilities, building a data-driven culture, and embedding AI into how we work so we move faster and decide better.
We build digital products for customers, suppliers, growers, and McCainers. Better technology, a superior user experience, and broader access to data and AI tools empower our teams and change how we work.
Are you ready to join us?
About the role
We are recruiting a Vice President, Digital Technology and AI, to lead technology, AI, and digital transformation across commercial, agriculture, manufacturing, and supply chain in North America. You will build capabilities that improve customer experience and drive profitable growth.
You will be a strategic, inspiring leader and a trusted partner to the Regional President and the NA SLT. With the CTIO and Global DT, you will shape strategy and priorities, accelerate the adoption of technology, data, and AI, develop talent, and build a winning culture.
You co-own business outcomes in North America. This is not a standalone technology agenda. You carry NA priorities into Global DT, and you make sure global programs land in NA with speed, the right outcomes, and the right time to market.
What you’ll be doing.
Strategy and roadmap
Develop the NA digital strategy and program roadmap with the Regional President and the NA SLT, aligned with the global strategy.
Understand business pain points quickly, know the art of the possible in technology and AI, and push the NA and Global DT teams to land it in NA.
Show up as an NA business leader first, contributing on all topics beyond technology.
AI, data, and automation
Lead the NA agenda for AI, automation, master data, APIs, analytics, and reimagined agentic processes.
Lead the move to global data and secure platforms, and enable data-driven and algorithm-based processes.
Work with business leaders to secure business resources and improve data quality and standardization.
Work with venture capital firms (VCs), innovators, start-ups, and global and regional technology providers to speed up innovation.
Investment and value
Lead NA technology investment plans, including forecasting and business cases, and make the NA case for funding within the Global DT budget.
Build business adoption and resourcing plans, and identify vendor alternatives.
Track benefits against each business case and report results to the NA SLT.
Global-to-NA delivery
Partner with Global DT to shape global programs, define NA priorities and scope, and support regional business cases.
Make sure solutions deliver a strong user experience, security, scalability, stability, and cost-effectiveness.
Drive change management so global programs land in NA with speed and impact.
Partner with other DT leaders to maximize enterprise scale.
Security, privacy, and reliability
Make sure every delivered solution has security and privacy by design and meets control requirements.
Work with Global DT and plant leaders on OT security and the reliability of the systems our plants depend on.
People and culture
Lead, develop, and mentor a team of business partners who design and deliver technology solutions for the region.
Partner with business leaders to enable agile and product methodologies.
Build a growth mindset where teams experiment and learn quickly, while holding a zero-compromise standard for food safety, plant reliability, and cybersecurity.
Remove organizational barriers, build strong teamwork and excellent service delivery, and invest time in coaching.
What you’ll need to be successful.
This is a high-impact, high-visibility role and we are looking for a seasoned executive with a high level of business insight, passion for innovation, strong leadership skills, transformative mindset and a hyper-focus on leading the digital agenda and making a positive impact!
- 15 or more years of demonstrable strategic impact and delivery in global information technology, in an innovative, agile, customer-focused environment.
- Bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.
- Experience delivering a world-class digital, data, and AI transformation agenda.
- Experience with digital enablers and new technologies, such as cloud, robotics, APIs, AI/ML, DevSecOps, UX, and agile product transformation.
- Hands-on experience defining business capabilities, technology strategies, and roadmaps, and building business cases focused on benefits and value.
- Experience driving adoption of modern data platforms and products, AI/ML, and generative AI, and democratizing data within a region.
- Demonstrated experience building capabilities in at least two of commercial, agriculture, supply chain, and manufacturing, ideally in CPG or food.
- Proven experience leading large teams and leading through influence in a matrix environment.
Preferred
- Experience in the remaining areas above, and in finance and HR transformation.
- ERP experience in a B2B environment. SAP S/4 and Blue Yonder SCP are a distinct plus.
- Operational technology and plant-floor experience.
- Experience from adjacent industries, such as food manufacturing, QSR and foodservice technology, ag-tech, or industrial, which we welcome.
Leadership Principles and behaviours
You will show the McCain Leadership Principles in how you set direction, make decisions, and lead others.
We are customer obsessed
- We start with the customer, understand their needs, and then work backwards.
- We use data and consumer insights to drive our mutual success.
- We make doing business with McCain easy.
- In this role: turn trusted data and insight into measurable results across cost, growth, service, safety, quality, sustainability, and working capital, and build credibility by advising and constructively challenging stakeholders, including at the executive level.
We think big and plan ahead
- We set ambitious goals and plan ahead to make them happen.
- We are curious, always seeking to learn, improve and simplify.
- We take smart risks, tenaciously innovating and scaling our successes.
- In this role: set a bold but practical vision for the NA digital, data, and AI future, and turn it into a sequenced roadmap, scalable architecture, and clear investment choices. Hold a zero-compromise standard where food safety, plant reliability, and cybersecurity are at stake.
We bring out the best in our people
- We build trust and inclusion by listening first and showing humility.
- We create a safe space for healthy debate, then commit to a decision together.
- We empower our people through development, coaching and recognition.
- In this role: build and lead diverse, high-performing teams, and lead complex, cross-functional programs through agile ways of working, adapting as priorities change.
We act like owners
- We take ownership of McCain's success, take initiative and work across boundaries.
- We roll up our sleeves, and we are present and accessible.
- We relentlessly prioritize, creating clarity to move with speed and impact.
- In this role: put the best outcome for McCain ahead of individual or functional agendas, make disciplined trade-offs across technology and data investments, and handle sensitive conversations directly, with calm, sound judgment, diplomacy, and respect.
About McCain.
Click Here to learn more about McCain and how we provide you with opportunities to make an impact that matters.
The McCain experience.
We are McCain. This statement is a testament to our collective strength and our individual value. Your contributions play a vital role in our success. Our winning culture is rooted in authenticity and trust, empowering us to bring out the best in one another. Here, you’ll find opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Join us and experience why we’re better together.
Our purpose is grounded in building meaningful relationships. We’re big believers in the power of working together in person—it helps us stay connected, collaborate more effectively, and grow as a team. At the same time, we recognize the importance of flexibility. Most office-based roles follow a hybrid model, with the option to work remotely two days a week. There may be exceptions depending on the role and location, so we encourage you to speak with your recruiter for more details.
McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family-owned company, we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know and we will work with you to find appropriate solutions.
Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree this will be handled in accordance with McCain’s Global Privacy Policy and Global Employee Privacy Policy, as applicable. McCain leverages AI in the hiring process, though all final decisions are made by humans. You can understand our approach to AI and how your personal information is being handled here.
Job Family: Information Technology
Location(s): US - United States of America : Illinois : Oakbrook Terrace || US - United States of America : Illinois : Chicago || US - United States of America : Illinois : Lisle
Company: McCain Foods USA, Inc.