AI Strategist

CLA is a top 10 national professional services firm where our purpose is to create opportunities every day, for our clients, our people, and our communities through industry-focused wealth advisory, digital, audit, tax, consulting, and outsourcing services. Even with more than 8,500 people, 130 U.S. locations, and a global reach, we promise to know you and help you.

CLA is dedicated to building a culture that invites different beliefs and perspectives to the table, so we can truly know and help our clients, communities, and each other.

• Flexible PTO (designed to offer flexible time away for you!)
• Up to 12 weeks paid parental leave
• Paid Volunteer Time Off
• Mental health coverage
• Quarterly Wellness stipend
• Fertility benefits
• Complete list of benefits here

CLA is seeking an AI Strategy Advisor to help organizations translate rapidly evolving AI capabilities into practical, scalable, and value‑driven business outcomes. This role is designed for a highly autonomous professional who can originate, lead, and deliver AI strategy engagements end‑to‑end with minimal supervision.

The ideal candidate brings strong strategic judgment, technical fluency across modern AI capabilities, and the executive presence to advise senior leaders.

You will own client engagements from initial opportunity framing through strategic design and execution guidance—serving as a trusted advisor on how AI should be deployed responsibly, effectively, and at scale.

This is a high‑impact, high‑autonomy role for someone who wants to shape AI strategy for mid‑market organizations, influence executive decision‑making, and help define how businesses adopt AI in a way that aligns with their strategy, risk posture, and long‑term objectives.

Lead the design and delivery of AI strategy engagements, including AI opportunity identification and prioritization. Operating model and capability design. AI governance, risk, and responsible AI frameworks. Roadmaps for AI adoption, scaling, and value realization. Translate complex AI concepts (e.g., generative AI, agentic systems, automation) into clear executive‑level insights and decisions. Advise clients on aligning AI initiatives with business strategy, risk tolerance, regulatory considerations, and organizational readiness.

• Own projects end‑to‑end, from scoping and planning through and executive readout.
• Serve as the primary day‑to‑day client lead, managing scope, timelines, quality, and outcomes with minimal oversight.
• Coordinate with cross‑functional teams (data science, engineering, risk, legal, cyber, operations) as needed to deliver integrated solutions.
• Proactively identify risks, dependencies, and decision points; elevate thoughtfully and early when required.

• Contribute to the development of AI frameworks, methodologies, accelerators, and points of view.
• Stay current on AI trends, regulations, and industry use cases; synthesize insights into practical guidance for clients and internal teams.
• Support business development through proposal contributions, client conversations, and thought leadership materials.

• Build trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders (Director, VP, C‑suite).
• Identify follow‑on opportunities and help shape future engagements based on client needs.
• Act as a visible representative of the firm’s AI capabilities and perspective.

• Bachelor's degree is required. Combination of relevant experience, education, and training may be accepted in lieu of degree.
• Degree in a field of Business, Accounting, Finance, Economics, Analytics, or Data Science (e.g., Informatics, Data Science, Health Data Science) preferred. Master’s degree or Ph.D. preferred.
• Five years of relevant experience required; 10+ years of experience preferred.
• Experience in data analytics, statistics, data science, financial consulting, computer science or related field preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, ambiguous projects with limited supervision.
• Strong working knowledge of AI concepts, including:
  • Generative…