We are looking for a senior, strategic and well-connected leader to define and lead Innova IRV's AI and Data agenda, combining executive ownership of strategy, governance and innovation delivery with the ability to build strong partnerships across industry, research and both national and European digital ecosystem.

As Director of AI & Data, you will define and execute Innova IRV's strategy for Artificial Intelligence and data, translating emerging technologies into a coherent portfolio of innovation projects, adoption and business opportunities. You will provide senior leadership across AI and data initiatives, establish priorities and governance, oversee the progression of use cases from discovery and experimentation to operational deployment, and ensure alignment with the Foundation's institutional objectives and the needs of industry and public administrations. The role combines strategic leadership, technical judgement, portfolio and stakeholder management, team development and external representation, with a strong focus on measurable impact, responsible adoption and national and European collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

AI & Data Strategy, Governance & Portfolio

- Define, own and periodically refresh Innova IRV's AI and Data strategy, translating institutional priorities and market needs into a clear multi-year roadmap, investment priorities and measurable outcomes.
- Establish and lead portfolio governance for AI and data initiatives, prioritising use cases, resources and partnerships according to strategic value, feasibility, risks assessment, scalability and expected impact.
- Set principles and decision frameworks for responsible AI, data governance, model evaluation, security, privacy and regulatory compliance, ensuring that innovation can move safely from concept notes to real projects and finally to the market.
- Provide executive-level advice to Innova IRV leadership and key partners on AI and data opportunities, technology choices, strategic relations at national and European level, build/buy/partner decisions and the organisational implications of adoption.

Ecosystem Development, Strategic Partnerships & European Programmes

- Build and lead a high-value ecosystem around AI and data-intensive technologies, engaging universities, research institutions, technology companies, startups, SMEs, large enterprises, public bodies and investors to originate projects, partnerships and adoption opportunities.
- Identify and develop strategic partnerships integrating AI platform providers, cloud and data companies, research organisations and industrial partners, creating sustained collaboration around joint projects, technology adoption, capability building and market opportunities.
- Strengthen Málaga, Andalusia and the Iberian Peninsula as a European hub for applied AI and data innovation, leveraging regional capabilities in Generative AI, cybersecurity, microelectronics, advanced communications, digital health, Industry 4.0 and other data-intensive sectors.

AI & Data Innovation, Delivery & Business Creation

- Develop and support a pipeline of AI and data initiatives across national and European research and innovation programmes, connecting companies and research groups to funding, technology partners, computing and data infrastructures, pilot environments and routes to market.
- Identify and develop high-impact use cases involving large language models (LLMs), retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), AI agents, multimodal AI, advanced analytics and large-scale data processing, helping organisations move from experimentation to operational deployment.
- Coordinate the definition and delivery of AI and data innovation projects with clear technical,



business and societal impact, including objectives, partners, work plans, budgets, KPIs, risks, governance and exploitation pathways.
- Provide senior technical direction across state of the arts, technology watch and forecast solution architecture, data foundations, model selection, evaluation, MLOps/LLMOps, cloud/edge deployment and integration, working with internal and external specialists rather than acting as the day-to-day technical implementer.
- Drive the transition from pilots to scalable services and repeatable offerings, including business cases, adoption plans, KPIs, operating models, risk controls and exploitation/commercialisation pathways.

Team, Capability & Talent Development

- Build, lead and develop a multidisciplinary AI and data capability framework, defining roles, ways of working, priorities and quality standards across internal teams, external experts and project partners.
- Promote and coordinate education and training initiatives to address skills gaps in Generative AI, data engineering, machine learning, AI governance and the industrial adoption of data-driven technologies.
- Foster collaboration between academic institutions and industry to design programmes that combine technical skills, entrepreneurship and practical experience with real datasets, AI models and industrial use cases.

Strategy, Representation & Communication

- Define and implement Innova IRV's Generative AI and Data Innovation strategy in alignment with the Foundation's institutional goals, European digital priorities and the needs of industry and public administrations.
- Represent Innova IRV Foundation in national and European AI, data and digital innovation networks, programme forums, working groups and external stakeholder events.
- Advise public and private organisations on strategic decisions related to Generative AI, data exploitation and digital transformation, producing technical reports, roadmaps and position papers with technological, regulatory and economic relevance.
- Develop executive dashboards and portfolio reporting that make progress, risks, investment needs and realised impact visible to Innova IRV leadership and relevant governance bodies.
- Promote the visibility and impact of Innova IRV's AI and data capabilities through communications, demonstrators, workshops, events and active participation in technology and innovation conferences.
- Lead and participate in related standardisation activities at national and European levels.

Minimum Requirements

- 7 years of experience in technology innovation, digital transformation, innovation ecosystem management, strategic partnerships, technology transfer or related activities, with demonstrable exposure to Artificial Intelligence and/or data-intensive projects.
- Demonstrated ability to lead multi-stakeholder ecosystems involving academia, technology providers, industry, public bodies, startups and investors, and to convert relationships into concrete funding programmes, projects and strategic partnerships.
- Proven track record in leading or developing R&D;&I; projects and funding proposals within European or national programmes such as Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, EuroHPC, EIT, Interreg, CDTI or equivalent.
- Excellent executive communication, negotiation, portfolio and leadership skills,



with the ability to translate between technical teams, business stakeholders, senior management and public institutions.
- Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams or complex matrixed programmes, setting priorities and coordinating technical, business and institutional stakeholders.
- Ability to evaluate AI and data opportunities at both strategic and technical levels, challenge assumptions, make prioritisation decisions and communicate trade-offs to executive and non-technical audiences.
- Strong command of English and Spanish
- University degree in Computer Science, Telecommunications Engineering, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics, Industrial Engineering or a related technical field; Master's or PhD preferred.

Preferred Requirements

- Hands-on or project-level understanding of modern Generative AI architectures and applications, including LLMs, RAG, AI agents, vector databases, model evaluation and API-based integration.
- Experience with large-scale data environments, including data lakes or lakehouses, ETL/ELT pipelines, distributed processing, cloud platforms, data spaces, APIs and data governance.
- Experience supporting companies or startups in the adoption and commercialisation of AI, analytics or data-platform solutions, including pilots, acceleration, mentoring or investment facilitation.Experience taking AI, analytics or data-platform solutions from pilot to operational deployment and commercialisation, including adoption planning, scaling, acceleration, mentoring or investment facilitation.
- Proven experience and Deep knowledge of the European AI and data regulatory and policy landscape, including the EU AI Act, GDPR, Data Act, Data Governance Act and European Data Spaces initiatives.
- Experience in cross-border R&D;&I; collaboration and participation in European technology networks or consortia. Familiarity with MLOps, cloud/edge deployment, cybersecurity or high-performance computing is a plus.

What We Offer

- A leadership role at the intersection of Generative AI, data and industrial innovation, with the opportunity to shape high-impact initiatives from strategy to deployment.
- The opportunity to build and shape a multidisciplinary AI and data capability and influence the Foundation's long-term technology and innovation agenda.
- Integration into a national and European network of leading universities, research centres, technology companies, startups, public bodies and innovators working in AI and data.
- The institutional backing of Innova IRV Foundation and access to its network of technology partners, public bodies and industry players in Andalusia, Spain and Europe.
- A dynamic, technology-driven work environment at Innova IRV's innovation hub in Málaga, combining executive leadership, applied innovation, ecosystem development and international collaboration.
- Competitive compensation package aligned with the candidate's experience and the director-level scope of responsibility.

About Innova IRV Foundation

Innova IRV Foundation is a centre for technological innovation applied to industry, promoting and developing knowledge transfer activities to generate value in the market. With a strong presence in Málaga and a growing both national and international footprint, Innova IRV works at the intersection of research, technology providers, companies, startups and public bodies, supporting the development and deployment of solutions across areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Advanced Communications, Microelectronics, and Applied Technologies including energy, digital health, Agritech, Industry 4.0, dual use systems, defense and aerospace systems.

📌 AI & Data Innovation Ecosystem Director (Málaga)
🏢 INNOVA IRV
📍 Málaga