Data Practice Lead

USA (Remote) with 35-40% Travel Robots & Pencils is an applied AI engineering firm building the next frontier of business architecture. We design and ship AI co-workers that integrate into enterprise operations and deliver measurable results for our clients. We're all in on AWS, combining deep UX capability with senior engineering talent to get AI into production fast and keep it there.

We’ve earned the trust of leaders across Consumer Products and Retail, Education, Energy, Financial Services, Healthcare, and Manufacturing and more, and earned a reputation as the nimble alternative to traditional global systems integrators. Founded in 2009, with delivery centers in Canada, the United States, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, we are smaller, faster, and more senior by design. Our teams average 15+ years of experience.

We move fast, sweat the details, and build things that actually ship. Position Overview We’re looking for a Vice President, Data to build, lead, and grow R&P’s data practice from the ground up. This is an important role at Robots & Pencils, a player-coach position that demands equal parts technical depth, business ownership, and leadership.

You will establish R&P as a go-to partner for data strategy, modern data architecture, AI-ready platforms, business intelligence, and data engineering. You will own the practice as a true business, with full accountability for revenue, profitability, client outcomes, and team development. You’ll report to the Global Head of Delivery, and be part of the Senior Leadership team.

What You’Ll Do

Technical Expertise Act as the senior data authority in front of client CTOs, CIOs, and heads of data, leading pursuit work where data is the primary buy Develop strategic views on where the data market is headed Champion internal and external thought leadership, publishing points of view, speaking at industry events, and elevating R&P’s brand in the data ecosystem Develop best-in-class solutions architecture recommendations for clients and prospects Contribute to R&P's AI software development lifecycle — helping advance internal AI capabilities and embedding intelligent practices into data delivery Management & Leadership Build and lead a high-performing team of data consultants, engineers, BI leads, and data scientists, consolidating practitioners currently embedded across the firm and fostering a culture of excellence, curiosity, and accountability Set the technical standards, career architecture, and development pathways for data practitioners inside the firm Cultivate a collaborative, inclusive practice culture that attracts and retains top talent Business Ownership & Commercial Strategy Build the data practice into a $5m revenue practice in the first twelve months; own the full P&L with accountability for revenue, chargeability, and gross margin Set a clear vision for the practice and communicate it compellingly to both internal stakeholders and clients Define service lines, target industries, pricing logic, and operating model; shape the data proposition in partnership with the commercial team Partner with the sales organization and client teams to identify, develop, and expand strategic accounts where data capabilities can drive meaningful transformation Lead and support presales solutioning and scoping engagements, crafting compelling proposals and winning new business Lead the firm’s Databricks relationship and adjacent data partnerships; convert partnership status into pipeline, co-sell motions, and joint delivery Required Skills & Experience 10+ years of progressive experience in data and analytics, with at least 3 years at director, principal, or practice-lead level within a professional services or technology consulting business Demonstrated track record of building or scaling a data practice or service line, including ownership of P&L and go-to-market strategy Proven experience solutioning and delivering complex data engagements across data engineering, analytics, cloud migr