AI Advisory Principal

<p>Scale AI's Advisory practice is the most forward-leaning bet in our go-to-market motion. We're not waiting for clients to hand us a scope — we get in front of the decision, shape the right AI problems before a build begins, and make Scale the obvious partner for what comes next.</p> <p>Advisory is the structured answer to the question enterprises are already asking us: <em>"What should we build, and where do we start?"</em> It's a discovery and scoping phase that runs before delivery — designed to land bigger contracts, drive more predictable execution, and accelerate expansion. By 2027, it will be Scale's default first engagement with new enterprise clients.</p> <p>As an AI Advisory Principal, you lead Scale's Advisory work in your vertical, end-to-end. In pre-sales, you shape and qualify opportunities alongside Account Executives and sell the Advisory phase to clients. In delivery, you're the Directly Responsible Individual on engagements — owning the client relationship, running the discovery and scoping work, and accountable for the outcome. Underpinning both, you build out the vertical point of view — the industry and AI expertise that makes Advisory credible — and, as one of the function's first hires, help build the Advisory motion itself. This is a hands-on role: you do the advisory work, not just manage it.</p> <h2>What You'll Own</h2> <p>You own the engagement and the vertical — from the first pre-sales conversation through the final readout.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Lead engagements end-to-end.</strong> You're the Directly Responsible Individual on engagements — owning the client relationship, running workshops, leading the final readout, driving the direction, and accountable for the outcome (use-case selection, SOW quality, delivery). You coordinate and direct the Solutions Engineers, Designers, Tech Leads, and DSGs on the engagement without managing them directly.</li> <li><strong>Sell Advisory in your vertical.</strong> You build the approach, lead the Advisory portion of key pre-sales meetings, bring industry roadmap examples from buyer peers, and qualify opportunities with Account Executives — and you represent Scale and Advisory at industry events.</li> <li><strong>Build the vertical point of view.</strong> You develop your vertical's point of view — the AI-shaped problems, best practices, technology and learnings, and buyer-peer and competitor intelligence that make Advisory credible in the field.</li> <li><strong>Grow the playbook from the field.</strong> You surface what's working and what isn't across your engagements, document the patterns and reusable approaches, and work with DSGs to update the Advisory approach based on build feedback.</li> <li><strong>Manage your Consultant.</strong> You manage the Consultant on your engagements and overall — coaching them, giving feedback, and owning their professional development — and you provide input on Consultant hiring.</li> </ul> <h2>Qualifications</h2> <p><strong>Ideally, you’d have</strong></p> <ul> <li>Senior manager or principal equivalent experience at a Tier 1 firm (McKinsey, Bain, BCG ideally); 7+ years of work experience. AI strategy or transformation experience strongly preferred.</li> <li>Scoping, proposal, and pitching experience — comfortable shaping and selling an engagement, not just delivering it.</li> <li>The judgment to advise clients directly on where AI creates value — identifying and shaping the right, AI-shaped use cases for their business.</li> <li>The technical credibility to speak to AI builds credibility and to work closely with Solutions Engineers on feasibility.</li> <li>A classic consulting toolkit e.g. strategy, operating-model, governance, change management, and exec-ready storytelling to assist clients in developing an AI strategy</li> <li>Experience designing and facilitating client workshops.</li> <li>A natural relationship-builder who establishes trusted-advisor credibility early, paired with the judgment to own outcomes independently.</li> <li>Strategic but hands-on: able to think at the level of a client's AI agenda and still get into the day-to-day work of an engagement.</li> <li>Willingness to travel 30-60 percent, which can include international trips depending on the account.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Nice to Have</strong></p> <ul> <li>Deep expertise in at least one enterprise vertical&nbsp; (Consumer, Financial &amp; Professional Services, Healthcare &amp; Life Sciences) — the industry depth to be credible with senior stakeholders.</li>