Director, AI Transformation & Enablement

About Tekion: Positively disrupting an industry that has not seen any innovation in over 50 years, Tekion has challenged the paradigm with the first and fastest cloud-native automotive platform that includes the revolutionary Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC) for retailers, Automotive Enterprise Cloud (AEC) for manufacturers and other large automotive enterprises and Automotive Partner Cloud (APC) for technology and industry partners. Tekion connects the entire spectrum of the automotive retail ecosystem through one seamless platform. The transformative platform uses cutting-edge technology, big data, machine learning, and AI to seamlessly bring together OEMs, retailers/dealers and consumers. With its highly configurable integration and greater customer engagement capabilities, Tekion is enabling the best automotive retail experiences ever. Tekion employs close to 3,000 people across North America, Asia and Europe. This role is on site in Pleasanton, California  Job Summary   AI is changing the world — and at Tekion, we’re shaping how our people grow with it.  This is not a role about replacing what Tekionites do. It’s about expanding what they’re capable of.  As our Director, AI Transformation & Enablement, you will architect the strategy, programs, and frameworks that help every Tekionite — from individual contributors to senior leaders — understand, embrace, and leverage AI as a genuine superpower in their everyday work. You’ll also use AI as a core part of how you and your team operate, actively modeling the future we’re building together.  This a brand-new role on a newly formed team — which means you’ll be building from the ground up, with the full support of the CPO and senior leadership. Some things are still taking shape, and that’s intentional: we want someone who thrives in that kind of environment, brings structure where it’s needed, and stays energized by ambiguity rather than derailed by it.  You’ll lead a lean but mighty team of 2+, partnering with cross-functional leaders across the business to define what the future of work at Tekion looks like — for a company that is itself building the AI products transforming an entire industry. With a small team, you’ll be expected to use AI — including building and deploying AI agents in Claude and other platforms — to multiply your team’s impact and model the kind of AI-powered working that you’re asking others to adopt.  Workforce Planning & Job Architecture  Build and maintain a forward-looking workforce planning framework that maps current talent capabilities against future AI-augmented skill needs  Lead a comprehensive job architecture redesign that reflects how roles and work are evolving — ensuring clarity, equity, and alignment across job families, levels, and career paths  Partner with HR Business Partners and business leaders to identify skill gaps and co-design targeted upskilling and reskilling pathways  Develop a data-driven approach to talent planning — using people analytics and AI-powered tools to help Tekion make smarter, faster decisions about where and how to grow  Advise on human-AI collaboration models and how roles may evolve as AI capabilities expand  Talent Management  Embed AI fluency and enablement into key talent processes — including hiring, onboarding, performance management, and career development — in partnership with L&D, HRBPs, and Talent Acquisition  Design capability frameworks and learning pathways that help Tekionites build careers that evolve alongside AI — not in competition with it  Identify and develop AI champions and early adopters who can help scale enablement peer-to-peer across the organization  Ensure talent programs reflect the changing nature of work and position Tekion as a place where people come to grow into their best future selves  Team Leadership & Execution  Lead, develop, and grow a lean team of 2+ people professionals — using AI tools and agents to multiply the team’s output and operate above your headcount  Build and deploy AI agents in Claude and other platforms to automate and accelerate team workflows, from content development to program reporting and stakeholder communications  Set clear goals, OKRs, and success metrics — and track meaningful impact across all programs and initiatives  Operate with a startup mindset in a fast-moving, resource-constrained environment and be tenacious about achieving goals, resourceful in how you get there, and flexible as priorities evolve in this new and growing function  Stay actively connected to the external AI transformation community — bringing best practices, emerging trends, and peer benchmarks back into Tekion’s strategy on an ongoing basis  WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR   Required Qualifications   10+ years of progressive HR, People Operations, organizational development, or management consulting experience, with at least 3–5 years managing teams (consulting background a strong bonus)  Demonstrated experience leading AI, technology, digital transformation, or other large-scale transformation initiatives with a strong people and change management lens  Proven track record in change management — ideally with formal methodology experience (Prosci/ADKAR, Kotter, or similar frameworks)  Experience personally facilitating and conducting AI transformation training and workshops at other companies — not just designing programs or managing others who deliver them  Experience designing AI transformation training curricula or capability programs, with the ability to build and iterate content rapidly based on learner feedback  Demonstrated ability to build and use AI agents (e.g., in Claude, OpenAI, or similar platforms) to automate workflows, enhance productivity, or deliver better outcomes with a small team  Active, hands-on use of AI tools (generative AI, copilots, productivity assistants) as a meaningful part of your day-to-day professional work  Experien