Senior Principal AI Transformation Program Lead
What Makes a Honda, is Who makes a Honda
Honda has a clear vision for the future, and it’s a joyful one. We are looking for individuals with the skills, courage, persistence, and dreams that will help us reach our future-focused goals. At our core is innovation. Honda is constantly innovating and developing solutions to drive our business with record success. We strive to be a company that serves as a source of “power” that supports people around the world who are trying to do things based on their own initiative and that helps people expand their own potential. To this end, Honda strives to realize “the joy and freedom of mobility” by developing new technologies and an innovative approach to achieve a “zero environmental footprint.”
We are looking for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, continuous improvement values, and a strong work ethic to join our team.
If your goals and values align with Honda’s, we want you to join our team to Bring the Future!
Job Purpose
- Lead the execution and orchestration of AI initiatives within the AI Transformation Hub, guiding projects from Proof of Concept through pilot and into production deployment in alignment with Honda’s enterprise governance, IT standards, and business priorities.
- This role serves as the primary coordination point across business owners, IT, data teams, and solution partners to ensure AI initiatives progress through defined lifecycle stages with appropriate readiness, transparency, and risk management.
- The Project Leader operates within the AI Transformation Hub Control Tower operating model, executing established standards and governance, enabling informed decision-making, delivery discipline, and successful operational transition of AI solutions.
Key Accountabilities
- Lead end-to-end execution of AI initiatives across the full lifecycle (intake → production), ensuring alignment with enterprise governance, prioritization, and business objectives
- Drive cross-functional integration between business units and coordinate dependencies, milestones, and delivery outcomes
- Ensure delivery discipline and governance compliance by tracking progress, risks, and readiness, and escalating through Control Tower frameworks for timely decision-making
- Enable production readiness and operational transition including validation planning, data ownership alignment, security/compliance reviews, and sustainment handoffs
- Maintain visibility into initiative status, risks, and outcomes, supporting informed leadership decisions across the AI Transformation Hub
- Continuously improve delivery standards and lifecycle practices by feeding lessons learned into governance models and representing North America perspectives in global coordination
Qualifications, Experience, and Skills
- Minimum Educational Qualifications:
- At least a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science / Data Science / Data Engineering / Applied Mathematics / Mechanical Engineering or a related STEM field of study and/or Project Management.
- Minimum Experience:
- 10+ years of relevant experience in engineering, IT delivery, digital transformation, or advanced analytics environments.
- Other Job-Specific Skills:
- Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional initiatives involving business, IT, and technical teams.
- Experience supporting the transition of solutions from pilot or experimental phases into production environments.
- Strong understanding of AI solution lifecycles and enterprise delivery processes
- Ability to translate business objectives into structured execution plans
- Technical fluency sufficient to collaborate with AI, data, and IT teams (hands-on development not required)
- Strong stakeholder coordination and influence skills
- Structured risk identification, issue management, and escalation capability
- Senior leader and executive facing communication and facilitation skills
- Ability to operate effectively within enterprise governance and control frameworks
- High integrity and discretion in handling sensitive data and intellectual property
Workstyle
- This is an onsite job. One remote workday per week may be possible with prior departmental approval.
What differentiates Honda and makes us an employer of choice?
Total Rewards:
- Competitive Base Salary (pay will be based on several variables that include, but not limited to geographic location, work experience, etc.)
- Regional Bonus (when applicable)
- Manager Lease Car Program (No Cost - Car, Maintenance, and Insurance included)
- Industry-leading Benefit Plans (Medical, Dental, Vision, Rx)
- Paid time off, including vacation, holidays, shutdown
- Company Paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
- 401K Plan with company match + additional contribution
- Relocation assistance (if eligible)
Career Growth:
- Advancement Opportunities
- Career Mobility
- Education Reimbursement for Continued learning
- Training and Development Programs
Additional Offerings:
- Lifestyle Account
- Childcare Reimbursement Account
- Elder Care Support
- Tuition Assistance & Student Loan Repayment
- Wellbeing Program
- Community Service and Engagement Programs
- Product Programs
Honda is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor.
Program Management pay context
Based on 1,210 disclosed Program Management salaries on RoleSuite, the role pays a median of $156K/year, with most offers between $124K and $193K (10th–90th percentile: $96K–$225K).
This posting lists $115K–$144K, below the $156K market median.
See the full Program Management salary breakdown →