Senior Director, AI Platforms

The Sr Director, AI Platforms is the senior technical leader accountable for building and operating Trace3's AI Platforms practice within the Infrastructure & Operations Business Unit of the Office of the CTO. This role combines deep, hands-on expertise in full-stack AI factory design with leadership of a high-performing technical presales team. The Sr Director owns the architecture and deal-shaping of multi-million dollar AI infrastructure opportunities spanning GPU compute, high-performance networking, scale-out storage, and the surrounding software stack, and is directly accountable for the operation of Trace3's AI Labs. As a senior practice leader and Field-CxO-caliber advisor, this individual engages directly with client executives, OEM leadership, and Trace3 field account teams to architect production AI factories built on platforms from NVIDIA, Cisco, Dell Technologies, Super Micro, Lenovo, HPE, and the adjacent ecosystem. The ideal candidate brings proven implementation experience at scale (multi-rack, GPU-dense deployments with InfiniBand or Spectrum-X fabrics, parallel file systems, and production-grade cooling and power design), combined with the commercial acumen to drive meaningful product and services growth for Trace3.

Responsibilities

Accountable for building and operating Trace3's AI Platforms practice within the Infrastructure & Operations Business Unit of the Office of the CTO; Own the architecture and deal-shaping of multi-million dollar AI infrastructure opportunities spanning GPU compute, high-performance networking, scale-out storage, and the surrounding software stack; Directly accountable for the operation of Trace3's AI Labs; Engage directly with client executives, OEM leadership, and Trace3 field account teams to architect production AI factories; Build, hire, coach, and retain a team of presales solutions architects covering AI infrastructure and HPC, orchestration and observability, and AI-specific cybersecurity; Own team capacity planning, deal support coverage, and utilization targets; Serve as the primary technical architect for Trace3's largest and most complex AI infrastructure opportunities; Architect end-to-end designs covering GPU compute, CPU head nodes, scale-out and parallel storage, east-west and north-south networking, power, cooling, and facility integration; Define reference architectures, bill-of-materials templates, and repeatable deal patterns; Own the technical roadmap, funding case, and day-to-day operation of Trace3's AI Labs environments; Serve as the senior Trace3 technical point of contact for NVIDIA, Cisco, Dell Technologies, Super Micro, Lenovo, and HPE; Lead complex technical discovery sessions, solutioning workshops, and executive briefings for strategic accounts; Review and approve major proposals and statements of work; Shape Trace3's public point of view on AI factory design, AI readiness, and infrastructure modernization; Partner with Services Delivery and Sales Leadership to align presales coverage and ensure clean transitions

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field; 12+ years of progressive experience in enterprise infrastructure, with at least 5+ years hands-on designing and implementing AI, ML, or HPC environments at production scale; Demonstrated delivery experience on multi-rack, GPU-dense factory deployments using at least two of the following platform families: NVIDIA DGX or HGX, Cisco AI infrastructure, Dell PowerEdge XE, Super Micro, Lenovo ThinkSystem, HPE ProLiant Compute DL or Cray; Deep technical fluency across GPU compute, high-performance networking (InfiniBand, RoCE, NVIDIA Spectrum-X), parallel and scale-out file systems (VAST, WEKA, DDN, Pure, NetApp ONTAP AI), and AI-optimized cooling and power design; Working command of the orchestration and operations stack including Kubernetes, Slurm, Run:ai, NVIDIA Base Command, Mission Control, and mainstream observability and MLOps tooling; Familiarity with AI-specific security considerations including model protection, data governance, inference security, and alignment with emerging regulatory frameworks; 5+ years of people leadership experience with direct accountability for building and growing technical presales or architecture teams; Executive presence with proven ability to engage CxO-level stakeholders at customers and OEM partners; Strong track record in a VAR, OEM, hyperscaler, or large enterprise setting with multi-million dollar annual opportunity ownership; Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to simplify complex AI infrastructure concepts for non-technical audiences; Willingness to travel up to 50% to various locations around the United States as business needs require; valid driver's license required

Nice to have

Advanced degree preferred

Benefits

Comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans for you and your dependents; 401(k) Retirement Plan with Employer Match, 529 College Savings Plan, Health Savings Account, Life Insurance, and Long-Term Disability; Competitive Compensation; Training and development programs; Major offices stocked with snacks and beverages; Collaborative and cool culture; Work-life balance and generous paid time off; Eligible for variable incentive compensation, such as bonuses or commissions