Director, AI and Data Analytics, Internal Audit

Flex is the diversified manufacturing partner of choice that helps market-leading brands design, build and deliver innovative products that improve the world.  A career at Flex offers the opportunity to make a difference and invest in your growth in a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative environment. If you are excited about a role but don't meet every bullet point, we encourage you to apply and join us to create the extraordinary.

To support our extraordinary teams who build great products and contribute to our growth, we’re looking to add a Director, AI and Data Analytics, Internal Audit in Chennai, India. ARMS is undergoing a strategic transformation into an AI-native, data- and intelligence-driven function. We are looking for a Director to lead this transformation by spearheading the department's AI implementation strategy and overseeing all data science, reporting, and dashboarding efforts. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can set technical direction, build and mentor a high-performing team, and partner closely with audit leadership across regions to embed AI and analytics into everyday audit practice. The ideal candidate combines strong technical fluency in AI/ML and data engineering with the leadership maturity to manage a mixed team of managers and technical specialists, and the communication skills and executive presence to influence senior stakeholders in a global organization. What a typical day looks like: AI Strategy & Implementation Own and drive the roadmap for AI adoption across Internal Audit, identifying use cases where AI can improve audit coverage, efficiency, and risk detection. Lead the design, build, and deployment of AI/ML solutions (e.g., anomaly detection, natural language processing for control testing, Agentic AI implementation and optimization, generative AI for audit documentation) to meet Audit objectives and Fraud Analytics plan. Evaluate and pilot emerging AI tools and vendor platforms; make build-vs-buy recommendations, coordinate with various internal teams and vendor to onboard solutions Establish governance, risk, and quality standards for AI models used within audit (model validation, explainability, bias monitoring, usage standardization). Data Science, Reporting & Dashboarding Lead all data science initiatives supporting annual audit planning for the department, individual audit planning, execution, and reporting. Own the strategy and roadmap for enterprise audit dashboards and reporting tools used by audit leadership and the broader team. Develop and deploy a Data-Analytics Self-service platform to ‘shift-right’ and democratize the technology usage within the team. Ensure data pipelines, models, and reporting infrastructure are scalable, well-documented, and maintainable. Translate complex analytical findings into clear, actionable insights for non-technical stakeholders.

Leadership Inspire, lead and develop a highly motivated and high performing team of 4–5 resources, including 2 managers and technical individual contributors (software developers, AI engineers, data scientists/analysts). Set team priorities, allocate resources across competing initiatives, and manage delivery quality and timelines. Coach managers on individual development and growth, team development, technical direction, and stakeholder management. Build a strong engineering/data science culture within an audit function — balancing innovation speed with the rigor and controls expected in audit. Stakeholder Management & Cross-Functional Partnership Serve as the primary point of contact for AI, data science, and reporting initiatives with Senior Directors across regional audit teams. Work with stakeholders and audit teams from Asia, India, EMEA and North/South America Encourage usage of shared tools, data sources, and methodologies. Present strategy, progress, and results to senior audit leadership and other executive stakeholders. AI Fluency & Enablement Design and