Berkshire Partners LLC

Vice President, Data Science & AI - Internal

Location: Boston, MA Office or New York, NY Office

Exempt Position

Reports to: Richard Lichtenstein, Head of Data Science & AI

Position Summary

Berkshire Partners is seeking a Vice President, Data Science & AI to join its AI team. This is a senior leadership role responsible for defining and executing a multi-year AI strategy with a focus on firm/internal Berkshire— and for driving measurable impact on operating performance and investment decision quality. The ideal candidate is a strategic AI leader with the authority and experience to set priorities, allocate resources, and lead both internal teams and external partners with discipline and rigor. This position reports to Richard Lichtenstein, Head of Data Science & AI.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Own intake, prioritization, and resource allocation within a firm-internal capability area.
• Design and manage a multi-year AI roadmap, including sequencing of initiatives and build vs. buy decisions, quantitative and rigorous evaluation of vendors and platforms, and clear success metrics for value realization.
• Lead and manage internal team members and external vendors to ensure disciplined, high-quality execution across multiple AI initiatives.
• Actively cultivate and oversee relationships with external partners and technology providers, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
• Ensure AI initiatives materially enhance investment decision quality for the firm.
• Serve as a senior advisor to investment teams and firm leadership on AI strategy and application.
• Lead hands-on technical experimentation, prototype and application building alongside deal teams; champion and enable horizontal AI tools (ChatGPT, Copilot, Codex, Claude) across the firm; and serve as the technical owner responsible for every significant architectural and implementation decision made under this function.
• Scopes and delivers practical internal tools across the firm’s highest-value workflow categories — including diligence scorecard and research tools, expert-call synthesis and knowledge extraction, investment memo and CIM parsing workflows, contract and document review, and internal portfolio-monitoring.
• Institutionalize repeatable playbooks, frameworks, and standards that scale AI capability across the firm, including standards for model performance evaluation, human-in-the-loop review and ongoing monitoring.
• Maintain strong, current knowledge of emerging AI technologies and apply that knowledge credibly in advising senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrate sound judgment in balancing innovation with operational discipline, avoiding unnecessary complexity or technology churn.
• Shape firm-level AI strategy and contribute to its ongoing evolution in partnership with firm leadership.

Skills and Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Statistics, Data Science, Engineering, or a related quantitative field; Graduate degree is a plus.
• 3-6 years of experience in data science, machine learning, or applied AI, with at least 2 years in a leadership or strategy-setting, solution deployment and cross-functional role, or equivalent academic experience.
• Demonstrated ability to own and drive a multi-year AI or technology roadmap from design through execution, including prioritization, business case deployment and measurable outcome tracking, including ROI modeling.
• Experience managing and developing internal teams as well as external vendors and technology partners.
• Strong business acumen and track record of connecting AI initiatives to tangible operational or financial outcomes.
• Comfortable operating as a senior advisor to executive-level stakeholders, including investment and operating leadership.
• Deep familiarity and active, hands-on experience with the AI and ML technology landscape, including emerging tools, platforms, vendors and talent, as well as the ability to assess architecture fit, data requirements, integration complexity and establishing output quality.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills; ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical audiences and collaborate with a diverse set of stakeholders.
• Experience in private equity, investment management, or working with portfolio companies is a plus.
• Embraces and actively promotes a team-oriented workplace.

The estimated base salary range for this position is $290,000 - $350,000. This position is also eligible for a discretionary bonus. The range posted is for a given job title, which can include multiple levels. Individual rates for the same job title may differ based on their level, responsibilities, location, skills and experience for a specific job.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to remain seated and/or stationary, often for prolonged periods. This position constantly operates a computer and other office productivity equipment, such as a calculator and printer. Requires the ability to read a computer screen as well as printed materials, concentrate for significant periods of time and to communicate information clearly. There is a low level of grasping, lifting, pushing, and/or pulling of objects of less than 50 lbs, and a moderate amount of bending and reaching for some job duties. The office environment has ambient room temperatures, lighting, and traditional office equipment.

About Berkshire Partners

Berkshire Partners is a multi-sector specialist investor in private and public equity, with a focus on U.S.-based, middle-market companies. The firm’s private equity team invests in well-positioned, growing companies across services, healthcare, industrials, and technology. Berkshire is currently investing from its Fund XI, which held its final closing in 2024 with approximately $7.8 billion in commitments. Since inception, Berkshire Partners has made more than 150 private equity investments and has a strong history of collaborating with management teams to grow the companies in which it invests. The firm's public equity group, Stockbridge, founded in 2007, manages a concentrated portfolio seeking attractive long-term investments. For additional information, visit www.berkshirepartners.com.

Berkshire Partners LLC is committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, and with regard to all individuals with whom we are in contact. It is our policy to prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type, and to treat all individuals equally without regard to an individual’s race, skin color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), reproductive health decision making (including the decision to use or access a particular drug, device, product or medical service for reproductive health), gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and gender nonconformity), age, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law (collectively, “identity”).