About the role

As the AI Lead, you will own and champion Artificial Intelligence across Pan Pac. This is a critical leadership role, working across four business units to increase AI awareness, capability and practical adoption, while delivering high‑value solutions that create measurable business impact.

Partnering closely with the business and supported by the Chief Information Officer, you will shape and deliver Pan Pac’s AI programme of work. This includes AI product management, delivery, governance and continuous improvement. Acting as the key connector between the business, IT, data teams and external vendors, you will turn real operational challenges into safe, scalable and valuable AI solutions aligned with Pan Pac’s digital roadmap and safety‑first culture.

Key Outcomes & Responsibilities

• Identify, define and prioritise high‑value AI use cases across operational, manufacturing and corporate environments

• Accountability for increasing AI awareness and capability across the organisation

• Lead discovery, requirements, testing and delivery of AI solutions, including generative AI, machine learning, automation and decision support

• Take a hands‑on role in solution design, prototyping and configuration

• Analyse trends and data sets to identify new AI and automation opportunities

• Integrate AI solutions into existing systems, ensuring performance, scalability, security and reliability

• Champion responsible, ethical and safe AI practices, including governance and risk management

• Drive business adoption, readiness and capability uplift across Pan Pac

• Act as the AI advocate and trusted advisor across Pan Pac’s four business units

About us
Pan Pac Forest Products is an integrated forest products company and a major part of the Hawkes Bay economy. We own substantial forests in the region and harvest and process these into high value pulp and lumber products which are sold around the world. Sustainability and safety are the foundations of our business. We have a team of over 430 full time staff and 400 contractors. We care for our people, the environment, and our community.

About you
You are a commercially minded, collaborative, leader who combines deep technical capability with the ability to deliver practical, high‑value solutions in complex business environments.

• Tertiary qualification in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business or a related field

• AI / ML / Generative AI credentials; Agile and ITIL certification desirable

• Proven experience leading or delivering systems, data, automation or advanced analytics initiatives in complex business environments

• Practical experience building, configuring and deploying AI, ML and automation solutions

• Solid understanding of AI governance, risk management, security and ethical AI practices

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex technical concepts

• High attention to detail, strong planning and prioritisation skills

• Pragmatic mindset with a strong commitment to responsible technology adoption

We look forward to receiving your application.