Chief AI Strategist

Why N-able

N-able is a global cybersecurity company delivering business resilience to managed service providers (MSPs) and IT organizations. AI has moved from insight to action in our portfolio: our MCP server connects everyday AI tools to live data in our unified endpoint management products, our in-product assistant helps teams resolve issues faster, and we are developing an innovative new AI platform that will let MSPs safely put AI agents to work across their tools and customer environments.

We are looking for a Chief AI Strategist to develop N-able's AI strategy end to end setting direction across the portfolio, defining the technical and ethical standards every AI capability must meet, and serving as N-able's leading voice on AI to partners, analysts, investors, and the broader MSP community.

This is a strategy-and-standards leadership role with real product influence, not a research role and not a single-product role.  This role will include assisting the GMs for the AI influence on product strategy, working with the CTPO and Engineering leaders for developing AI SDLC, and assisting the CIO with the internal functional productivity strategy.  This role operates inside the single enterprise AI governance model the CIO and governance council maintain.

What You'll Do

• Set and own the AI strategy
• Lead the definition of a multi-year applied AI strategy (along with the Business Unit GMs) across UEM, security operations (MDR/SIEM), and data protection, tied to measurable partner outcomes such as technician efficiency, time-to-resolution, attach, and retention.
• Help lead the decisions on where N-able builds, partners, or buys across models, agent frameworks, and AI infrastructure; maintain the AI investment roadmap with the CTPO and product line leaders.
• Track the fast-moving agent ecosystem (MCP, A2A, agent harnesses, model providers) and translate it into clear bets and clear "not now" decisions.
• Set the direction for N-able's AI innovation agenda, including which new platform and product bets the company pursues.
• Define the AI platform standards
• Own the reference architecture and shared standards for AI across products: agent interoperability (MCP/A2A), identity and permissions for agents, approval and autonomy models, evaluation, observability, and cost management.
• Ensure every product team ship AI on common foundations rather than one-off implementations.
• Partner with the CISO and Security Engineering on AI-specific threats such as prompt injection, agent privilege, and data exfiltration, which are first-order issues for a security company whose AI acts inside customer environments.
• Lead responsible AI and AI governance
• Own and evolve N-able's customer- and partner-facing AI principles (consent, transparency, context), in partnership with the CIO on principles governing internal AI use, and turn them into enforceable review gates, documentation, and partner-facing disclosures.
• Participate in the enterprise AI Governance Council as the product/customer-facing AI representative, consistent with the single governance model (corporate and product).
• Lead AI regulatory readiness with Legal (for example, the EU AI Act and its intersection with the Cyber Resilience Act and product-liability obligations), including model and vendor risk assessment and data-use policy.
• Help to define with Engineering and Product Leaders our AI SDLC.
• Be the external face of AI at N-able
• Serve as N-able's primary AI spokesperson across keynotes (including our Empower partner conference), analyst briefings, media, podcasts, and industry bodies.
• Help MSPs adopt AI responsibly through thought leadership, frameworks, and community programs, positioning N-able as the trusted AI partner for the channel.
• Support investor relations and the executive team on AI narrative and competitive positioning.
• Build the organization
• Lead a focused AI strategy and architecture team and build a cross-functional AI council spanning Product, Engineering, Security, Legal, and Marketing.
• Grow AI talent and literacy across the AI strategy and architecture team and partner with the CIO and HR on company-wide AI literacy.

What You'll Bring

• 15+ years in technology leadership, with 5+ years leading applied AI/ML strategy in a B2B software or security company, and direct experience shipping AI capabilities to customers at scale.
• Hands-on credibility with modern LLM and agent systems: you can go deep with engineers on architecture, evaluation, and failure modes, and explain it simply to MSP owners and board members.
• A track record of setting cross-portfolio technical standards and getting independent product teams to adopt them.
• Demonstrated depth in responsible AI, AI governance, or AI regulation.
• Proven external presence through conference keynotes, published writing, analyst relationships, or a recognized industry voice.
• Understanding the MSP/channel model, IT operations, or cybersecurity is strongly preferred.
• Nice to have: patents or published research in AI/ML; board or advisory experience; public company experience.
• How We'll Measure Success (First 12 Months)
• A published, portfolio-wide AI strategy and reference architecture adopted by all product lines.
• An AI governance process in place, with every AI capability reviewed before release.
• Measurable partner outcomes from AI features, reported quarterly.
• N-able recognized by analysts and partners as a leader in practical, trustworthy AI for MSPs.
• Purple Perks
• Medical, dental and vision – for employee, partner, and children!
• Generous PTO and observed holidays
• 2 Paid VoluNteer Days per year
• Retirement Savings Plan
• Employee Stock Purchase Program
• Free Lunch 2x per week at Collaboration Hubs
• On-site gym access at select Collaboration Hubs
• FuN-raising opportunities as part of our giving program
• N-ablite Learning – custom learning experience as part of our investment in you

About N-able

At

N-able

, our mission is to protect businesses against evolving cyberthreats with an end-to-end cyber resilience platform to manage, secure, and recover. Our scalable technology infrastructure includes AI-powered capabilities, market-leading third-party integrations, and the flexibility to employ technologies of choice—to transform workflows and deliver critical security outcomes. Our partner-first approach combines our products with experts, training, and peer-led events that empower our customers to be secure, resilient, and successful.

Responsibilities

• Set and own the AI strategy
• Lead the definition of a multi-year applied AI strategy (along with the Business Unit GMs) across UEM, security operations (MDR/SIEM), and data protection, tied to measurable partner outcomes such as technician efficiency, time-to-resolution, attach, and retention.
• Help lead the decisions on where N-able builds, partners, or buys across models, agent frameworks, and AI infrastructure; maintain the AI investment roadmap with the CTPO and product line leaders.
• Track the fast-moving agent ecosystem (MCP, A2A, agent harnesses, model providers) and translate it into clear bets and clear "not now" decisions.
• Set the direction for N-able's AI innovation agenda, including which new platform and product bets the company pursues.
• Define the AI platform standards
• Own the reference architecture and shared standards for AI across products: agent interoperability (MCP/A2A), identity and permissions for agents, approval and autonomy models, evaluation, observability, and cost management.
• Ensure every product team ship AI on common foundations rather than one-off implementations.
• Partner with the CISO and Security Engineering on AI-specific threats such as prompt injection, agent privilege, and data exfiltration, which are first-order issues for a security company whose AI acts inside customer environments.
• Lead responsible AI and AI governance
• Own and evolve N-able's customer- and partner-facing AI principles (consent, transparency, context), in partnership with the CIO on principles governing internal AI use, and turn them into enforceable review gates, documentation, and partner-facing disclosures.
• Participate in the enterprise AI Governance Council as the product/customer-facing AI representative, consistent with the single governance model (corporate and product).
• Lead AI regulatory readiness with Legal (for example, the EU AI Act and its intersection with the Cyber Resilience Act and product-liability obligations), including model and vendor risk assessment and data-use policy.
• Help to define with Engineering and Product Leaders our AI SDLC.
• Be the external face of AI at N-able
• Serve as N-able's primary AI spokesperson across keynotes (including our Empower partner conference), analyst briefings, media, podcasts, and industry bodies.
• Help MSPs adopt AI responsibly through thought leadership, frameworks, and community programs, positioning N-able as the trusted AI partner for the channel.
• Support investor relations and the executive team on AI narrative and competitive positioning.
• Build the organization
• Lead a focused AI strategy and architecture team and build a cross-functional AI council spanning Product, Engineering, Security, Legal, and Marketing.
• Grow AI talent and literacy across the AI strategy and architecture team and partner with the CIO and HR on company-wide AI literacy.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in technology leadership, with 5+ years leading applied AI/ML strategy in a B2B software or security company, and direct experience shipping AI capabilities to customers at scale.
• Hands-on credibility with modern LLM and agent systems: you can go deep with engineers on architecture, evaluation, and failure modes, and explain it simply to MSP owners and board members.
• A track record of setting cross-portfolio technical standards and getting independent product teams to adopt them.
• Demonstrated depth in responsible AI, AI governance, or AI regulation.
• Proven external presence through conference keynotes, published writing, analyst relationships, or a recognized industry voice.
• Understanding the MSP/channel model, IT operations, or cybersecurity is strongly preferred.
• Nice to have: patents or published research in AI/ML; board or advisory experience; public company experience.
• How We'll Measure Success (First 12 Months)
• A published, portfolio-wide AI strategy and reference architecture adopted by all product lines.
• An AI governance process in place, with every AI capability reviewed before release.
• Measurable partner outcomes from AI features, reported quarterly.
• N-able recognized by analysts and partners as a leader in practical, trustworthy AI for MSPs.