Head of Analytics

Job PurposeThe Head of Advanced Analytics will establish and lead Americana’s Advanced Analytics Center of Excellence (CoE), driving the adoption of advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data-driven decision-making across the organization.This role will build and lead a high-performing analytics team while developing scalable data and analytics capabilities that unlock value from customer, operational, commercial, financial, and workforce data. Partnering closely with senior leaders across the business, the role will deliver actionable insights, predictive models, and AI-driven solutions that improve business performance, operational efficiency, customer experience, and strategic decision-making.Key ResponsibilitiesAdvanced Analytics LeadershipEstablish and lead the Advanced Analytics Center of Excellence (CoE), defining the analytics vision, strategy, roadmap, governance, and operating model.Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team of Data Scientists, Analysts, Data Engineers, and Visualization Specialists.Drive the adoption of advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data-driven decision-making across the organization.Act as the organization's subject matter expert on advanced analytics, AI, forecasting, and optimization.Analytics & AI SolutionsDevelop and deploy advanced analytics, forecasting, optimization, and AI solutions that drive business growth, operational efficiency, and profitability.Lead analytics initiatives across Customer & Growth, Marketing ROI, Personalization, Sales Forecasting, Pricing & Menu Optimization, Promotions Effectiveness, Workforce Planning, Logistics Optimization, and Store Operations.Deliver predictive and prescriptive insights that improve customer acquisition, retention, revenue growth, margin optimization, operational performance, and workforce productivity.Ensure analytics outputs are actionable, commercially relevant, and aligned with strategic business priorities.Enterprise Data & Analytics FoundationsEstablish scalable, high-quality data foundations that enable advanced analytics and AI initiatives.Lead the integration of customer, operational, commercial, financial, digital, delivery, and workforce data across enterprise platforms.Define and govern enterprise KPIs, business metrics, data standards, and data quality frameworks.Ensure consistency, integrity, and alignment across source systems, analytical models, and reporting environments.Support the development of an enterprise-wide analytics architecture that enables self-service analytics and scalable decision intelligence.Business Partnership & Decision IntelligencePartner with senior stakeholders to identify, prioritize, and deliver high-value analytics and AI opportunities.Lead analytics initiatives from problem definition through implementation, adoption, and value realization.Establish experimentation and testing frameworks, including A/B testing, to support evidence-based decision-making.Drive adoption of analytics products, insights, dashboards, and decision-support tools across the business.Measure and communicate business impact generated through analytics and AI initiatives.Governance & Best PracticesDefine standards and best practices for analytics development, machine learning deployment, experimentation, model governance, and analytics documentation.Ensure compliance with data privacy, security, governance, and responsible AI principles.Partner with Technology, Data Engineering, and IT teams to ensure sustainable, scalable, and secure analytics capabilities.Team Leadership & Capability BuildingRecruit, coach, mentor, and develop high-performing analytics talent.Build future-ready capabilities across analytics, forecasting, data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.Foster a culture of innovation, ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.Promote knowledge sharing and analytics capability development across the organization.Education & ExperienceBachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Analytics, or a related quantitative discipline.Master's Degree in Data Science, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Statistics, Engineering, Economics, or Business Administration preferred.10+ years of progressive experience in Analytics, Data Science, Business Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence, or related fields.Proven experience leading advanced analytics teams and delivering enterprise-wide analytics initiatives.Experience within QSR, F&B, Retail, Consumer Goods, E-commerce, Hospitality, or multi-site operations environments preferred.Demonstrated success translating analytics into measurable commercial and operational outcomes.Technical SkillsStrong expertise in statistics, predictive analytics, machine learning, forecasting, optimization, and data modeling.Hands-on experience with Python, SQL, and modern analytics platforms.Proficiency in data visualization and business intelligence tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent.Experience working with Customer Data Platforms (CDPs), cloud-based data environments, and enterprise data ecosystems.Strong knowledge of customer analytics methodologies including segmentation, cohort analysis, customer lifetime value (LTV), churn prediction, and retention modeling.Experience with marketing analytics, pricing analytics, experimentation frameworks, A/B testing, and demand forecasting.Understanding of AI, machine learning lifecycle management, and model deployment best practices.Skills & CompetenciesStrong business and commercial acumen with the ability to translate analytics into measurable business value.Strategic thinker with the ability to balance long-term vision and execution.Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills across all organizational levels.Strong problem-solving, analytical thinking, and decision-making capabilities.Ability to communicate complex analytical concepts and insights to non-technical audiences.Strong leadership, coaching, and team development capabilities.Excellent project, portfolio, and prioritization management skills.Collaborative mindset with the ability to work effectively across functions and markets.High level of curiosity, innovation, and continuous improvement orientation.