Technical Director, Generative AI

About the Role

As a Technical Director, you’ll collaborate with cross-functional teams to define processes and to deliver high-quality results through well-managed, on time and on budget projects. This is a leadership role combining technical strategy, hands-on technical expertise, and execution. You will be responsible for discovery, shaping solutions, prototyping, guiding creative technologists and developers, owning the technical delivery and scale automation frameworks for our global clients.

We are looking for a Technical Director to lead the technical direction, planning, and delivery of AI-driven production work across key client accounts. This role sits within our Transformation and Applied AI team, focused on building and scaling AI pipelines for image, video, text and content generation. Technical Director acts as the technical counterpart to Solution Leads (Producers) and Creative Directors, ensuring what is sold can be realistically delivered from a technical perspective. You will define how things get built, estimate technical efforts, and assemble the right technical team to execute.

This role is focused on AI pipelines for image and video generation at scale, workflow automation and content production systems, model usage, fine-tuning, and dataset considerations, connecting multiple tools, APIs, and systems into production-ready pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Own technical delivery end-to-end: from early estimations through production/development and final delivery.
• Define technical approaches for AI-driven projects (image/video generation, automation pipelines, model training/fine-tuning).
• Translate ambiguous briefs into clear technical plans, asking the right questions around scope, assets, datasets, outputs, and constraints.

Partner closely with Solution Leads and Creative Directors to align scope, timelines, and feasibility

• Know how to assemble the right project team with required technical skills (e.g. Creative Technologists, ML engineers, backend developers).
• Lead and guide technical teams during production, ensuring quality, avoiding scope creeps, and focus on the right technical direction.
• Validate feasibility and manage trade-offs between budget, timeline, and technical complexity.
• Identify risks early and communicate constraints, assumptions, and dependencies clearly.
• Review and guide implementation of AI pipelines (e.g. ComfyUI workflows, API integrations, automation systems).
• Ensure technical quality and QA alignment, working with QA teams where needed.
• Be client-facing when required, presenting technical approaches, documentation, and progress.

About You

The essentials

• 1+ years in a Technical Director, Technical Lead, or similar production-focused leadership role.
• 5+ years of hands on experience in one of the focus areas: Creative Technology, Software Development, 3D/VFX, Real-time Engines.
• Solid understanding of machine learning fundamentals - model architectures, training vs. inference, and fine-tuning methods, and apply them in real-world generative AI pipelines.
• Strong experience in scoping, estimating, and delivering technical projects.
• Hands-on experience building or working with AI / generative pipelines, beyond text to image.
• Experience integrating APIs, automation workflows, or multi-step pipelines.
• Ability to translate high-level ideas into concrete technical plans.
• Strong understanding of production realities: timelines, budgets, resourcing.
• Comfortable leading technical teams and making architectural decisions.
• Ability to operate in ambiguous environments and bring structure quickly.
• Strong communication skills and ability to push back on unrealistic expectations.

Not a must, but a plus

• Academic or research background in Machine Learning, Computer Science, or related fields.
• Certifications in Machine Learning, Deep Learning, or Engineering.
• Experience leading cross-functional technical teams (e.g. software engineers, ML engineers, creative technologists, AI artists).
• Background in creative technology, real-time systems, or virtual production pipelines.
• Experience building or supporting scaled content generation systems or working with CPG / enterprise clients.
• Experience in marketing campaign execution (e.g. media, email) and understanding of basic performance metrics.

At Monks, we believe in fostering an environment where a diversity of perspectives can thrive. We proactively work to design hiring processes that promote equity and inclusion while mitigating bias. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome and encourage qualified applicants, from all backgrounds, who are excited to contribute to our mission.

#LI-hybrid #LI-MJ1 GH9695

Open position in all True Media office locations, including Kansas City, MO, Columbia, MO, St. Louis, MO, Portsmouth, NH and Minneapolis, MN; Hybrid work schedule: 3 days in the office, 2 days working from home

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position, now or in the future. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis without requiring employer sponsorship.

About You

You are a curious investigator who views media data as a story waiting to be told. You aren’t satisfied with "what" because your primary interest is finding "why." As a creative and critical thinker, you thrive on "Aha!" moments and possess a natural ability to connect dots that others might miss.

You view technical tools (Tableau, DOMO, Power BI, Looker, etc.) as a vehicle for discovery. While technical proficiency is the baseline, your true impact comes from using that expertise to drive meaningful value for clients. You are familiar with methods like incrementality testing or difference-in-differences and view them as lenses used to uncover truth.

The Objective

This role is centered on delivering high-impact clarity through media data. You will design and deliver monthly reports, quarterly business reviews (QBRs), and ad-hoc deep dives that contextualize media KPIs and connect execution to results. Your consistent, context-rich analysis and recommendations ensure our clients and internal teams are always one step ahead of the curve by moving past simple metrics to focus on true business outcomes. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (Other duties may be assigned)

• Narrative Orchestration: Lead the creation of monthly reports and QBRs, transforming validated datasets into cohesive business stories that connect media execution to client-side outcomes.
• Investigative Consultant: Actively monitor performance to identify anomalies or trends; use media KPIs as triggers to proactively investigate the "why" and present critical explanations to both internal stakeholders and external clients.
• Strategic Foresight: Convert 'the why' into actionable media optimizations, providing Integrated Planning teams with clear directives on how to pivot strategy based on performance signals.
• Proactive Hypothesis Testing: Beyond standard monitoring, develop hypotheses for performance shifts and partner with the Governance team to surface the specific data cuts required to prove or disprove them.
• Integrated Collaboration: Serve as a core analytical partner for the Integrated Strategy & Planning and Campaign Operations teams, ensuring data insights are fueled by a deep understanding of the media context.
• Operational Feedback Loop: Act as a "User Experience" lead for agency dashboards, providing the Data Governance team with feedback on visualization clarity and data accessibility to ensure tools remain optimized for insight discovery.
• BI Platform Stewardship: Utilize BI software (e.g., Tableau, PowerBI, Looker Studio, DOMO) to design and maintain strategic visualizations that prioritize "insight-first" delivery over simple data display. Leverage the agency’s standardized data frameworks and RADaR-powered environments to ensure all strategic storytelling is built upon a foundation of absolute data integrity.
• Campaign Ecosystem Alignment: Advise on dataflow design to ensure backend data collection is optimized for high-level reporting and strategic visualization.
• Agency-Wide Elevation: Identify opportunities to improve internal measurement rigor, advocating for frameworks that move beyond standard reporting to track true business impact.

Qualifications - To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Experience: 1–3 years of experience in data analytics, digital media, or marketing science, preferably within an agency environment.
• Media Context: A foundational understanding of the advertising ecosystem, including how various digital channels (Search, Social, Programmatic) interact to drive results.
• Technical Literacy: Experience using at least one major BI software (Tableau, PowerBI, Looker Studio, DOMO, etc.) and comfort with data manipulation in Excel or Google Sheets.
• The "Curiosity" Factor: A self-starter attitude with a proven ability to look at a media data trend and proactively investigate the "why" behind the numbers. Ability to partner with technical leads to articulate data-layer requirements needed to support advanced analytical storytelling.
• Strategic Communication: Proven ability to translate complex technical concepts into "human" language for non-technical audiences and executive leadership.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative or strategic field (Marketing Analytics, Statistics, Economics) or equivalent practical experience.

Total Perks Package

• The chance to be a part of a growing company and the next success story
• Amazing opportunities for career development
• Recognition programs
• Employee referral bonus
• Hybrid work schedule; 3 days in the office, 2 days working from home
• Fun and collaborative work environment
• Casual dress code
• Insurance Coverage (medical, dental, vision, life, and disability)
• 401(k) retirement plan, with employer 4% match
• Work/life benefits, including mental health and wellbeing support
• Flexible Time Off Policy
• Paid holidays, including agency soft closing Christmas Eve-New Year's Day
• Paid leave options, including sick leave, medical leave for self and family, and parental leave

Software Engineer – Inspire11  

Elevens, as we call ourselves here, are curiously smart, purposefully scrappy, and dedicated to the highest standard of quality. By being true to ourselves and others, we create a respectful environment that enhances collaboration, drives growth through high expectations, and ensures alignment with our core values. Inspire11 is more than a modern business and technology consulting firm; we're a revolution. We work differently — and it shows. Every move we make is tied to measurable value, and our success aligns with our clients’ success. We partner to simplify the complex, solve sustainably, and stay ahead by continuously pushing our own thinking forward. Value creation isn't something we talk about — it's something we live, every day. 

At Inspire11, we're not just offering a job; we're providing a platform for you to transform the future. You'll feel right at home here if you think differently, build boldly, and lead with impact. We're a place where your unique perspective is valued, your boldness is celebrated, and your potential is unleashed. 

• Growth Through Challenge:  We hold ourselves to the highest standards of excellence and accountability. At Inspire11, we are committed to delivering exceptional results and empowering our employees to take ownership of their work and drive meaningful impact. You'll work alongside elite consultants who challenge you to expand your skills and think even more creatively. 

• The Autonomy to Do Your Best Work: Here, outcomes matter more than outputs. It's about the value we create. You'll have the autonomy to shape your work, drive decisions, and make an impact—not just for our clients but for your growth. You'll be challenged to think strategically, anticipate needs, and solve problems. Bold thinking, creative approaches, and challenging conventional wisdom are part of our DNA. Our clients rely on us to lead them into what's next. 
• Diverse Perspectives Driving Innovative Solutions: We champion inclusivity and authenticity, knowing that diverse perspectives drive better solutions. You'll be encouraged to bring your whole self to work, knowing that's where true innovation happens. We also believe that doing great work should be fun. Our culture thrives on energy, camaraderie, and appreciating the unique contributions that make Inspire11 an amazing place. Our teams get energy from being the best they can be. 

What you can expect in this role: 

• Collaborate closely with clients to design and build custom technology solutions tailored to business needs.
• Develop responsive, declarative front-end user interfaces using ReactJS and modern JavaScript libraries, while also building complex back-end systems using Java (or Scala/Kotlin), C#, Node.js, or Python. 
• Design, develop, and support critical applications and system components from end to end.  
• Write and execute unit tests; troubleshoot and recommend solutions for complex technical issues.
• Contribute to ongoing enhancement of both new and existing applications across the full stack. 

Tools for success: 

• Contribute to ongoing enhancement of both new and existing applications across the full stack. 
• Proficient in full-stack development with expertise in either modern JavaScript & React, or backend-languages like Java, Kotlin, Python, etc., along with API design and documentation 
• Experienced with both relational and non-relational databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB), and database schema design.   
• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (primarily AWS), containerization tools (e.g., Docker), and CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitHub Actions).   
• Strong understanding of Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) and version control using Git.   
• Passion to mentor other engineers, driving technical excellence, while contributing to a strong engineering culture.
• Actively explores and integrates AI/ML technologies into development workflows; stays up to date on the rapidly evolving AI landscape and market trends.   
• Committed to continuous learning and staying current with evolving technology trends, frameworks, and best practices.   
• Excellent communicator with the ability to thrive in fast-paced, dynamic environments and take initiative across varied responsibilities.    

This role requires the willingness and ability to be onsite at the Inspire11 or client location depending on project needs to maximize in-person collaboration and build stronger relationships. 

Inspire11 is unable to sponsor employment visas at this time. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment. 

Inspire11’s Privacy Policy: https://www.inspire11.com/privacy-policy/  

For more information regarding our compensation and benefit offerings please see below: 

U.S. Compensation & Benefits  

Compensation at Inspire11 
Inspire11 follows Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Illinois Equal Wage Act, and the Illinois Equal Pay Act of 2003. We believe that people performing the same role at the same level, with similar levels of ability or experience, should be similarly compensated. We also believe that the most critical factors driving compensation should be an Eleven’s skill, experience, performance, responsibility, and effort. We may also consider an employee’s length of service, relevant education, training, or certification, and the requirements of a specific job. We may also consider whether the cost of living or competition for talent in specific markets requires adjustments in compensation for employees in those markets. Our goal is to fairly compensate all our Elevens based on these factors within the Company’s financial ability.   

Compensation may be increased or decreased at Inspire11’s discretion based on an employee’s performance reviews, market conditions, and the Company’s financial performance. Inspire11 will always notify an employee in writing before any change is made to their compensation.  

Bonuses 
We may allow employees in Sales, Recruiting, or Leadership to earn periodic bonuses based on sales, revenue, client-specific or practice-specific targets. These targets are communicated to each eligible employee via offer letter or annual update. All such target-based bonuses are calculated based on the Company and an individual’s periodic performance and will only be awarded if: (a) the employee is meeting performance expectations and is an employee in good standing of the Company; (b) the target is met; and (c) the Company’s current financial performance and market conditions permit the bonus to be paid out. All periodic bonuses are discretionary and are earned only when paid out.   

Each year, the Company will decide whether the Company’s financial performance, market performance, and business realities allow it to create an annual bonus pool. If the Company decides that annual bonuses may be awarded, then the Leadership Team will grant annual bonuses to employees in good standing based on the same factors discussed in the previous paragraph while also considering employees’ diligence, performance, expertise, skill, judgment, and experience. To be eligible to participate in this annual bonus pool, an employee must be hired by no later than October 1st of the preceding year. Annual bonuses and merit increases may be prorated based on hire date. Employees eligible for target-based periodic bonuses are not eligible to participate in the annual bonus pool.   

Options or Other Equity in Inspire11 
Inspire11 has a legacy program that allowed certain high-performing employees to purchase shares of the Company through an affiliate. The Company also has a newer program that grants options annually to high-performing employees based on their performance reviews, their managers’ recommendation, and leadership approval. These options have a vesting period associated with them.  

Benefits 
Full-time employees are eligible for the following contributory benefits, where premiums are partially paid by the Company and partially by the employee:   

• Medical insurance plans, 
• Dental insurance plans, and  
• Vision insurance plans.  

Full-time employees are eligible for the following benefits provided wholly by the Company:  

• Short-term disability, providing for a benefit of 60% of an employee’s salary up to a maximum of $2,000 per week for up to 11 weeks after a 7-day waiting period; 
• Long-term disability, providing for 60% of an employee’s salary up to a maximum of $10,000 per month for the time period from the 91st day after a qualifying event through the earlier of the end of the disability or age 67; 
• Life insurance, providing for a benefit of two times the employee’s annual salary, up to a maximum payout of $400,000;   
• A connectivity stipend of $325 annually; 
• Employee Assistance Program, providing for confidential counseling sessions, 24-hour crisis support, online peer support groups, skills training, behavioral health coaching, initial free legal consultations (and discounted rates on referred lawyers), online legal forms, assistance with eldercare and parenting services, among other things.  

Full-time employees are also eligible to participate in the Company’s 401(k) plan, which allows employees to contribute to a standard or Roth IRA. According to a vesting schedule, the Company matches 100% of employee contributions up to 3% of an employee’s salary.  

Depending on eligibility and their elections, full-time employees may also have access to certain tax-advantaged savings accounts set up through the Company, into which employees contribute withheld funds:   

• Flexible savings accounts
• Limited-purpose flexible savings accounts  
• Healthcare savings accounts
• Dependent care savings accounts  
• Commuter benefit accounts  

Paid Time Off and Leave 
Inspire11 grants all eligible employees any statutory leave required by federal, Illinois, or other applicable law, such as FMLA, bereavement, sick leave, emergency leave, jury duty or witness leave, and VESSA leave.   

In addition, Inspire11 has a self-managed paid time off policy (PTO) that does not set predetermined upper limits on the amount of PTO an employee may take. All PTO must be requested in advance and approved by the appropriate supervisor to ensure client work can continue. All full-time employees are expected to take a minimum of one week of PTO each year.   

Inspire11 offers paid parental leave to full-time employees who have been with the company for at least one year. Birthing parents are eligible for up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave, while non-birthing parents are eligible for up to 6 weeks. Short-term disability (STD) benefits are also provided following childbirth. When combined with PTO and STD, birthing parents may receive a total of 18–20 weeks of paid leave. Lastly, Inspire11 has eight paid holidays.  

Other Benefits 
Inspire11 also maintains other programs that provide additional benefits to employees, such as:   

• Impact to 11: a charitable giving matching program where, after being employed by Inspire11 for a year, employees may request that a qualifying charity receive up to $500 in matching donations each year. 
• Professional development benefits for qualifying employees: a program allowing for reimbursement of certain course materials and costs on a discretionary basis for employees who have been at Inspire11 for at least 6 months, with supervisor’s approval. 
• Regular gifts of Inspire11 clothes, office items, and swag.  

Disclaimer 
This document applies only to the United States and to Inspire11 LLC, not our worldwide partners.  

Inspire11 reserves the right to change the benefits offered to employees in accordance with applicable law based on business needs, market conditions, and financial stability. Before changing any benefits, Company will notify all employees of the change and will update this document.  

EEOC 
Inspire11 is an Equal Opportunity Workplace and an Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation during the application process, please contact us at hr@inspire11.com, or inform your recruiting partner.