At Franklin Templeton, we believe success is built through powerful partnerships. As a forward thinking asset manager, we build dynamic relationships with clients, understand their goals, and navigate complex markets together. We leverage cutting edge strategies and deep insights to unlock opportunities for long term wealth creation. Our talented, global teams bring expertise that is both broad and unique.

From our welcoming, inclusive, and supportive culture to our globally diverse business, we offer opportunities not only to help you reach your potential, but also to contribute to our clients’ success.

Team & Role Overview

About the Team and Department

The AI Adoption & Solutions Team defines and advances Franklin Templeton’s enterprise AI vision and strategy, translating rapidly evolving AI capabilities into scalable solutions, new ways of working, and measurable business value. The team serves as a trusted AI advisor and consultant to businesses across the firm, helping leaders reimagine how work gets done, and embed AI directly into the tools and workflows where employees work to promote effective, responsible, and sustained AI usage. In partnership with business teams, the team incubates and co-creates AI solutions through prototyping, helping promising ideas progress toward scalable enterprise capabilities. AI enablement builds enterprise AI fluency through education, training, hands-on learning, communities and practical resources that empower employees to use AI effectively in their day-to-day work. The team also helps foster an AI-forward culture and shape the future of work, enabling new human-AI ways of working and accelerating adoption in close partnership with Change Management, Technology, Risk, Legal and Compliance, and other enterprise functions. Ultimately, the team connects AI strategy, advisory, solutions, enablement and adoption to help Franklin Templeton continuously capture value from AI as the technology and the asset management industry evolve.

About the Role

The AI Solutions Director is the business-facing leader of the AI solutioning team, accountable for AI incubation, strategy & roadmap, POC build, and the business value and transformation those solutions deliver. They own the relationship with strategic lines of business (sales & distribution, investments, executive initiatives), translate their needs into a prioritized solution roadmap, and drive solutions from discovery through functional POC to handoff to LOB product teams or Forward-Deployed Engineers (FDEs). This is a product-leadership role, not a hands-on architecture role: the Pod Lead owns the “what” and the business outcome, while the offshore Architect owns the “how” and the build. The Lead needs enough technical fluency to translate between business intent and the offshore engineering team, and enough executive presence to be credible in senior business settings.

How You Will Add Value

• Own the business interface — build trusted relationships with strategic LOB and executive stakeholders.
• AI Incubation: lead working session, hackathons, discovery to surface, qualify, and incubate high-value AI opportunities, separating real business cases from activity.
• Strategy & Roadmap: shape LOB AI strategy and translate business needs into a prioritized solution roadmap aligned with the Head's firm-level prioritization.
• POC Build: direct the build team to move solutions rapidly from concept to functional POC, with clear success criteria.
• Transformation: drive business transformation by reimagining end-to-end workflows with AI, not just automating isolated tasks.
• Own the graduation decision: ensure each POC either transitions cleanly to an LOB product team / FDE or is deliberately sunset — no standing fleet of half-finished POCs.
• Manage the handoff interface with peer product and delivery teams so nothing lands on them by surprise.
• Line-manage US-based Solutions Leads; assign domain ownership and coach on business-facing solutioning.
• Business Value: define business values and success metrics up front, then track and report business value delivered and adoption of shipped solutions.

What Will Help You Be Successful in This Role

Experience, Education & Certifications

Required Skills & Experience

• Proven product or solution leadership delivering AI or data products with measurable business impact.
• Track record in AI incubation and rapid POC build — taking ideas from concept to validated proof of value.
• Strong business acumen and executive presence; credible with senior stakeholders in a strategic setting.
• Discovery and requirements expertise — able to translate ambiguous business problems into buildable solution definitions.
• Experience shaping AI strategy & roadmaps and leading business transformation at enterprise scale.
• Sufficient technical fluency in AI and agentic systems to direct and translate for an engineering team, without needing to build personally.
• Experience managing distributed or offshore delivery teams and cross-team handoffs.
• A track record of prioritization and saying no — protecting finite build capacity.
• People-leadership and coaching experience.

Preferred

• Asset management, wealth, distribution, or capital-markets domain knowledge.
• Experience standing up a new function or operating model.
• Familiarity with Forward-Deployed Engineer (FDE) or embedded-delivery models.

Work Schedule & Location

• Hybrid work schedule (3+ days in office)
• Work Location: New York City

Compensation Range: Franklin Templeton offers employees a competitive and valuable range of total rewards—monetary and non-monetary — designed to support their well-being and recognize their time, talents, and results. Along with base compensation, employees are eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, a 401(k) plan with a generous match, and recognition rewards. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package, which includes a range of competitive healthcare options, insurance, and disability benefits, employee stock investment program, learning resources, career development programs, reimbursement for certain education expenses, paid time off (vacation / holidays / sick / leave / parental & caregiving leave / bereavement / volunteering / floating holidays) and a motivational well-being program. We expect the annual salary for this position to range between $200,000 to $240,000, plus an annual discretionary bonus, depending on location and level of relevant experience.

Staffing Agency Disclaimer:

Please note that we are not engaging staffing agencies or external recruiters for this position. Any unsolicited resumes or candidate profiles submitted to the company or any employee will be considered the property of the company. We will not be responsible for any fees or charges associated with unsolicited submissions, and no agency or search fees will be paid.

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At Franklin Templeton, we believe your benefits should support your life, your goals, and your future. That’s why we offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package designed to help you thrive both personally and professionally.

Highlights of our benefits include:

- Paid Time Off: Three weeks of PTO in your first year

- Health Coverage: Competitive medical, dental, and vision insurance to support your well-being

- Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with an 85% company match on pre-tax and/or Roth contributions, up to IRS limits

- Equity & Investing: Employee Stock Investment Plan (ESIP) with discounted share purchase opportunities

- Learning Education Assistance Program (LEAP): To support your ongoing growth and career advancement

- Employee Investment Benefits: Opportunity to purchase company funds with no sales charge

Franklin Templeton is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees, and we evaluate qualified applicants without regard to ancestry, age, color, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, or gender expression, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation.

Artificial intelligence or automated tools may be used to assist in the screening, assessment, or selection of applicants for this position.