The retail sector is moving fast - from demand forecasting and hyper-personalization to agentic AI reshaping how e-commerce businesses operate. Xomnia is building focused practice areas to become the go-to partner in specific markets, and retail is one of them.

As ‘AI for Retail’ Practice Lead, you own this space end-to-end. You'll define what Xomnia stands for in retail, grow our presence in the market, and ensure our teams deliver solutions that clients actually trust and come back for. This role sits at the intersection of strategy, commercial development, thought leadership, and delivery - and you'll need to be comfortable moving across all of them. You will be part of our AI team and you'll work closely with our unit lead, delivery teams, and cross-functional colleagues to ensure our practice delivers measurable impact both externally and internally.

Your responsibilities will revolve around five areas:

• Market presence & thought leadership

Establish and continuously sharpen Xomnia's point of view on retail & e-commerce AI. Represent Xomnia at industry events, in publications, and through partnerships with technology vendors. Build and maintain a strong industry network that opens doors and deepens client relationships.

• Practice strategy & development

Own the strategic roadmap for the retail practice area, including propositions, and partner strategy. Identify and validate new product-market combinations. Gather continuous market feedback to keep our offering sharp and relevant.

• Commercial & presales support

Support and co-lead commercial pursuits: scoping client needs, designing solutions, developing proposals, and coordinating demos or proof-of-concepts. Act as a trusted advisor to clients: from operational teams to C-level stakeholders. Collaborate with the sales team to create enablement materials that help us win in the market.

• Internal capability building

Drive knowledge sharing, expert track definitions, and R&D initiatives within the retail domain. Develop methodologies, best practices, and proof-of-concepts that raise the bar for how we work. Monitor project health within the retail portfolio and support delivery leads where needed.

• Client consulting & delivery

This is not a purely strategic role, you are also active as a consultant on client engagements within the retail & e-commerce domain. You act as a senior sparring partner for clients throughout the project lifecycle, from discovery to delivery. Your hands-on client work keeps your market knowledge sharp and your credibility real, and directly feeds back into how we develop our practice.

• 5+ years of experience in the retail & e-commerce industry: you understand how the business works, not just the technology.

• Strong knowledge of data & AI applications in retail: demand forecasting, personalization, pricing optimization, agentic AI, and beyond.

• A strong technical foundation: you have hands-on experience as a machine learning engineer or data scientist, and you can credibly discuss model architecture, MLOps, and AI system design with both engineers and clients. You understand what it takes to bring a solution from prototype to production, and you use that knowledge to ask the right questions, spot risks early, and guide delivery teams.

• Strategic mindset with the ability to develop and execute a practice area roadmap.

• Commercial awareness with experience supporting proposal development, and client conversations.

• Excellent communication skills: equally fluent with data scientists, delivery leads, and C-suite clients.

• A culture of sharing: you bring ideas to the table, develop others, and make the team around you stronger.

• A proven track record of thought leadership: writing, speaking, or presenting at industry events is a strong plus.

• Experience in building internal capabilities, methodologies, or training programs is a plus.

• Fluent in English and Dutch is a must.

We offer more than a job - we offer a platform for growth:

• A monthly salary between €5,650 - €8,000 excl. vacation allowance and Profit Bonus (commensurate with experience)

• €5.000 annual development budget

• 25 vacation days to fully recharge

• Secondary benefits such as pension, flexible working options and the possibility to take unpaid leave

• Memorable company trips (Berlin last year!)

• The opportunity to grow along with our success through Stock Appreciation Rights

At Xomnia, we believe that collaboration, knowledge sharing, and personal development are the keys to our success. That's why we offer various training sessions through our 'Learning Labs' and organize a yearly Health Month. We also regularly enjoy boat trips through the Amsterdam canals with our own boat, and there is always a healthy (free) lunch and a bar at the office.