VP of Data and AI

Title: VP of Data and AI

Reports to: CEO

We are now seeking a VP of Data to lead Rapaport's data and AI strategy, building the foundation for next-generation products that redefine the diamond and jewelry industry. The VP of Data will be responsible for turning Rapaport's vast data assets into a growth engine.

Today, data is essential for producing the Rapaport Price List but is only minimally monetized beyond that. The opportunity is significant: building data-driven products such as analytics platforms, APIs, compliance/KYC modules, premium subscriptions, and the flagship Rapaport Suggested Price, a tool to recommend wholesale and retail diamond prices.

This role requires a leader who can define the Company's data and AI vision, architect scalable capabilities, and deliver new products that create real customer and business value. The VP of Data will prepare Rapaport's data for the AI era, integrating external data sources, building a modern data lake, training and deploying models, and enabling explainable, trustworthy AI solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Data & AI Vision: Define and execute Rapaport's global data and AI strategy, transforming raw data into monetizable products and services.
• AI & ML Development: Lead the design, training, and deployment of AI/machine learning models across pricing, compliance, recommendation engines, and risk analysis.
• Data Infrastructure: Build and scale a modern data lake and cloud-based architecture to integrate internal and external datasets, enabling advanced analytics and model training.
• Governance & Trust: Implement best practices in data governance, security, integrity, and compliance, ensuring industry trust in Rapaport's data products.
• Product Development: Partner with Product and Technology to design and deliver solutions including analytics platforms, APIs, compliance/KYC modules, and Rapaport Suggested Price.
• Commercialization: Develop monetization models for data and AI offerings, including premium subscriptions and enterprise solutions.
• Leadership: Build and lead a high-performing organization spanning data science, engineering, and analytics, while collaborating closely with product, technology, and commercial teams.

Candidate Profile

• Proven Leadership: 10+ years in data strategy, analytics, or product leadership, ideally in financial services, marketplaces, or SaaS.
• AI/ML Expertise: Proven experience developing and deploying AI/ML models and optimization algorithms across multiple domains, including pricing and recommendation systems.
• Data Engineering Mastery: Expertise in building and scaling data platforms and lakes that support AI, engineering, and analytics projects across an organization.
• Cloud & Tools: Experience with cloud ecosystems (preferably Amazon/AWS), data management services, and business intelligence tools (e.g., Qlik).
• Technical Skills: Strong knowledge of Python, AI/ML frameworks, NLP, and interpretability libraries to bring explainability to complex models.
• Data Strategy & Governance: Skilled at defining and implementing data strategy, governance, and management best practices.
• Commercial Mindset: Demonstrated ability to turn data into profitable products and recurring revenue streams.
• Communication & Influence: Ability to present complex data and AI insights clearly to non-technical stakeholders and build credibility with global industry players.
• Execution & Agility: Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize effectively, and deliver results in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Values: High integrity, professionalism, and trustworthiness, with the credibility to lead data in a highly sensitive global industry.

About The Rapaport Group
The Rapaport Group is an international network of companies providing added-value services that support the development of ethical, transparent, competitive, and efficient diamond and jewelry markets. Established in 1976, the Group has more than 20,000 clients in over 120 countries. Our activities include: Rapaport Information Services – research, analysis, and news, RapNet – the world's largest diamond trading network, Rapaport Price List – the world's leading pricing metric for diamonds and Rapaport Trading and Auction Services – specializing in recycled diamonds and jewelry. Additional information is available