Chief Operating Officer - AI & R&D

About the role

Aspire Digital Group, an innovation-driven company at the intersection of AI, fintech, e-commerce and digital media, is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to oversee the development, integration and commercialisation of AI products and R&D strategies across its platforms. The role is full-time, flexible between Australia and Thailand, with cross-border team management, and visa sponsorship is available for the right candidate.

Key responsibilities

• Drive the strategic direction of AI and R&D initiatives across all Aspire Digital platforms
• Lead operational planning, budgeting and execution across cross-functional teams
• Oversee product development cycles from ideation to launch and ongoing performance optimisation
• Manage partnerships with technology providers, research institutions and government innovation agencies
• Design and implement operational systems to scale digital products including AI tools, payment infrastructure and content platforms
• Ensure compliance with international data governance, AI ethics and applicable regulatory frameworks
• Mentor and develop department heads across engineering, product, marketing and customer success
• Set innovation KPIs, operational efficiency targets and monetisation strategies with the Director
• Support go-to-market planning for R&D-driven features such as agentic AI, automation tools and digital transformation services
• Monitor financial performance and resource allocation across projects and business units
• Champion AI-first workflows and tools across the organisation

Required profile

• At least five years' proven experience in a senior executive, COO, CTO or Head of Product role in a technology or digital innovation environment
• Comfortable and experienced using AI tools and productivity platforms, including large language models such as Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT, for research, content drafting, data analysis and process automation
• Strong leadership, organisational and decision-making skills, with experience scaling new ventures and managing cross-cultural international teams
• Postgraduate qualifications in technology, business or innovation are highly regarded

Required skills

• Practical knowledge of AI technologies, including large language models, agentic AI and automation frameworks
• Enterprise architecture, cloud computing and data security principles
• Familiarity with compliance frameworks, IP protection and grant or reporting requirements

What we offer

• Salary of $183,100 plus superannuation
• Cross-border environment with teams in Australia and Thailand
• Flexible working arrangements
• VISA sponsorship for eligible candidates
• Opportunities to lead R&D operations across multiple verticals and future growth within the group