Robert Burns

About

AI Product Leader and former founder specializing in mathematical optimization and autonomous orchestration systems. Leads the “Agentic Shift” for complex, multi-location networks, with five production-grade AI systems deployed. Applies scientific-hypothesis discipline (“Scientific Humility”) to rigorously backtest and refine models, including agent risk scoring, guardrails, evaluation (LLM-as-judge, retrieval accuracy, A/B prompt optimization), and RAG architectures. Technical enough to build and evaluate agents (LangGraph/LangChain, pgvector, LiteLLM, OpenTelemetry) and strategic enough to align C-suite stakeholders on autonomous inventory intelligence. Holds an MBA, MS IT Management, and Master in Data Science, with experience spanning FinTech governance, BI/SDLC delivery, and data-driven precision agriculture.

Experience

• Founder & AI Product Leader · Self-Employed11-01-2025

  • Defined product requirements, success metrics, and delivery approach for five client AI agent deployments (three commercial, two nonprofit), each scoped, built, and delivered within a consistent agile sprint cadence. • Led full discovery-to-deployment lifecycle: stakeholder interviews, requirements definition, risk scoring, architecture decisions, user acceptance testing, and end-user training. • Clients: commercial fishing operator, two nonprofits, retail signage company, marketing agency.

• IS Project Manager III · HAPO Community Credit Union11-01-2024 – 07-01-2026

  Scope expanded to include AI platform strategy and prototyping in addition to PM responsibilities. • Managed implementation of enterprise AI governance framework, including policy documentation, SharePoint security controls, and board establishment. Reviewed and refined organizational AI governance policy per CTO direction. • AI Platform Strategy: Independently approached CIO and VP of IS to establish internal POC AI hub. Appointed to lead strategic definition, feature prototyping, and AI education portal development. • Legacy Code Doc Agent (POC): Defined requirements and built functional prototype; demonstrated 98% time reduction vs. manual documentation. Presented to leadership; organization evaluating adoption roadmap. • HR Chatbot (POC): Scoped and prototyped employee self-service HR chatbot using Microsoft Copilot Studio under VP of IS direction; presented to senior leadership. • Infrastructure: Directed SASE implementation delivering $400,000 annual cost savings. Led Software Defined Perimeter project for unified remote access management. • FinTech Tools: PM for pre-payment calculator targeting 15% error reduction and 20% speed improvement in loan servicing; CRM implementation for mortgage department targeting 10% increase in loan closings.

• BI & IT-App Dev Project Manager · Dutch Bros Coffee10-01-2021 – 01-01-2025

  • AI/ML Product: Founded and led cross-functional volunteer AI/ML team (5 members). Defined product requirements, success metrics (30% onboarding time reduction target), and iterative roadmap for AI chatbot for departmental knowledge management. • BI Platform: Product lead for DOMO BI platform pilot, enabling Marketing, Operations, and Finance to self-serve dashboards. Defined capabilities, created documentation, and ran training program. • Ordering System SDLC: PM for full SDLC of proprietary ordering system with predictive analytics; reduced inventory waste by 5%. • Scorecards: PM of sales and labor scorecard platform unifying KPIs for 700+ shop operators; improved executive decision speed by 40%. • Talent ID Software: PM for international dev team building candidate identification tool; flagged 325+ hires supporting 150 new locations annually. • Process: Overhauled PM toolchain (Slack, Miro, Jira), decreasing change requests by 31% and bugs by 20%.

• Founder & Product Manager · Burns Agriculture2003 – 2024

  • 20-year operator running data-driven precision agriculture: custom IoT sensor network (Raspberry Pi), predictive resource allocation, 35% per-acre yield increase via A/B testing, 40% reduction in chemical spray. Scaled managed acreage 120% via lean operational models. • Full P&L, stakeholder management (suppliers, distributors, regulators), and 25+ seasonal workers.

• Owner & Product Manager · Paper Street Brewing Company2013 – 2023

  • End-to-end product lifecycle management for 100+ SKUs: user research, rapid prototyping, A/B testing, data-driven iteration — same frameworks now applied to AI product development. • Built predictive inventory system reducing stockouts by 15%. Led team of 10+ with full P&L and hiring authority. Grew customer acquisition 30% via e-commerce UX optimization.

Education

• University of PittsburghMaster of Data Science, Data Science
• Boston UniversityMaster of Business Administration
• Western Governors UniversityMS in Information Technology Management, Information Technology Management
• Washington State UniversityBA in Business Administration (Marketing), Marketing

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