AI Enablement Lead

University of Michigan; Ann Arbor (MI); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 96,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule (4 days in office

Remote work on Fridays

Job summary

The University of Michigan Center for Academic Innovation seeks an AI Enablement Lead to turn high‑value workflow problems into responsible, measurable AI‑enabled solutions. You will report to the Director of Technology Infrastructure and Support and steer engagements from discovery through adoption and handoff.

You will combine consultative practice, hands‑on prototyping, stakeholder facilitation, and disciplined delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent required.
• 3+ years leading applied technology, product or service design, process improvement, innovation, or consulting projects.
• Experience designing or building AI-enabled workflows with large language model tools, APIs, or automation platforms.
• Experience mapping workflows and guiding teams through change with clear requirements and delivery plans.
• Ability to establish evaluation criteria and use evidence to decide on next steps.
• Ability to lead multiple workstreams with clear ownership and executive-level communication.
• Knowledge of responsible AI, privacy, security, accessibility, and data governance.
• Willingness to learn and apply new technologies to improve processes and outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead structured intake and discovery with faculty and staff, mapping workflows and identifying problems, users, constraints, and baseline performance.
• Translate validated needs into engagement briefs with scope, owners, success measures, risks, dependencies, and a handoff plan.
• Plan and lead cross-functional AI enablement engagements from discovery through prototype, evaluation, adoption, and handoff.
• Build or coordinate prototypes using approved AI tools, APIs, data sources, and workflow platforms.
• Define evaluation plans testing quality, reliability, efficiency, accessibility, and user adoption before scaling.
• Coordinate privacy, security, data governance, accessibility, procurement, and policy reviews with CAI and university partners.
• Facilitate working sessions, demonstrations, and learning to help teams adopt new workflows responsibly.
• Create reusable patterns and templates so successful approaches can be applied across CAI.
• Track engagement capacity, progress, outcomes, and risks with portfolio reporting to AI Council and TIS leadership.
• Guide the work of the Applied AI Engineer and rotating domain experts.

Skills

AI enablement workflows

Stakeholder facilitation

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Requirements gathering

Evaluation planning

Privacy, security, accessibility

Learning new technologies

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

AI tools & APIs

Job description

Who We Are

Through curricular innovation, tools for student success, and educational research and analytics, the University of Michigan Center for Academic Innovation is building the future of education. Our vision is a future in which education connects and empowers learners everywhere to reach their full potential throughout their lives. To realize our vision, we make it our mission to collaborate across campus and around the world to create equitable, lifelong educational opportunities for learners everywhere.

About the Technology Infrastructure and Support Team

The TIS team builds and maintains the technology behind CAI's learning, media, and IT work. Our work spans Michigan Online infrastructure, cloud storage, cybersecurity, disaster recovery, studio production, XR, AV systems, media asset management, and internal support. TIS is also home to the AI Enablement Team, which partners with teams across the Center to test promising ideas and turn the ones that work into tools and workflows people can rely on. Working closely with Creative Studios, Operations, and product engineering teams, we keep CAI's systems dependable and secure so learners, faculty, and staff can focus on their work.

Responsibilities*

• Lead structured intake and discovery with faculty and staff, map current workflows, and identify the problem, users, constraints, and baseline performance
• Translate validated needs into engagement briefs with scope, owners, success measures, risks, dependencies, and a clear handoff plan
• Plan and lead cross-functional AI enablement engagements from discovery through prototype, evaluation, adoption, and operational handoff
• Build or coordinate prototypes using approved AI tools, APIs, data sources, and workflow platforms
• Define evaluation plans that test quality, reliability, efficiency, accessibility, and user adoption before scaling a solution
• Coordinate privacy, security, data governance, accessibility, procurement, and policy reviews with the appropriate CAI and university partners
• Facilitate working sessions, demonstrations, documentation, and role-specific learning that help teams adopt new workflows responsibly
• Create reusable patterns, templates, and decision records so successful approaches can be applied across CAI
• Track engagement capacity, progress, outcomes, and risks, and provide concise portfolio reporting to the AI Council and TIS leadership
• Guide the work of the Applied AI Engineer (post-graduate fellow), student fellows, and rotating domain experts assigned to engagements

What You'll Do

The Center for Academic Innovation at the University of Michigan is seeking an AI Enablement Lead to turn high-value workflow problems into responsible, measurable AI-enabled solutions. Reporting to the Director of Technology Infrastructure and Support, you will lead engagements from discovery through evaluation, adoption, and operational handoff. You will combine consultative practice, hands‑on prototyping, stakeholder facilitation, and disciplined delivery. The successful candidate is pragmatic, collaborative, and able to translate among domain experts, technologists, data and policy partners, and executive sponsors.

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Three or more years leading applied technology, product or service design, process improvement, innovation, or consulting projects
• Demonstrated experience designing or building AI-enabled workflows with large language model tools, APIs, or automation platforms
• Experience mapping workflows, facilitating colleagues, turning ambiguous needs into clear requirements and a manageable delivery plan, and supporting teams through the workflow and role changes that come with new ways of working
• Experience setting evaluation criteria and using qualitative and quantitative evidence to decide whether to continue, revise, scale, or stop a project
• Ability to lead several workstreams and cross‑functional contributors with clear ownership and follow‑through, including presenting progress, results, and recommendations to executives and leadership groups
• Working knowledge of responsible AI, privacy, security, accessibility, and data governance
• Ability to learn and appropriately use new technologies to improve processes, communication, and outcomes, including AI‑enabled tools where relevant to the role, consistent with university policy and job responsibilities

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment.

Additional Information

This is a 3-year term‑limited position with the possibility of renewal depending on funding. The position may be renewed or converted into an open‑ended base appointment.

Candidates must have legal authorization to work in the United States.

The mode of work for this position is Hybrid with a minimum of 4 days in the office per week, Monday through Thursday, with an option of remote work on Fridays. On occasion, you may be required and must be available to work onsite on Fridays if necessitated by our center's policy and domain leadership or by your job requirements.

The salary for this position will be based upon the selected candidate's education and experience.

We support the creative, responsible, and ethical use of AI tools to enhance our work, in alignment with institutional policies and best practices.

Salary Information

The general salary range for this position is $90,000 - $96,000. Candidates can expect to be paid a competitive and equitable salary. Factors used to determine salary include education level, experience, knowledge and skills for the position and salaries that are currently established within the unit. All candidates are encouraged to discuss salary questions to honor alignment and transparency throughout the recruiting process.

Organizational Statement on Harassment

We believe all individuals deserve to be treated with respect and dignity and have the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes mutual respect and a safe space for collaboration. Any concerns shared with any staff members and student employees in the Center for Academic Innovation will be reported to the Equity, Civil Rights, & Title IX Office to be reviewed and addressed, and the Center for Academic Innovation encourages reporting of any forms of harassment including sexual and gender‑based harassment.

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.