AI for Nonprofits Industry Specialist

Idealist Consulting; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 135,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equitable total compensation

Generous Paid Time Off

Home Office Support

Healthcare coverage options

Dedicated education and training funds

Job summary

A nonprofit technology consulting firm is seeking an AI Solution Architect to enhance AI for Nonprofits services. The role includes developing service quality, guiding AI implementation methodology, and mentoring consultants. Candidates should have strong communication skills, 3+ years in AI solutions, and familiarity with nonprofit practices. The firm values innovative solutions for social impact and promotes a humane work environment. The position offers a competitive salary and remote work options.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years experience designing and deploying generative AI or LLM-based solutions in a consulting or enterprise context.
• Minimum 3 years nonprofit sector experience with familiarity in business processes like fundraising and advocacy.
• Minimum 2 years experience using story mapping methodology to capture business requirements.

Responsibilities

• Guide development and quality of AI for Nonprofits services.
• Define best practices in AI for Nonprofits industry specialization.
• Provide mentorship for Consultants in the AI for Nonprofits specialization.
• Contribute to industry thought leadership and innovation.
• Lead project teams in the Idealist Way.

Skills

Client-facing written and oral communications skills

Designing and optimizing business processes

Experience in generative AI or LLM-based solutions

Nonprofit sector experience

Story mapping methodology

Technology implementation project leadership

Agile and Waterfall project management methodology

Desire to learn new things

Subject Matter Expertise in Nonprofit Solutioning

Platform expertise in AI tools

Tools

Anthropic's Claude

AWS Bedrock

Azure OpenAI

Google Vertex AI

Job description

Are you equal parts data driven and relationship driven with a good sense of humor and an altruistic streak? You might be an Idealist!

At Idealist Consulting, we are innovators and problem-solvers committed to global progressive action. Our expertise spans Salesforce implementation, managed services, and the full AI adoption journey, from strategic planning and data readiness to integration, agent configuration, and user adoption. Idealist Consulting has been B Corp Certified since 2008.

We’re seeking an AI Solution Architect to guide the expansion of our AI for Nonprofits service offerings. Ideal candidates will have an ear to ground in the latest AI and Agentic solutions that support nonprofit business processes.

How You’ll Contribute:

• Guide the development and quality of Idealist Consulting’s AI for Nonprofits services through the selection of platforms, products, and integrated applications for solution implementation through:

  • Research, evaluate, and report back on new AI products, releases, and agentic capabilities

  • Steer scoping and other pre-sales processes as Solution Architect

  • Serve as Idealist Consulting’s primary delivery contact with the Anthropic Partnership contacts and advise on joint go-to-market initiatives and co-development of nonprofit use cases

• Define and refine best practices within the AI for Nonprofits industry specialization

  • Collaborate with Director of Service Delivery on AI implementation methodology and process documentation in the Idealist Way

  • Champion responsible AI principles including transparency, data privacy, bias mitigation, and ethical use — particularly in high-stakes nonprofit contexts such as casework, advocacy, and beneficiary data

  • Develop standards for AI proof-of-concept (POC) and minimum viable product (MVP) evaluation in collaboration with clients and internal teams

• Provide mentorship for Consultants within the AI for Nonprofits industry specialization

  • Contribute to performance reviews, talent development, and training efforts

  • Contribute to monthly Consultant meetings

  • Assure service quality through project audits and common practice assessments

• Contribute to industry thought leadership and innovation

  • Demonstrate thought leadership and contribute content including blogs, capabilities content, customer stories, and sessions

  • Represent the company at industry events

• Lead project teams and Solution Architecture in the Idealist Way on assigned projects (50% utilization)

  • Translate client business requirements into well-architected AI solutions that best leverage the Claude platform and integrated applications

  • Assist Sales and Services Teams in preparing estimates for implementation, providing detailed level-of-effort estimates for proposed solutions as needed

  • Guide project teams in the Idealist Way throughout the implementation cycle, including discovery, use case identification, prompt engineering, agent configuration, quality assurance, and user acceptance testing

What You Bring to the Table:

• Baseline Expectation:

  • Excellent client-facing written and oral communications skills

  • Proven ability to design and optimize business processes and integrate AI capabilities across disparate systems

  • Minimum 3 years experience designing and deploying generative AI or LLM-based solutions in a consulting or enterprise context

  • Minimum 3 years nonprofit sector experience, with deep familiarity with common nonprofit business processes: fundraising, case management, program delivery, advocacy, and volunteer management

  • Minimum 2 years experience using story mapping methodology to capture business requirements

  • Minimum 3 years leading technology implementation project teams

  • Minimum 3 years experience utilizing Agile and Waterfall project management methodology

  • Desire to learn new things and take on challenges

  • Subject Matter Expertise in Nonprofit Solutioning

  • Platform expertise in AI tools, LLM-based products, and agentic workflow configuration

  • Exceptional communication and presentation skills

• Extra Credit:

  • 2 years+ working in the Idealist Way or equivalent delivery methodology

  • Direct experience with Anthropic’s Claude, the Claude API, or enterprise AI platforms (AWS Bedrock, Azure OpenAI, Google Vertex AI)

  • Proven track record of delivery Anthropic’s Claude-specific solutions

  • Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud Consultant certification or equivalent nonprofit CRM expertise

  • Experience building or managing an AI practice, center of excellence, or emerging technology offering at a consulting firm

  • PMP Certification or similar

  • Published thought leadership, conference presentations, or community contributions in AI, nonprofit technology, or responsible tech

What You Can Expect:

• Equitable total compensation package with base salary commensurate with experience plus performance bonuses

• Standardized growth targets at 90 days, 1 year, and beyond

• Humane, no-overtime work weeks and a Hybrid Work Policy with remote options and flexible workday scheduling

• Healthcare coverage options with HSA/FSA contribution match

• Generous Paid Time Off and Family Leave policies

• Paid Volunteer Time to encourage civic engagement and community involvement

• 401k employer match and short-term leave available with tenure

$135,000 - $160,000 a year

• On-Target Earnings (OTE): $135,000 – $160,000 (base salary + monthly utilization-based bonus tied to billable work)
• Professional Development: Dedicated education and training funds
• Home Office Support: Reimbursement for home office setup

Idealist Consulting was founded in 2006 by returning Peace Corps volunteer Rob Jordan to help nonprofits and progressive organizations grow mission impact through technology. We’re committed to delivering innovative technical solutions to empower organizations working on some of the world's most important causes.

Idealist Consulting is an equal opportunity employer. Idealist Consulting does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its consulting and employment policies. We have a majority female leadership team and believe in the B Corp Declaration of Interdependence which states that businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all. Read our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on our Ethics page.