AI Program Manager - Special Projects & Innovation

SmartTech Contracting LLC; United States; Remote; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical plans

Dental & Vision

401k with company match

PTO & parental leave

Job summary

Smart Tech Contracting seeks an AI Program Manager for Special Projects and Innovation. You will govern AI use, enable teams, and ship AI-powered tools across the organization from a remote base in the United States, with travel to job sites as needed.

You will mature SmartTech.ai, raise AI fluency, and build scalable frameworks and hosting platforms, collaborating across departments and reporting to Engineering leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related discipline.
• Experience building or maturing an AI enablement program or Center of Excellence is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Establish governance for AI use and intake with IT and InfoSec.
• Raise the AI fluency of the company through training and messaging.
• Turn ideas and prototypes into deployable AI solutions.
• Design and stand up development environments and hosting platforms.
• Coordinate AI Champions network and manage vendor relationships.

Skills

AI program management

Program governance

Stakeholder management

Change management

Communication

DevOps / CI-CD

Git / source control

Azure / cloud hosting

Education

Bachelor's in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related discipline

Tools

Claude

Power Automate

Git

Azure

CI/CD

Job description

AI Program Manager - Special Projects & Innovation

Smart Tech Contracting delivers turnkey BAS & EPMS solutions for mission-critical colocation and hyperscale data centers operating at national program scale. As a Master Systems Integrator (MSI), we unify controls construction (DDC, PLC, SCADA) with software engineering, optimized graphics / UI standards, and program-level governance.

Complex integrations are delivered cleanly, consistently, and fast. Our teams thrive in high-stakes environments where quality control and uptime matters, schedules are compressed, and coordination is everything.

Join us and be part of a team where your voice matters, your work makes an impact, and your growth is a shared priority.

Position Title: AI Program Manager — Special Projects and Innovation

Position Location: Remote — work virtually from anywhere in the United States, with occasional travel to job sites, lab environments, and company meetings

JOB SUMMARY

Smart Tech Contracting delivers turnkey BAS & EPMS solutions for mission-critical colocation and hyperscale data centers operating at national program scale. As a Master Systems Integrator (MSI), we unify controls construction (DDC, PLC, SCADA) with software engineering, optimized graphics / UI standards, and program-level governance. Our Special Projects and Innovation (SPI) group is where we pursue the ideas that do not fit inside a standard project — and it is the home of SmartTech.ai, our company-wide AI enablement program.

AI adoption at STC has grown fast and organically: capable people across every department have built real tools and returned real time. That grassroots energy is our foundation — and it has outgrown an informal, team-by-team approach. As AI Program Manager, you will take SmartTech.ai from siloed experimentation to a governed, supported, and scalable capability — setting light-touch policy and standards, standing up the development frameworks and hosting platforms that turn prototypes into deployable products, pairing the right tools to the right use cases, and raising the AI fluency of every employee through training, messaging, and hands-on support.

This is STC's first dedicated AI enablement hire. You will report to the VP of Engineering & Technology, operate within the SPI department, and coordinate a hub-and-spoke network of departmental AI Champions. You are equal parts builder and enabler — technical enough to architect and ship AI solutions yourself, and skilled enough with people and process to make the entire company better at using AI. You will receive general direction on objectives and work independently to build the program, communicating and operating in line with organizational goals and values as well as departmental objectives.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Program Governance, Policy & Intake (20%)

• Establish light-touch, practical governance for AI use company-wide — acceptable-use standards, data-handling and security guardrails, and a clear tool-approval pathway — in partnership with IT and InfoSec
• Contribute to development of the innovation and idea intake (“funnel”), triaging incoming requests and prototypes and prioritizing them by value, effort, and risk
• Maintain a lightweight review cadence that keeps the program safe and consistent without slowing the people doing the work

AI Enablement, Training & Messaging (20%)

• Raise the AI fluency of the entire company — technical and non-technical staff alike — through hands-on training, office hours, documentation, and reusable prompt and workflow libraries
• Own internal messaging and change management for SmartTech.ai: announcements, wins, and adoption campaigns that build momentum and engagement
• Coordinate the departmental AI Champions network, turning individual wins into shared, company-wide capability

Solution Development & Deployment (20%)

• Turn ideas and prototypes into deployable, supportable solutions — designing, building, and shipping LLM-powered tools, agents, and integrations
• Serve as a hands-on power user of Claude and modern AI development tools, setting the technical bar for prompt engineering, agentic workflows, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) over company knowledge, and API integration
• Harden and deploy high-value prototypes built by others so delivery teams can rely on them without owning their maintenance

Development Frameworks & Hosting Platforms (15%)

• Design and stand up the sanctioned development environments, hosting platforms, and DevOps toolchain (source control, CI/CD, containerization, cloud hosting) that let AI solutions be built, deployed, and maintained safely and repeatably
• Replace ad-hoc, unsanctioned workarounds with secure, documented, scalable infrastructure, in coordination with IT and InfoSec
• Establish reusable patterns, templates, and reference architectures for AI application development
• Evaluate, select, and manage the company's portfolio of AI tools and platforms; map tools to specific business needs and use cases so teams adopt the right tool for the job
• Track adoption, value, and ROI; maintain a prioritized roadmap of AI investments aligned to corporate growth targets
• Manage vendor relationships, licensing, and cost, and advise leadership on build-vs-buy decisions

Technology, Digital Tools & AI-Enabled Efficiency (10%)

• Leverage AI-enabled and digital tools to enhance efficiency, reduce manual effort, and support consistent, high-quality work output
• Identify opportunities to improve processes and demonstrate a continuous learning mindset, seeking out new technologies, skills, and methods that elevate individual and team performance
• Adapt to emerging technologies and evolving digital workflows, actively supporting the integration and adoption of innovative tools across the organization
• Completion of assigned tasks and deliverables on time and on budget
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Completion of Assigned Tasks and Deliverables on Time and on Budget

Performs Other Related Duties as Assigned

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Demonstrated experience building or maturing an AI enablement program or Center of Excellence at a similarly sized, fast-scaling company — taking it from ad-hoc adoption to governed, supported capability
• Power user of Claude (claude.ai, Claude Code, CoWork, Projects, connectors/MCP, and agentic tools) with fluency across the modern AI tool landscape (e.g., ChatGPT, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Perplexity)
• Hands-on skill designing and shipping LLM-powered applications: prompt engineering, agent and workflow design, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and API integration
• Application development and rapid prototyping using AI app builders and full-stack tools (e.g., Replit, Lovable) and scripting (Python)
• Development frameworks, hosting platforms, and DevOps: source control (Git), CI/CD, containerization, and cloud hosting (Microsoft Azure and others)
• Data fundamentals: relational, vector, and time-series data, knowledge bases, and data-pipeline concepts sufficient to ground AI tools in company data
• Workflow automation platforms such as Microsoft Power Automate, Copilot Studio)
• Working knowledge of AI governance and IT/OT security frameworks
• Program and change management: intake and prioritization, roadmapping, stakeholder management, and internal communications
• Ability to translate business needs into AI use cases and to teach both technical and non-technical audiences
• Skilled at using MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams); knowledge of file management
• Ability to work successfully in a remote environment through effective communication and organizational skills, self-motivation, proactiveness, and resourcefulness in a distraction-free workspace
• Ability to analyze and prepare documents, reports, and correspondence
• Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written form (technical and non-technical information) and directly with stakeholders across all levels
• Ability to work successfully as a member of a team and independently with limited supervision
• Ability to work under pressure and meet close deadlines
• Ability to effectively plan, prioritize, and delegate work
• Organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously
• Ability to follow company and site safety requirements

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The following physical demands must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is:

• Frequently required to remain in a stationary position and to operate a computer and other office equipment
• Frequently moving through office, lab, and critical-facility environments, including tight and confined spaces
• Occasionally descending / ascending stairs and ladders to access equipment during site visits
• On occasion required to move equipment weighing up to 25 pounds

TRAVEL / RELOCATION REQUIREMENTS

• Up to 20%; this may include travel to any or all 50 US states
• Effective May 7, 2025, and in accordance with U.S. federal regulations for domestic air travel, a valid REAL ID (or an acceptable alternative, such as a passport) is required for travel associated with this position
• Travel may involve transportation by car or plane depending on the destination and nature of the business need
• Travel is defined as physically leaving home on behalf of business activities including but not limited to client sites, meetings with other employees, meetings for business development purposes, running errands on behalf of the business, and attending industry conferences

EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related discipline (or equivalent professional experience)

PLUS

• 5+ years in software / AI development, technical program management, or AI/ML enablement, including hands-on delivery of AI or LLM-powered solutions.
• 2+ years building, leading, or maturing an AI enablement program, Center of Excellence, or comparable initiative at a similarly sized organization

BENEFITS

Smart Tech Contracting offers a very competitive benefits package; highlights include

• Choice of comprehensive medical plans (including two PPO-style plans and a HDHP w/ HSA option)
• Dental and vision plans
• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits extended to spouse / domestic partner and dependent children up to age 26
• 401k with company match and self-directed brokerage account option
• PTO including additional paid time off during the last week of the year
• Company paid life insurance coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
• Short and long-term disability, AD&D coverage
• Professional development opportunities, tuition reimbursement and professional licensing assistance
• Paid parental leave after one year of employment

CO, CA, IL, NY, WA, and Washington DC residents only: In accordance with CO, CA, IL, NY, WA, and Washington DC law, the range provided is STC's reasonable estimate of the base compensation for this role. The actual amount may differ based on non-discriminatory factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and location.

Smart Tech Contracting is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and participates in the E-Verify program with the Department of Homeland Security. We encourage diversity in our workforce.

The pay range for this role is:

99,750 - 120,225 USD per year (Remote (United States))