AI Technical Lead

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 115,000 - 140,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous vacation

Paid holidays

Sick leave

Retirement benefits

Job summary

The University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Division of Information Technology is seeking an AI Technical Lead to guide evaluation, deployment, and governance of AI-powered tools across the campus.

You will collaborate with DoIT and campus stakeholders to shape AI adoption while protecting privacy and security, in a role that blends on-site and remote work under a flexible arrangement. The position is a fixed-term engagement with potential extension based on funding.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience deploying, configuring, or administering enterprise SaaS platforms (e.g., Microsoft 365)
• Experience evaluating, implementing, or supporting AI-powered tools or services in an enterprise setting
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical projects and coordinate across multiple teams or stakeholders
• Experience translating technical concepts for non-technical audiences including for executive audiences

Responsibilities

• Leads the evaluation, deployment, and governance of AI-powered tools and services within PCS, including Anthropic, and Copilot for M365; develops adoption frameworks, monitors usage, and ensures responsible AI use aligned with campus policy.
• Researches, consults, prototypes, and develops new and advanced standards-based technology initiatives and problem resolution across multiple systems
• Designs large components and/or coordinates the running, maintaining, and operating of technical systems and infrastructure
• Integrates, designs, reviews, troubleshoots, monitors, and resolves highly complex, strategically significant, and innovative enterprise-wide supported services, systems, networks, and application problems according to established processes and procedures
• Plans and directs staff implementation of complex enterprise technical projects
• Serves as the main expert point of contact with external stakeholders, leadership, vendors, peer institutions, and IT partners regarding high-level system integrations. Identifies needs, provides solution options and strategic direction, and communicates issue updates and resolutions

Skills

SaaS platforms

AI tooling

Project leadership

Technical communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft 365

Anthropic

Job description

Job Category: Academic Staff

Employment Type: Terminal (Fixed Term)

Job Profile: Tech Int Eng IV (Inst) (MSN)

Job Summary:

Join the Productivity and Collaborative Solutions (PCS) team within UW-Madison's Division of Information Technology as an AI Technical Lead. PCS provides the tools campus relies on every day such as email, video conferencing, Microsoft 365, Copilot, and other Software as a Service products that enable UW-Madison's mission.

In this role, you will lead PCS's strategic effort to evaluate, deploy, and govern AI-powered technologies that help the campus community with AI for everyday use. You'll partner with stakeholders across DoIT and campus to shape how AI tools are adopted while protecting the privacy and security of our community.

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits.

The candidate selected for this position may perform a combination of on-site and remote work subject to an approved flexible work arrangement (FWA), which is reviewed and approved annually. Remote work requires successful candidates to possess their own high-speed internet and phone to perform the work on a university provided computer. Per University policy, transportation between home and assigned work location is not payable/reimbursable and will be at the expense of the employee. This position is expected to work 20% onsite and 80% remote.

This position will initially last one year, with the possibility of extending the position up to a maximum of two years and/or it may turn into an ongoing appointment based on program need and funding availability.

The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) is an exciting and dynamic work environment grounded in organizational principles that include family and personal life/work balance; an inclusive, respectful, and supportive work environment; professional development opportunities; innovation; and alignment with the campus's teaching, learning, and research missions. DoIT provides core IT infrastructure services to the university, develops and implements services for the university and in some cases, for the Universities of Wisconsin, plays a major role in managing the state-wide higher education network and regional networks.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Leads the evaluation, deployment, and governance of AI-powered tools and services within PCS, including Anthropic, and Copilot for M365; develops adoption frameworks, monitors usage, and ensures responsible AI use aligned with campus policy.
• Researches, consults, prototypes, and develops new and advanced standards-based technology initiatives and problem resolution across multiple systems
• Designs large components and/or coordinates the running, maintaining, and operating of technical systems and infrastructure
• Integrates, designs, reviews, troubleshoots, monitors, and resolves highly complex, strategically significant, and innovative enterprise-wide supported services, systems, networks, and application problems according to established processes and procedures
• Plans and directs staff implementation of complex enterprise technical projects
• Serves as the main expert point of contact with external stakeholders, leadership, vendors, peer institutions, and IT partners regarding high-level system integrations. Identifies needs, provides solution options and strategic direction, and communicates issue updates and resolutions

Department:

Division of Information Technology, User Services, Productivity and Collaborative Solutions (PCS)

User Services offers client-centered services to support the academic, administrative, and research needs of the campus community. We provide a wide range of consultation and user support services for campus clients through our Help Desk, InfoLabs, Product Management and Departmental Support services. We also provide and support enterprise Software as a Service (SaaS) applications to enable and enhance collaboration and communications among the UW-Madison campus community.

PCS specializes in technologies that enable individuals and organizations to work more efficiently and effectively. Core services include Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, chat, personal document storage, email lists, and surveys. Work products include system acquisition and implementation, technical architecture and design, application integration, custom software development, consulting, project management, and support of production enterprise system environments.

Compensation:

Starting salary will be based on experience and qualifications. Well qualified applicants can anticipate to earn between $115,000 - $140,000, with final salary based on experience and qualifications.

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. Benefits information can be found at https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/

Required Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience deploying, configuring, or administering enterprise SaaS platforms (e.g., Microsoft 365 or equivalent productivity suites)
• Experience evaluating, implementing, or supporting AI-powered tools or services in an enterprise setting
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical projects and coordinate across multiple teams or stakeholders
• Experience translating technical concepts for non-technical audiences including for executive audiences

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional experience working with data classification standards and compliance requirements (FERPA, HIPAA) as they apply to AI tool adoption
• Experience developing end-user adoption resources, training, or change management programs for AI or SaaS technologies.
• Experience managing license or account provisioning through automation, including full life cycle onboarding and offboarding.

Education:

Bachelor's Degree Preferred Minimum

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal OpportunityEmployer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgroundsand encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.