Program / Product Manager – AI & Accessibility

Aquent; San Bruno (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent in the United States is seeking a visionary and hands-on Accessibility & AI Program/Product Manager to lead the intersection of AI and inclusive design across the product ecosystem. This onsite role in San Bruno, CA blends strategy and execution to build AI-driven features that are accessible and compliant.

You will partner with AI/ML researchers, engineers, UX designers, legal teams, and disability advocates to ensure models and interfaces meet accessibility standards (WCAG 2.2/3.0)

Qualifications

• 5+ years of Product Management or Technical Program Management delivering software at scale.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the product vision and roadmap for integrating accessibility into core AI-powered products and features.

Skills

Product management

Accessibility

AI/ML familiarity

Assistive technology

Cross-functional leadership

Communication

Job description

About the Role

This position is onsite 5 days/week in San Bruno, CA.

Our client is seeking a visionary and hands‑on Accessibility & AI Program/Product Manager to lead the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Inclusive Design across the product ecosystem. In this hybrid role, you will define the product strategy, roadmap, and operational frameworks necessary to build AI-driven products that are accessible, compliant, and inclusive for users of all abilities.

You will partner closely with AI/ML researchers, software engineers, UX designers, legal/compliance teams, and disability advocate communities to ensure generative models, computer vision systems, and interactive interfaces meet standard accessibility guidelines (WCAG 2.2/3.0) while pioneering new ways AI can break down access barriers.

Key Responsibilities

1. Product Strategy & Roadmap

   Define and execute the product vision and roadmap for integrating accessibility into core AI-powered products and features.

   Lead the strategy (and partial implementation) using your knowledge of Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, for example.

   Identify opportunities where AI technologies (e.g., Computer Vision, Speech-to-Text, LLMs, Assistive AI) can create novel accessibility features and improve user experience for people with disabilities.

   Balance feature innovation with digital accessibility standards, prioritizing user needs and regulatory requirements.

2. Program Management & Governance

   Establish and drive cross-functional AI accessibility governance frameworks, ensuring ethical AI practices, bias mitigation, and compliance (e.g., WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA, Section 508, EN 301 549, EU AI Act).

   Integrate accessibility auditing, screen reader testing, and automated checks directly into the AI software development lifecycle (SDLC) and CI/CD pipelines.

   Manage timelines, deliverables, and dependencies across multi-disciplinary engineering and product teams.

3. Inclusive Design & Engineering Collaboration

   Work with UX researchers and UI/UX designers to design inclusive multimodal interaction patterns (voice, gesture, eye‑tracking, screen readers).

   Collaborate with Machine Learning engineers to ensure training datasets, data labeling, and model outputs reflect diverse accessibility requirements and do not perpetuate disability bias.

   Partner with QA teams to establish robust testing protocols involving assistive technologies (e.g., NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, TalkBack, Switch Control).

4. Advocacy & Community Engagement

   Serve as the internal Subject Matter Expert (SME) and champion for accessible design and AI ethics across the organization.

   Engage directly with the disability community, user research groups, and accessibility advisors to incorporate lived experiences and feedback into product design.

   Measure and report on accessibility metrics, adoption rates, and customer satisfaction across AI features to executive leadership.

Required Skills & Experience

• Experience: 5+ years of Product Management or Technical Program Management experience delivering software products at scale.
• Accessibility Domain Expertise: Strong understanding of accessibility standards and frameworks (WCAG 2.1/2.2 Level AA, Section 508, ADA, WAI-ARIA).
• AI/ML Familiarity: Functional understanding of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning workflows, Generative AI models, and multimodal user interfaces.
• Assistive Tech Knowledge: Hands‑on experience testing or working with assistive technologies (Screen Readers, Speech Recognition, Switch Devices, High Contrast modes).
• Cross‑Functional Leadership: Demonstrated track record of leading cross‑functional teams (Design, Engineering, Legal, QA) without direct authority.
• Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical/AI concepts into accessible business language.

Preferred / Bonus Qualifications

• Professional certifications in accessibility (e.g., IAAP WAS, CPACC, or CPWA).
• Experience with AI ethics, dataset bias auditing, or inclusive AI design principles.
• Familiarity with dynamic product compliance frameworks (e.g., European Accessibility Act, EU AI Act).
• Prior experience conducting user testing sessions directly with individuals with disabilities.