Program / Product Manager – AI and Accessibility [AQ-25067]

Aquent; San Bruno (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent is hiring an Accessibility & AI Program/Product Manager to lead the intersection of AI and inclusive design onsite in San Bruno, CA. You will define the product strategy, roadmap, and governance to build accessible AI-driven products that meet standards and empower users of all abilities.

You will collaborate with AI/ML researchers, engineers, UX designers, legal/compliance teams, and disability communities to ensure models and interfaces comply with WCAG, 508, and EU guidelines while

Qualifications

• 5+ years of Product Management or Technical Program Management delivering software at scale.
• Strong understanding of accessibility standards and frameworks (WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA, Section 508, ADA, WAI-ARIA).
• Functional understanding of AI/ML and multimodal interfaces.
• Hands-on experience testing or working with assistive technologies (Screen Readers, Switch Devices, etc.).
• Demonstrated cross-functional leadership without direct authority.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication, translating complex AI concepts into accessible business language.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute product vision and roadmap for integrating accessibility into AI-powered products.
• Lead governance frameworks for AI accessibility, bias mitigation, and compliance.
• Integrate accessibility auditing and screen reader testing into SDLC and CI/CD pipelines.
• Collaborate with UX researchers and ML engineers to ensure inclusive design and diverse data labeling.
• Partner with QA to establish testing protocols with assistive technologies (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver).
• Manage timelines, deliverables, and dependencies across multi-disciplinary teams.

Skills

Product Management

Technical Program Management

Accessibility Standards

AI/ML Familiarity

Assistive Tech Knowledge

Cross-Functional Leadership

Communication Skills

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

• 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.
• 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.
• 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).
• 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.