Senior Manager, AI Portfolio

UL Standards & Engagement; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 144,000 - 198,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus potential

401k match up to 5%

Flexible working arrangements

Paid time off

Job summary

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement in Evanston, IL seeks a Sr. Manager, AI Portfolio to lead AI governance, portfolio management, and adoption strategies across ULRI and ULSE.

You will partner with senior leaders to define investment priorities, manage AI lifecycles, and drive responsible AI practices, literacy, and enterprise-wide value realization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS/IT/DS/AI/Business or related field; Master's preferred.
• Proven experience in AI governance, portfolio management, and organizational adoption.
• Ability to establish governance frameworks and performance metrics.
• Excellent communication and senior stakeholder management skills.
• Experience with vendor/partner relationships and risk/compliance considerations.

Responsibilities

• Establish and improve enterprise AI governance and portfolio management across ULRI and ULSE.
• Lead AI intake, evaluation, prioritization, and lifecycle management.
• Partner with leaders to identify AI opportunities delivering measurable value.
• Oversee AI portfolio and roadmap, show priorities and risks.
• Direct delivery of AI solutions from concept to adoption.
• Define decision frameworks for build/buy/partner/hybrid.
• Monitor KPIs for portfolio health, adoption, risk, and value.

Skills

AI governance

Portfolio management

Stakeholder management

Vendor management

Strategic thinking

Communication

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IT/DS/AI/Business

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Job Description We have an exciting opportunity for a Sr. Manager, AI Portfolio at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement, based in our Evanston, IL office. The Sr. Manager, AI Portfolio will be responsible for leading the development and execution of enterprise AI governance, portfolio management, and adoption strategies that enable responsible and effective use of artificial intelligence across UL Research Institutes (ULRI) and UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE). This role partners with mission and shared services leaders to establish AI operating frameworks, guide investment and prioritization decisions, manage AI solution lifecycles, and ensure alignment with organizational objectives, risk management practices, and governance requirements. The Sr. Manager, AI Portfolio serves as a strategic advisor and connector across business, technology, and external partner communities, driving AI innovation, value realization, and sustainable adoption while fostering enterprise-wide AI literacy and responsible AI practices.

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement At UL Research Institutes (ULRI) and UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE), we expand the boundaries of safety science to create a more secure and sustainable world. For more than a century, we have studied the unintended consequences of innovation, designed solutions to mitigate risk, created new safety standards and shared our findings with academia, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers across industries. We identify critical safety and sustainability issues, asking the tough questions because we believe a safer world begins with knowledge.

What you’ll learn and achieve:

• Establish, implement, and continuously improve enterprise AI governance, portfolio management, and operating frameworks that support responsible AI adoption and innovation across ULRI and ULSE.
• Lead enterprise AI intake, evaluation, prioritization, and lifecycle management processes to ensure AI initiatives align with organizational strategies, governance requirements, resource capacity, and business objectives.
• Partner with mission and shared services leaders to identify, assess, prioritize, and advance AI opportunities that deliver measurable operational, research, and organizational value.
• Oversee the enterprise AI portfolio and roadmap, providing visibility into priorities, dependencies, risks, outcomes, resource utilization, and value realization across initiatives.
• Direct the delivery and operationalization of AI solutions from concept through implementation, adoption, and continuous improvement, ensuring solutions are scalable, sustainable, and aligned with enterprise technology standards.
• Develop and apply decision‑making frameworks for evaluating build, buy, partner, or hybrid delivery approaches based on strategic alignment, cost, risk, security, capability, and operational sustainability.
• Define and monitor key performance indicators and success measures to evaluate portfolio health, AI adoption, operational impact, risk posture, and realized business value.
• Partner with Legal, Information Security, Risk, Compliance, Finance, Human Resources, and other stakeholders to operationalize Responsible AI practices, including governance, privacy, security, transparency, compliance, and appropriate human oversight.
• Establish and manage relationships with external vendors, consultants, technology providers, and strategic partners to support AI strategy execution, knowledge transfer, and organizational capability development.
• Champion enterprise AI enablement through education, change management, communities of practice, governance forums, and adoption programs that build organizational understanding, capability, and confidence in AI technologies.
• Provide leadership, consultation, and strategic direction regarding emerging AI technologies, industry trends, governance practices, and opportunities to advance organizational effectiveness and innovation.

What you’ll experience working at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement:

We have pursued our mission of working for a safer, more secure, and sustainable world for nearly 130 years, embedding conscientious stewardship into everything we do.

People:

Our people make us special. You’ll work with a diverse team of experts respected for their independence and transparency and build a network, because our approach is collaborative. We collaborate across disciplines, organizations, and geographies to build the global scientific response that today’s global challenges require.

Interesting work:

Every day is different for us here. We see what’s on the horizon and use our expertise to build the foundations of a safer future. You’ll have the opportunity to push the boundaries of human understanding as part of a team working to advance the public good.

Grow and achieve:

We learn, work, and grow together through targeted development, reward, and recognition programs.

Values.

Four core values guide our work: collaboration, respect, integrity, and beneficence. By living our values, we inspire the trust essential to fulfilling our mission and foster the partnerships that enable us to pursue a beneficent future in which we all can thrive.

Total Rewards:

All employees at UL Research Institutes are eligible for bonus compensation. We offer comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans and a generous 401k matching structure of up to 5% of eligible pay. Moreover, we invest an additional 4% into your retirement saving fund after your first year of continuous employment. Depending on your role, you may be able to discuss flexible working arrangements with your manager. We also provide employees with paid time off, including vacation, holiday, sick, and volunteer days.

What makes you a great fit:

• Demonstrated knowledge of artificial intelligence technologies, including generative AI, machine learning, intelligent automation, agentic AI, AI governance, and responsible AI principles.
• Strong portfolio, program, and product management experience with the ability to lead complex, cross‑functional initiatives from strategy through execution and adoption.
• Ability to establish governance frameworks, operating models, performance metrics, and business processes that support effective technology and AI implementations.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into actionable business recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate effectively with senior leaders, technical teams, governance bodies, and external partners.
• Experience managing vendor and partner relationships with accountability for performance, service delivery, and value realization.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, stakeholder management, and change leadership skills.
• Ability to balance innovation, risk management, compliance, and operational effectiveness in a complex organizational environment.

Professional education and experience requirements for the role include:

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Business Administration, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.

About UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement are nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing safety science research through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. We conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide safe commercialization of evolving technologies. We foster communities of safety, from grassroots initiatives for neighborhoods to summits of world leaders. Our organization employs collaborative and scientific approaches with partners and stakeholders to drive innovation and progress toward improving safety, security, and sustainability, ultimately enhancing societal well-being. To learn more, visit our websites UL.org and ULSE.org.

Salary Range: $144,304.94-$198,419.29 Pay type: Salary