AI Delivery and Operations Lead

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Alabama, +32 more locations.

📋 Description

• Oversee the daily operational processes of AI Engineering, including sync meetings, demos, retrospectives, leadership reviews, planning cycles, and decision/action logs.

• Manage the progression of pod stages from conception through production and facilitate handover to a long-term owner.

• Facilitate go/no-go evaluations, providing recommendations on whether initiatives should proceed, pivot, launch, or be discontinued.

• Direct priority pod initiatives from initial intake and scoping to development and launch.

• Develop integrated delivery plans that outline scope, milestones, ownership, dependencies, and success metrics.

• Monitor AI Engineering OKRs, ensuring accountability among owners, identifying risks and blockers, and supplying quarterly planning and reporting data.

• Track action items from the weekly AI intake meeting until resolution.

• Transform risks, dependencies, and blockers into actionable recommendations and materials for the AVP and executive leadership.

• Initially function as an individual contributor with the potential to establish a small delivery team as pod activities expand.

• Collaborate with university IT, security, AI governance, and business teams.

⛳️ Requirements

• 7+ years of increasingly responsible experience in program, project, technology delivery, or operations management within a complex, cross-functional environment.

• Proven experience in delivering technology-driven initiatives, such as enterprise software, data and analytics, automation, or AI.

• Bachelor’s degree in business, information systems, computer science, or a related field.

• Equivalent experience may be considered in place of a degree.

• Working knowledge of AI applications, including large language models, retrieval systems, agents, evaluations, and model and cloud costs.

• Strong understanding of software delivery methodologies, including Agile and hybrid approaches, release planning, risk and dependency management, and OKRs.

• Experience transitioning software, data, or AI products from pilot phase to supported production, including IT, security, and architectural reviews.

• Structured problem-solving abilities and the capacity to distill complex information into clear recommendations.

• Exceptional writing and presentation skills suitable for audiences up to executive leadership.

• Proficiency in work management tools such as Azure DevOps or Jira.

• Ability to derive clarity from ambiguity and exercise sound judgment with limited guidance.

• Capacity to influence and hold stakeholders accountable without direct authority.

• Ability to juggle multiple complex priorities and dependencies concurrently.

• Capability to lead and mentor delivery staff while establishing shared practices across various teams.

• A mindset of ownership, follow-through, and credibility with senior leadership.

• Eagerness to maintain up-to-date knowledge in AI.

• Attendance, punctuality, and reliability are crucial job functions.

• Preferred: a technical background in software or data engineering, technical program management, or engineering management.

• Preferred: experience with AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot or Claude, including small automation for routine reporting.

🏝️ Benefits

• High-quality, low-deductible medical insurance.

• Low to no-cost dental and vision plans.

• Five weeks of paid time off.

• Nearly a dozen paid holidays.

• Employer-funded retirement plan.

• Free tuition program.

• Parental leave.

• Resources for mental health and wellbeing.

• Reliable internet connection and a dedicated, well-equipped workspace for remote employees.