Senior Director, AI Strategy and Enablement

Position Summary

This position is a high-impact strategic leadership role responsible for defining, driving, and governing the university's comprehensive Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy and roadmap. Serving as a visionary leader with a deep understanding of the unique dynamics of teaching, research, and administrative functions in higher education, act as the principal champion for AI adoption. Establish and lead an AI Center of Excellence, building a high-performing team of technical and business experts to drive the application and successful adoption of AI across the entire university. Act as a key liaison between university units and external vendors, advancing a strategy that strategically balances building robust internal AI capabilities with the leveraging of effective vendor solutions. Collaborate with university partners to ensure the development and implementation of AI is ethical, responsible, and compliant with institutional policies, while also planning and coordinating essential AI training and professional development to meet institutional needs and maximize the value of AI in advancing the priorities of an 'AI University".

Qualifications

Required Education:
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Management Information Systems, Higher Education Administration, Technology or related field.

Preferred Education:
Master's Degree Data Science, AI/ML, Business Analytics, Higher Education Administration, Computer Science, or related field.

Required Experience:
10+ years of demonstrated success working with, or in higher education, with extensive experience in technology, data, or an AI-related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Must include experience working with cross-functional teams, higher education stakeholders from diverse disciplines, a and implementing/leading technology projects, and demonstrated experience in developing and successfully deploying projects across a school/university/campus.

Preferred Experience:
Experience with learning analytics and/or student success initiatives. Experience with communications strategies for telling the story of impact. Demonstrated experience of successful change management and project management. Demonstrated experience in leading organizational change and fostering a culture of innovation.

Required Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:
Excellent collaboration and interpersonal communication skills. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to clearly articulate complex technical concepts to a diverse range of stakeholders, from C-level executives to faculty and students. Ability to build collaborations and consensus through relationship-building. Deep knowledge of technology integration to solve business problems, including leveraging vendor partnerships to rapidly advance solutions. Generative AI Knowledge: Understanding of generative AI technologies, including large language models (LLMs), natural language processing (NLP), and related frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch). Data Strategy: Experience in developing and executing comprehensive data strategies that support AI initiatives, including data governance and management. IT Infrastructure: Familiarity with the platforms and computational infrastructure required for effective GenAI integration in an academic setting (e.g., cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, Google Cloud). Strategic Thinking: Proven ability to create high-level strategy in new and ambiguous areas, aligning GenAI initiatives with the university's mission and goals. Ethical Acumen: A strong commitment to ethical AI practices, with the ability to address issues of bias, transparency, and accountability.

Preferred Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:
Ability to work across university units to explore challenges, issues, and concerns and to develop a plan for solutions. Excellent problem-solving skills, analysis of potential solutions, and bringing a project from idea to solution. Strong foundation in machine learning, data science, and AI development, with a track record of implementing successful AI solutions.

Additional Information

In compliance with NYC's Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary range for this position is USD $250,000.00 to USD $290,000.00. New York University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as, market and organizational considerations when extending an offer. This pay range represents base pay only and excludes any additional items such as incentives, bonuses, clinical compensation, or other items.

NYU aims to be among the greenest urban campuses in the country and carbon neutral by 2040. Learn more at nyu.edu/nyugreen.

NYU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its recruitment and hiring process without regard to age, alienage, caregiver status, childbirth, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, domestic violence victim status, ethnicity, familial status, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, national origin, parental status, partnership status, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy, race, religion, reproductive health decision making, sex, sexual orientation, unemployment status, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis. All interested persons are encouraged to apply at all levels.