AI Program Lead (PM/PO & BA Experience)

About the Position

We are seeking a versatile AI Delivery Lead (or AI Portfolio Lead) to operate across multiple workstreams and drive projects from end-to-end. The ideal candidate is a hybrid professional—likely a Project Manager or Product Owner with a strong Business Analysis background—who can connect disparate projects, identify shared dependencies, and navigate a landscape of internal and external development resources. This role requires an agile mindset to succeed in an environment where governance and technical platforms are continuously maturing.

About the Project

This initiative involves overseeing an ambitious and expanding AI portfolio consisting of 8–10+ parallel projects. These include the development of chatbot frameworks, knowledge assistants, and shared AI platforms. The project aims to leverage artificial intelligence to enhance institutional workflows, data accessibility, and stakeholder engagement within an evolving governance framework.

Responsibilities

• Drive the full lifecycle of 8–10 parallel AI projects, moving them through discovery, design, MVP, pilot, and full-scale production.
• Maintain a holistic view of the portfolio to identify overlaps and opportunities for reuse across shared platforms, data integrations, and frameworks.
• Act as the primary liaison between business sponsors, subject matter experts, and technical teams (internal and external) to ensure alignment and timely execution.
• Refine problem statements and define user workflows to ensure AI solutions are practical, usable, and deliver tangible business value.
• Navigate and help shape evolving governance checkpoints, ensuring projects follow lifecycle standards while accurately tracking progress, risks, and reporting.
• Lead testing and feedback loops during pilots to ensure AI tools move beyond the experimental stage into sustained institutional use.

Requirements

• Proven experience in Project Management or Product Ownership, specifically managing complex portfolios with multiple parallel workstreams.
• Strong Business Analysis (BA) skills with the ability to translate vague business needs into structured technical requirements and workflows.
• Experience working in agile environments with the ability to adapt to evolving processes and governance structures.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and manage a mix of internal developers and external vendors.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence and align diverse groups of stakeholders.

Nice to Have

• Prior experience with AI-specific projects, such as Large Language Models (LLMs), chatbots, or knowledge management systems.
• Experience working within higher education or a complex, research-driven organizational environment.
• Understanding of shared technical dependencies like data lakes, API integrations, or chatbot frameworks.