University of South Carolina

AI Solutions & Innovation Manager

University of South Carolina$84K — $131K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in a related field with 3+ years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Master's degree preferred in computer science, AI, data science, or similar area.
  • Strong foundation in AI and machine learning; practical experience required.
  • Experience with enterprise AI ecosystems and workflow automation tools.
  • Demonstrated leadership in technology adoption in complex organizations.

Responsibilities

  • Identify and implement AI-powered solutions to enhance operations and achieve strategic goals.
  • Lead training and change management efforts for successful AI adoption.
  • Ensure compliance with university policies on governance, privacy, and ethical AI use.
  • Evaluate AI initiatives for their effectiveness and recommend improvements.
  • Collaborate with IT and other departments to integrate AI solutions into business processes.

Benefits

  • Competitive salary with exceptional benefits package.
  • Generous leave and holiday accrual plus 13 paid holidays annually.
  • Collaborative work environment located in a vibrant area of Columbia, SC.
  • Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance.
  • Eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
Full Job Description
Posting Details

Posting Summary

Logo

Posting Number
STA00567PO26

Job Family
Operational Analysis

Job Function
Business Intelligence

USC Market Title
Business Intelligence Manager

Link to USC Market Title
https://uscjobs.sc.edu/titles/210226

Job Level
M0 - Managerial

Business Title (Internal Title)
AI Solutions & Innovation Manager

Campus
Columbia

Work County
Richland

College/Division
Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support

Department
SAAS Information Technology

State Pay Range
G12

USC Market Range
MRK - $84,820 $108,146 $131,471

Anticipated Hiring Range
$84,820 - $131,471

Location of Vacancy

Part/Full Time
Full Time

Hours per Week
37.5

Work Schedule
  • Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • Must be willing to work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of the department.


Basis
12 months

Job Search Category
Information Technology

Position Description

Advertised Job Summary

AI Solutions & Innovation Manager

  • Ready to shape the future of AI in higher education?


  • Can you transform innovative ideas into practical solutions that improve the student and staff experience?


  • If you're passionate about building AI-powered solutions, leading organizational change, and driving responsible innovation, we'd love to hear from you!


Position Summary:

The AI Solutions & Innovation Manager advances the Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support's AI capabilities by identifying opportunities to improve operations through artificial intelligence and delivering practical, scalable solutions. Working collaboratively with functional units and the IT development team, the position designs, develops, and implements AI-powered applications, intelligent agents, workflow automations, and enterprise system integrations using modern low-code, automation, and AI-assisted development tools. The role partners with technical and non-technical stakeholders to translate business needs into effective solutions, evaluate outcomes, and drive continuous improvement. In addition, the position leads AI adoption by developing training, documentation, and best practices, fostering responsible use across the Division, and serving as the primary liaison with the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) to ensure all AI initiatives align with university standards for governance, privacy, security, accessibility, and ethical AI use.

Primary Job Duties
  • AI Solutions Discovery, Design, and Delivery: Identifies, evaluates, designs, and implements AI-powered solutions that improve business processes, enhance operational efficiency, and support the Division's strategic objectives. Collaborates with stakeholders to translate business needs into scalable AI applications, intelligent automations, and integrated solutions.
  • Adoption, Enablement, and Change Leadership: Leads the successful adoption of AI technologies by developing change management strategies, training programs, documentation, and champion networks that promote user engagement, responsible use, and sustained organizational adoption.
  • Governance, Documentation, and DoIT Liaison: Ensures AI solutions comply with university policies and standards for data governance, privacy, security, accessibility, and ethical AI use. Serves as the Division's primary liaison with the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) to coordinate AI initiatives and maintain alignment with institutional technology and governance requirements.
  • Evaluation, Continuous Improvement, and Innovation: Establishes performance measures to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of AI initiatives, analyzes outcomes to drive continuous improvement, and identifies emerging AI technologies and opportunities that advance innovation and operational excellence across the Division.


Perks:
  • Competitive salary + some of the BEST benefits you can find!
  • Generous annual and sick leave accruement, along with 13 paid holidays.
  • An engaging and collaborative on-campus environment. Our location is in South Carolina's capitol city, surrounded by amenities, so you will love where you work!
  • Opportunities for professional development, including tuition assistance.
  • Eligible for enrollment in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.


Learn more about working at USC

Job Related Minimum Required Education and Experience
  • Requires a bachelor's degree in a job related field and 3 or more years of job related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job related certification, training, education, and/or experience.


Required Certification, Licensure/Other Credentials

Preferred Qualifications
• Master's degree in computer science, information systems, data science, artificial intelligence, educational technology, or a related field.
• A strong foundation in both AI and machine learning concepts and their practical application in organizational settings.
• Demonstrated experience building and deploying AI solutions in real operational use (not only pilots or training programs), such as agents, automations, or AI-assisted applications. Candidates are encouraged to provide examples or a portfolio.
• Experience with enterprise AI ecosystems (Microsoft Copilot and Copilot Studio, OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google) and workflow automation platforms such as Power Automate.
• Experience leading technology adoption or change initiatives in higher education or another complex, decentralized organization.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
AI Solution Development - Ability to design and build working AI solutions using prompt and context engineering, agent development platforms, workflow automation, LLM APIs, and low-code or AI-assisted development approaches.
Problem Identification & Needs Analysis - Ability to conduct needs analyses and feasibility assessments, identify where AI delivers measurable value, and prioritize opportunities against divisional and institutional goals.
Adoption & Change Leadership - Understanding of change management and technology-adoption principles; ability to design champion networks, communication plans, and enablement resources that make solutions stick.
Communication & Collaboration - Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate complex technical topics clearly and work effectively with diverse campus stakeholders at all levels.
Ethical AI & Governance - Awareness of AI ethics, bias, limitations, and institutional governance requirements; ability to embed responsible-use practices into every solution and process.
Project & Program Management - Ability to plan, track, and deliver multiple concurrent initiatives; maintain accurate documentation; and measure and report outcomes.

Job Duties

Job Duty

AI Solution Discovery, Design, and Delivery
  • Leads the identification, evaluation, design, and implementation of generative AI solutions that enhance divisional operations and contribute to institutional goals of efficiency, innovation, and operational excellence. Partners with functional and technical teams to identify and assess opportunities for applying AI to improve service delivery, knowledge management, and process automation. Conducts needs analyses and feasibility assessments to determine where AI integration can enhance efficiency, accuracy, and user experience. Designs, builds, tests, and deploys solutions including intelligent agents, workflow automations, retrieval-augmented assistants, and integrations with enterprise systems, using low-code, agentic, and AI-assisted development approaches as the problem demands. Collaborates with Student Affairs Technology Services (SATS) and enterprise application teams to integrate solutions into existing business processes, workflows, and service delivery models. Applies project management methodologies to plan, track, and evaluate initiatives, ensuring timely implementation and alignment with divisional priorities.


Essential Function
Yes

Percentage of Time
40

Job Duty

Adoption, Enablement, and Change Leadership (Essential, 25%)

  • Leads the human side of AI adoption across the Division. Designs adoption strategies grounded in change-management principles, including champion networks, communication, incentives, and measurement. Creates enablement infrastructure such as playbooks, standard operating procedures, competency guidance, and self-service resources that allow teams to adopt deployed solutions safely without depending on a single person. Delivers targeted workshops, office hours, and hands-on support in service of specific solutions and initiatives. Gathers user feedback and translates it into solution refinements and new opportunities.


Essential Function
Yes

Percentage of Time
25

Job Duty

Governance, Documentation, and DoIT Liaison
  • Ensures all AI applications comply with university policies related to data security, accessibility, privacy, and ethical use. Serves as the Division's primary liaison with DoIT to align AI tools, workflows, and initiatives with institutional standards, technical requirements, and governance expectations. Participates in establishing and maintaining AI governance and responsible deployment frameworks, ensuring transparency, fairness, and compliance with university standards. Develops and maintains documentation for developed tools, workflows, and APIs to support review, audit, and sustainable long-term maintenance. Conducts solution validation and performance evaluation in controlled environments prior to deployment.


Essential Function
Yes

Percentage of Time
20

Job Duty

Evaluation, Continuous Improvement, and Innovation
  • Develops and implements methods to assess the effectiveness and impact of AI initiatives, using data-driven insights to guide ongoing improvement and inform future investment. Maintains a structured process for regularly reviewing solutions and processes to incorporate emerging AI tools, evolving guidelines, and relevant use cases in alignment with institutional goals. Maintains current knowledge of emerging AI technologies through professional learning; participates in AI-related communities of practice or consortium activities representing the university; recommends and tests new AI techniques aligned with the university's data strategy and digital transformation goals. Other duties as assigned.


Essential Function
Yes

Percentage of Time
15

Position Attributes

Safety Sensitive or Security Sensitive
No

Hazardous weather category
Essential

Posting Detail Information

Number of Vacancies
1

Desired Start Date

Job Open Date
07/29/2026

Job Close Date
09/12/2026

Open Until Filled
No

Special Instructions to Applicant

Positions are advertised for a minimum of five (5) business days on our job website. After five (5) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may var

About University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina (USC) is a public research university located in Columbia, South Carolina. It was founded in 1801 and is the flagship institution of the University of South Carolina System. USC offers more than 350 programs of study, including bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. The university is known for its strong programs in business, law, medicine, engineering, and education. USC is also home to the South Carolina Honors College, which offers a rigorous liberal arts curriculum to top students. The university has a diverse student body and is committed to providing access to higher education for all.
Learn more about University of South Carolina
Size
12,000 employees
Industry

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at University of South Carolina

More Education, Government & Non-Profit Jobs

Find similar AI Solutions & Innovation Manager jobs: