Innovation Enablement Lead

Summary

The Innovation Enablement Lead, Operations reports to the Vice President of Innovation and serves as a member of the Innovation Lab team supporting the university's operational innovation efforts. This role partners with operational leaders, business owners, and technical teams to help translate business needs into practical solutions through AI-enabled technologies, automation, and process improvement initiatives.

Operating with a high degree of independence, the Innovation Enablement Lead coordinates and supports innovation initiatives across operational functions and collaborates with stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of projects. The role leads project workstreams, facilitates implementation activities, and helps measure outcomes to support continuous improvement and operational effectiveness.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

• Coordinate and support operational AI initiatives — from ideation and exploration, through Prototype and Pilot, into production rollout and adoption.
• Develop and implement AI-enabled solutions and prototypes using approved tools and platforms to support operational improvements - including the AI Walled Garden — prototyping and piloting solutions, then moving validated use cases into production across operational domains (Registrar, Financial Aid, Student Services, Compliance, IT). Serve as a partial administrator of the AI Walled Garden and the solutions developed within it, supporting configuration, access, and ongoing upkeep of those use cases.
• Track project-level metrics and analyze usage and satisfaction data into actionable insights for stakeholders and executive sponsors.
• Coordinate multiple AI initiatives simultaneously, managing project plans, milestones, risks, and stakeholder communications.
• Conduct vendor and platform assessment during the Explore and Assess stages — comparing capability fit, total cost of ownership, integration complexity, and operational scalability — and prepare build-vs-buy recommendations for the VP of Innovation and executive sponsors.
• Run vendor-delivered Pilots — tracking vendor performance against agreed success criteria, coordinating integration with internal systems, and supporting adoption across operational teams.
• Prepare and present operational AI initiatives to the Architecture Review Board (ARB) and related institutional governance bodies — partnering with Information Technology counterparts, capturing architecture and integration guidance, and incorporating governance feedback into project plans. Participate in the AI Governance Committee (AIGC) — including and use-case intake, risk classification, approvals, and ongoing monitoring
• Support change management activities that promote adoption, reduce risk, and minimize operational disruption across operational stakeholder groups (associates, managers, and senior leaders).
• Design and deliver implementation-focused training and guidance materials that prepare operational staff to confidently adopt AI tools, automated workflows, and redesigned processes.
• Partner with operational owners (e.g., Registrar, Financial Aid, Student Services, Compliance, Information Technology) to identify high-value automation and AI opportunities, contribute to portfolio prioritization within the operations lane, and align solutions to operational outcomes.
• Apply design thinking and user-centered methodologies to shape and refine concepts through iterative feedback, ensuring solutions are grounded in user needs and operational context.
• Collaborate with the Innovation Enablement Manager (responsible for academic innovations) on hybrid initiatives that span academic and operational use cases, with ownership defined by use case.
• Support Innovation Lab communications and storytelling around operational innovation outcomes to reinforce vision, transparency, and stakeholder buy-in across institutional channels.
• Contribute to scalable departmental SOPs, playbooks, and operational workflows that ensure consistency, quality, and repeatability across all innovation initiatives.
• Provide guidance and knowledge sharing to stakeholders and project participants to support adoption and build AI literacy.
• Support the responsible use of AI solutions and adhere to established institutional data privacy, security, and regulatory requirements (e.g., FERPA, GLBA, accreditation considerations).
• Adheres to College/University policies and procedures and conducts job responsibilities in accordance with the standards set out in the College/University’s Code of Ethical Conduct, Compliance Agreement, Sexual Harassment Policy or any of its policies and procedures, applicable federal and state laws, and applicable professional standards.
• Maintains regular and timely attendance, reports to work as scheduled and as required to meet the needs of the College/University and assures time worked and/or time-off is recorded properly.
• Exercises care, proper use and maintenance of department equipment and supplies and identifies unsafe conditions and makes appropriate adjustments. Maintains order, cleanliness and safety at work.
• Performs other job duties as assigned.

Minimum and Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, Computer Science, Innovation Management, Operations Management, or a related field from a regionally accredited university;
• Advance degree preferred.
• Professional certifications in one or more of the following areas: AI credential (or project portfolio) Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) or PMI-PBA, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher.

Experience & Skills

• 5–7 years of progressive experience in business analysis, project delivery, process improvement, or operational innovation.
• Hybrid skill profile combining business analysis (requirements gathering, stakeholder facilitation, process mapping), project delivery (lifecycle ownership, schedule/budget/risk management), and technical fluency (AI tools, automation platforms, low-code/no-code development).
• Demonstrated experience translating business need into solution requirements and delivering measurable value through technology-enabled change.
• Experience applying AI-enabled tools and automation technologies and evaluating their effectiveness and suitability for operational use cases.
• Familiarity with generative AI platforms and tools such as Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, or similar technologies and their application to operational processes.
• Experience implementing or supporting AI-enabled solutions and workflow automation initiatives.
• Forward-thinking and AI-native — actively tracks frontier AI developments and tooling, demonstrates strong judgment about when to adopt new techniques, and learns and ships with new tools quickly.
• Operations and enterprise-systems experience — direct exposure to CRM, ERP, or SIS platforms and an understanding of how operational workflows depend on them.
• Working knowledge of user-centered design, design thinking, and innovation management practices.
• Proven ability to facilitate training and manage organizational change for staff and operational audiences.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives and competing priorities.
• Analytical and data fluency — comfortable collecting, interpreting, and presenting operational data to inform strategic decisions.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement, communication, and interpersonal skills, capable of effectively presenting to diverse audiences and building strong relationships.
• Familiarity with project management and collaboration tools such as Smartsheet, Monday.com, Jira, Asana, or comparable platforms.
• Working knowledge of data privacy, security, and ethical considerations for AI in operational and student-facing applications, including FERPA and GLBA implications.
• Ability to thrive in dynamic, fast-paced environments with flexibility, initiative, and resilience; ability to self-direct, multi-task, and function well under pressure of deadlines and conflicting priorities.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and demonstrate critical thinking; willingness to work a flexible schedule; commitment to fostering collaborative, student-centered environments; ability to travel as necessary to meet project deadlines.
• Direct experience in higher education or another regulated industry (healthcare, financial services, government) where compliance, accreditation, and student/customer outcomes shape solution design.
• Hands-on experience with Anthology, Salesforce, Workday, or comparable enterprise platforms common in higher-ed administration.
• Familiarity with generative AI platforms and tools such as Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, or similar technologies and their application to operational workflows.
• Familiarity with business process re-engineering, Lean and Six Sigma methodologies, and continuous improvement practices.
• Experience evaluating the effectiveness of AI-enabled solutions and using feedback and performance metrics to support continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated curiosity and ongoing learning regarding emerging technologies and AI capabilities.
• Experience supporting technology governance processes and collaborating with technical stakeholders to align solutions with established standards.
• Cloud platform familiarity — working experience with Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud for AI workload deployment and integration.
• Programming and scripting fluency for prototyping — working comfort with Python, JavaScript, or comparable language sufficient to build, modify, and debug AI prototypes; familiarity with REST APIs, webhooks, and structured data formats.

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