AI Enablement Lead

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Harvard University's Central Administration (CADM) is a 5,000+ employee organization that supports the university's overall excellence by understanding and serving the needs of its schools, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and surrounding communities. Through dynamic and collaborative partnerships, CADM provides high-quality and efficient services to the schools to help them achieve their goals.

Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT) is a community of Information Technology professionals committed to understanding our users and devoted to making it easier for faculty, students, and staff to teach, research, learn, and work through the effective use of information technology.  We are recruiting an IT workforce that has both breadth in their ability to collaborate and innovate across disciplines – and depth in specific areas of expertise.  HUIT offers opportunities for IT professionals to learn and work in a unique technology landscape and service-focused environment.  If you are a technically proficient, nimble, user-focused and accountable IT professional who also connects with the importance of collaborating well in a team environment we are looking for you!  

More About HUIT: 

Our Mission: huit.harvard.edu/about 

We empower the Harvard community with essential and transformative technologies to advance education, knowledge, and discovery. 

HUIT’s core values are:  

• Human-centered  
• University-focused 
• Innovation-driven 
• Team-oriented 

IT Academy (designed for IT Staff): 

HUIT’s IT Academy aims to enable each IT staff person to grow professionally and become a trusted partner to her or his team. The IT Academy is built on the belief that every IT staff member across the University (including technology employees at each school and campus) can grow in her or his area of expertise as well as building strong people and project management skills. Learn more here: https://itacademy.harvard.edu/. 

Reporting to the Director of Client Support Services, the AI Enablement Lead oversees key enterprise client productivity tools that incorporate generative AI capabilities, including ChatGPT, Anthropic, and similar platforms. This role is accountable for ensuring these tools are delivered and accessed securely, sustainably, and in alignment with institutional priorities. 

Working in partnership with other Harvard AI service owners and cross-university stakeholders, the AI Enablement Lead helps coordinate a cohesive approach to the adoption of AI-enabled client productivity tools across Harvard. The role blends service governance, operational oversight, financial stewardship, and stakeholder engagement to support responsible and effective use of these tools. 

The AI Enablement Lead also evaluates emerging AI-enabled tools and capabilities and collaborates with partners to pilot and operationalize new services that can scale across the University. As these technologies evolve, this role helps translate new capabilities into well-governed, sustainable services that support Harvard’s academic and administrative mission, with a focus on tools within the Client Services portfolio.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Service Ownership & Operations

• Serve as the accountable service owner and program lead for Harvard’s enterprise AI-enabled client productivity tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Anthropic, and similar tools). 
• Establish and oversee operational processes for account provisioning and deprovisioning, ensuring access controls align with policy and contractual terms.
• Oversee and continuously improve intake, approval, and access workflows (e.g., ServiceNow processes), ensuring clarity, efficiency, and auditability.
• Develop and maintain clear, user-facing materials including documentation, knowledge articles, FAQs, training content, and feature comparisons to support adoption and effective use.
• Translate complex technical capabilities and policies into accessible, well-structured content for a range of audiences
• Serve as a subject matter expert on supported AI-enabled productivity tools and advise schools and units on appropriate tool selection and use cases.
• Develop guidance and best practices to help schools and units use these tools effectively and responsibly. 

Financial & License Management

• Partner with Finance to manage budgeting, billing, and cost recovery models for AI-enabled productivity tool licenses.
• Track license allocation across schools and units and ensure accurate billing based on assigned licenses.
• Develop and refine cost models and reporting to support transparency and sustainable growth of services.
• Monitor usage trends to inform license planning, renewals, and vendor negotiations.

Vendor & Risk Management

• Partner with key university stakeholders (Vendor Management, Strategic Procurement, Office of the General Counsel, etc.) to oversee vendor relationships and contractual considerations for AI-enabled client productivity tools. 
• Partner with Information Security and Data Protection (ISDP) and other stakeholders to assess security, privacy, and compliance risks and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.
• Escalate service issues and coordinate remediation with vendors and internal stakeholders.

Stakeholder Engagement & Governance

• Proactively engage with HUIT service owners whose platforms incorporate AI capabilities to maintain a shared understanding of available and emerging tools, align on positioning and use cases, and support a coordinated approach to AI-enabled productivity across the institution.
• Engage governance bodies, stakeholder groups, and AI working groups to inform roadmap priorities and responsible AI standards.
• Proactively gather, analyze, and synthesize input from vendors, peer institutions, and schools and units to develop clear, structured insights that inform tool selection, feature enablement, and policy decisions.
• Translate user needs, vendor capabilities, and institutional priorities into concise recommendations and decision-making materials for stakeholders and governance groups
• Measure and present key metrics on adoption, usage, cost trends, and service performance.
• Partner with university governance groups to support responsible AI standards, usage guidance, and institutional policy development.

Tool Enablement & Innovation

• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to evaluate and pilot emerging AI-enabled technologies and service models.
• Help define operational, governance, and support frameworks required to scale successful AI pilots into sustainable, supportable servcies.
• Identify opportunities to expand client productivity tools and document associated use cases, requirements, and risk considerations.
• Support alignment between AI-enabled client productivity tools and broader innovation initiatives across Harvard.

Basic Qualifications:

Basic Qualifications are the minimum threshold a candidate must meet in order to be considered for this role.

• Minimum of five years’ post-secondary education or relevant work experience

Additional Qualifications and Skills:  

The following qualifications are strongly preferred. If you meet some, but not all, you are still encouraged to apply; we value employees with a willingness to learn. 

The ideal candidate brings a blend of enterprise SaaS experience, emerging AI fluency, operational discipline, and the ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments.

In addition, the following qualifications are a plus: 

• Experience managing enterprise SaaS platforms, including license administration, provisioning workflows, and cost or billing coordination.
• Familiarity with generative AI technologies (e.g., large language models, AI assistants) and an understanding of responsible AI principles, including privacy, data protection, and governance considerations.
• Experience partnering with Information Security, data protection, or risk management teams in evaluating technology solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to gather and translate business requirements into structured recommendations or vendor-facing conversations.
• Strong analytical and communication skills, including the ability to explain complex AI concepts to non-technical audiences and present usage or cost data clearly.
• Ability to operate effectively in a rapidly evolving technology landscape.

• Working Conditions: Onsite work is performed in an office setting. 
• Appointment End Date:
  This is a fully benefited, full-time Harvard University position that has been funded for two years from date of hire. There is the possibility of renewal, contingent upon your work performance meeting the needs of the department and the continued availability of funding designed to support the position. 
• Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week 
  Hybrid; 1-2 days onsite per week on average plus ad-hoc meetings
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity
• Other Information:
  Please provide a cover letter and resume as one document with your application.
  This position has a 180-day orientation and review period. 

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Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 058. Please visit  Harvard's Salary Ranges  to view the corresponding salary range and related information. 

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to: 

• Generous paid time off including parental leave 
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one 
• Retirement plans with university contributions 
• Wellbeing and mental health resources 
• Support for families and caregivers 
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement 
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks 

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page. 

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.