Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), a global leader in research and innovation, invites candidates to apply for the newly created role of Assistant Vice President for Data and AI (AVP DAI).

This role, which will serve as a senior operational leader within the Office of the Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (OCIO), offers a unique opportunity to lead the administrative adoption of artificial intelligence and enterprise data capabilities across the university. Through this investment, CMU is committing to translate the university's extraordinary AI expertise into practical operational value — improving service delivery, strengthening decision support, reducing manual effort, and building durable institutional capability for responsible AI and data in the daily work of a complex research university.

Data and AI at Carnegie Mellon

Carnegie Mellon has extraordinary AI expertise across its academic and research enterprise. The challenge before the university is to apply that same spirit of innovation to the way CMU operates — converting AI promise into practical operational value. Computing Services is organizing and scaling the administrative use of AI, data, and analytics across the institution, building the operating models, governance processes, service offerings, implementation roadmaps, training, adoption strategies, and value-measurement practices that allow CMU to deploy these capabilities responsibly and effectively.

This work is already underway. CMU's current portfolio includes enterprise AI tools for faculty and staff, an AI Gateway for secure access to large language models, locally hosted models for sensitive workloads, expansion of chatbot capabilities across administrative services, early work in Snowflake Cortex for AI-enabled data inquiry, and a growing set of automation and analytics initiatives. The Assistant Vice President will be responsible for connecting these efforts into a coherent, measurable, and sustainable operating capability.

CMU's strengths relevant to this role include:

• Deep bench strength across the School of Computer Science, Heinz College, the Tepper School of Business, the College of Engineering, and the Dietrich College in AI, data science, machine learning, public policy, and human-centered design
• The Block Center for Technology and Society, which examines the implications of emerging technologies on work, policy, and organizations
• The Software Engineering Institute (SEI), a federally funded research and development center with leading expertise in AI engineering, cybersecurity, and responsible system design
• A mature Computing Services organization providing enterprise platforms, identity, security, analytics, and service delivery at scale
• The Data@CMU program and the Data Stewardship Council, which provide the foundation for institutional data governance and stewardship

Given the increasing role of AI, data, and automation in every dimension of university operations, CMU aims to implement a comprehensive and forward-looking plan for responsible adoption across administrative, academic support, and research support domains. Such a plan will reduce duplication, accelerate shared solutions, strengthen trust and compliance, and ensure that CMU's internal operations reflect the same standards of excellence the university champions in its scholarship.

Assistant Vice President for Data and AI: Vision and Aspirations

The AVP for Data and AI will spearhead university-wide efforts to organize and scale the administrative use of AI, data and analytics — providing strategic and operational direction to shape and execute this effort.

Reporting to the Vice President for Information Technology and CIO, the AVP DAI will foster collaboration across administrative, academic support, and research support domains. The role is vital to enabling CMU's staff, faculty, researchers, and students to benefit from AI and data capabilities that are safe, effective, and operationally sound. This is primarily an administrative transformation and operational excellence role: the Assistant Vice President will help CMU use AI, data, analytics, and automation to streamline business processes, improve service delivery, reduce manual effort, strengthen decision support, increase data quality, and improve the effectiveness of core university operations.

The planning that led to the creation of this role envisions the AVP DAI building a high-performing team with capabilities in AI operations, data governance, analytics, business process improvement, product management, change management, and stakeholder engagement. The ambition is to move CMU from experimentation to repeatable institutional capability. This role will focus on building durable services, governed platforms, improved workflows, measurable productivity, and better institutional outcomes.

University sponsors of this initiative intend for the AVP DAI to establish a clear operating model for AI and data that does three things at once:

• Enables responsible innovation and productive use of AI and data across the administrative enterprise
• Reduces administrative burden and compliance, security, and reputational risk for the university
• Provides durable governance, platforms, and expertise that scale with demand and deliver measurable value

The role is not intended to replace academic leadership in AI, faculty research expertise, or college-based innovation. Rather, it will create the administrative and technology foundation that enables responsible adoption at scale — supporting the education and research missions operationally while maintaining clear role boundaries with academic governance.

Key responsibilities of the AVP position include:

Administrative Data and AI Strategy

• Develop and lead a practical enterprise roadmap for using AI, data, and analytics to improve university operations while partnering with enterprise platform services to enhance automation efforts with AI
• Identify high-value administrative use cases across Finance, HR, Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, Research Administration, Procurement, University Advancement, Facilities, Compliance, Communications, and other administrative domains
• Translate institutional priorities into actionable initiatives with clear owners, timelines, success measures, funding needs, risk considerations, and operational support models
• Work with senior leaders to prioritize opportunities based on institutional value, feasibility, risk, readiness, and sustainability
• Create a consistent operating model for moving ideas from exploration to pilot to production
• Align AI efforts and provide AI enhancement support to broader Computing Services priorities, including digital transformation, operational excellence, enterprise systems modernization, data strategy, cybersecurity, accessibility, and service maturity

Administrative Process Transformation

• Lead a portfolio of administrative AI initiatives that reduce manual work, improve accuracy, speed up service delivery, and create capacity for higher-value work
• Partner with business process owners to analyze workflows, identify pain points, document current-state and future-state processes, and redesign work before applying technology
• Collaborate with platform and service teams to support appropriate automation capabilities, including workflow automation, robotic process automation, intelligent document processing, AI-assisted knowledge management, chatbots, agentic workflows, system integrations, and AI-enabled business applications
• Develop an intake, assessment, prioritization, and delivery process for AI enablement requests
• Participate and provide guidance in automation initiatives at the university

Enterprise Data Governance, Data Quality, and Decision Support

• Advance CMU's enterprise data maturity in partnership with Data@CMU, Institutional Effectiveness and Planning, data stewards, data custodians, administrative leaders, and Computing Services teams
• Strengthen data governance practices that improve access to trusted data while protecting privacy, security, confidentiality, and appropriate use
• Support institutional work around data definitions, data quality, data lineage, metadata, data access processes, reporting standards, and data stewardship
• Ensure AI and automation initiatives are built on reliable, well-governed, appropriately classified data
• Partner with Institutional Effectiveness and Planning and other administrative units to expand decision-support capabilities, including dashboards, analytics, natural language interfaces, and self-service reporting
• Support the development of AI-enabled data inquiry capabilities that help leaders access institutional information more efficiently and responsibly

AI Platforms and Service Delivery

• Lead the operationalization of enterprise AI services for faculty and staff use, with particular emphasis on administrative productivity and institutional business processes
• Oversee service models for AI tools such as ChatGPT Edu, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, NotebookLM, AI Gateway services, local model hosting, approved chatbot platforms, and other emerging capabilities
• Partner with Computing Services infrastructure, enterprise applications, cloud, security, procurement, legal, accessibility, and service management teams to ensure AI platforms are secure, reliable, accessible, cost-effective, and supportable
• Develop clear service descriptions, eligibility criteria, data-use guidance, support models, cost models, adoption metrics, and lifecycle management practices for AI-enabled tools
• Establish consistent processes for AI tool evaluation, pilot design, production readiness, vendor review, licensing, user onboarding, training, monitoring, and retirement

Enterprise Application AI Evaluation

• Develop a framework for evaluating AI capabilities embedded in enterprise vendor platforms, including ERP, CRM, HR, finance, research administration, student systems, service management, analytics, productivity, and collaboration platforms
• Work with system owners to assess whether vendor-provided AI features deliver meaningful value, improve business outcomes, and meet CMU expectations for security, privacy, accessibility, data governance, transparency, and supportability
• Partner with Procurement, Legal, the Information Security Office, and Enterprise Risk Management to review AI-related contract terms, data-use practices, model-training provisions, auditability, and institutional risk
• Help CMU avoid fragmented or duplicative AI adoption by creating a coordinated approach to vendor AI evaluation and implementation

Responsible AI Governance for Operations

• Coordinate responsible AI governance for administrative and operational use cases in partnership with existing university governance structures
• Develop practical guidance, review processes, risk assessment tools, and decision frameworks for the use of AI in university business operations
• Address privacy, information security, data classification, accessibility, bias, transparency, intellectual property, records retention, procurement, compliance, academic integrity, research compliance, and reputational risk as relevant
• Ensure that high-impact or sensitive AI use cases receive appropriate review before implementation
• Promote a risk-aware culture that enables responsible innovation without creating unnecessary administrative friction

AI Literacy, Change Management, and Adoption

• Set the strategy for staff-focused AI literacy and adoption efforts in partnership with the GenAI Center of Excellence, Human Resources, Organizational Development, academic partners, and administrative leaders
• Ensure the development of role-based training and practical guidance, in partnership with the broader Computing Services organization,  for staff, managers, executives, analysts, developers, administrative professionals, faculty support staff, and other key user groups
• Build communities of practice around administrative AI use, automation, data literacy, analytics, and responsible experimentation
• Create communication strategies that help the campus understand which AI tools are approved, how they should be used, what data can and cannot be entered, and where to go for help
• Works with other Computing Services units to support divisions through change management, readiness assessment, stakeholder engagement, adoption measurement, and continuous improvement

Support for Education and Research Missions

• Partner with the Provost's Office, the Eberly Center for Teaching and Learning, academic leadership, faculty, and teaching-support units where enterprise AI, data, and automation services intersect with teaching and learning
• Support responsible use of AI tools that improve faculty and staff productivity, course administration, student support operations, learning analytics, and academic business processes
• Partner with the Office of the Vice President for Research around research administration, to identify AI, data, and automation opportunities that reduce administrative burden, improve, accelerate proposal and award workflows, and support research operations
• Maintain clear role boundaries: this position supports the education and research missions operationally but does not serve as the university's academic AI lead or substitute for faculty governance

Portfolio, Metrics, and Value Realization

• Create and manage an AI, data, and automation portfolio that provides executive visibility into active initiatives, priorities, costs, risks, benefits, adoption, and outcomes
• Develop metrics that show whether AI and automation are delivering value, including time saved, cycle-time reduction, service improvement, reduced errors, improved data quality, adoption levels, cost avoidance, staff satisfaction, and decision-support improvements
• Produce regular executive reports for the CIO and senior leadership
• Implement value-realization practices so that CMU can distinguish productive AI investments from low-value experimentation
• Use evidence from pilots, user feedback, service metrics, and operational data to scale successful initiatives and stop or revise efforts that are not producing value

Team Leadership and Operational Management

The AVP for DAI will be responsible for the oversight and strategic leadership of the following teams:  AI Engineering and Architecture, Data, and Analytics and Integrations. 

The AVP will be expected to demonstrate leadership through the ability to:

• Build and lead a high-performing team with capabilities in AI operations, data governance, analytics, business process improvement, product management, change management, and stakeholder engagement
• Manage budgets, vendor relationships, service commitments, project plans, staffing models, and performance expectations
• Develop staff through coaching, mentoring, goal setting, professional development, and clear accountability
• Create a culture of practical innovation, service orientation, disciplined execution, inclusive collaboration, and continuous improvement

Desired Competencies:

This leadership position requires proven operational and strategic management skills with excellent communication and the ability to build trust and alignment across a complex, decentralized research university. The AVP AIDA will be a pragmatic transformation leader who understands AI and data — but more importantly, knows how to translate them into durable services, governed platforms, improved workflows, measurable productivity, and better institutional outcomes.

The successful candidate will bring a majority of the following qualities to the role:

Leadership and Execution

• Ability to create structure and forward motion in an emerging and ambiguous technology environment
• Ability to distinguish practical operational value from technology hype
• Proven ability to recruit and lead teams that develop and implement large-scale, cross-functional initiatives in complex, decentralized environments
• Ability to build trust with administrative units by solving real business problems
• Experience building sustainable partnerships across organizational boundaries, including with external partners and vendors
• Ability to influence across organizational boundaries without relying solely on positional authority
• Ability to manage budgets, vendors, staff, service portfolios, and executive reporting

Technical Acumen

• Strong understanding of AI, generative AI, data platforms, automation technologies, analytics, and enterprise applications
• Experience developing or operating governance models for data, technology, AI, analytics, automation, or enterprise systems
• Strong understanding of how data governance, AI, automation, security, privacy, and service management reinforce each other
• Experience with platforms such as ServiceNow, Snowflake, Tableau, Power BI, Workday, Oracle, Salesforce, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Box, GitHub, cloud AI services, LLM gateways, chatbot platforms, or robotic process automation tools
• Demonstrated understanding of privacy, cybersecurity, accessibility, records management, FERPA, GLBA, HIPAA where applicable, research compliance, intellectual property, and data-classification considerations in higher education
• Strong product, service, and portfolio discipline, including intake, prioritization, business case development, roadmap management, benefit measurement, and lifecycle support

Collaboration and Community Engagement

• Demonstrated ability to engage with senior executives, administrative leaders, faculty, researchers, technical teams, and governance groups
• Record of building communities of practice, training programs, consulting models, or centers of excellence
• Experience evaluating AI-enabled vendor products and negotiating adoption in partnership with procurement, legal, cybersecurity, and business owners
• Ability to communicate clearly with both technical and nontechnical audiences, including senior leadership
• Commitment to transparency, collaboration, user-centered design, accessibility, and responsible stewardship of institutional resources
• Strong orientation toward service, trust, stewardship, and measurable institutional value

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in information systems, computer science, data science, business administration, public administration, higher education administration, engineering, analytics, or a related field; an advanced degree is preferred.
• Experience: The candidate should bring ten or more years of progressively responsible leadership experience in enterprise technology, data governance, analytics, automation, AI service delivery, digital transformation, enterprise applications, business process improvement, or administrative operations, with demonstrated success in leadership roles.

A combination of education and relevant experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.

Requirements:

• Successful completion of a pre-employment background check
• Applicants for this position must be currently legally authorized to work for CMU in the United States. CMU will not sponsor or take over the sponsorship of an employment visa for this opportunity.  Carnegie Mellon is not a qualifying employer for the STEM OPT benefit: only the 12-month OPT may be used to work at Carnegie Mellon.

Additional Information – Organizational Context

Carnegie Mellon Computing Services

Computing Services is the central information technology organization at Carnegie Mellon University, delivering a comprehensive and evolving portfolio of services that support the university's mission of research, education, and innovation. With a commitment to innovation, service excellence, and digital resilience, Computing Services is a foundational pillar of CMU's technology ecosystem — empowering the university's continued leadership in research and education.

Led by the Vice President for Information Technology and CIO Stan Waddell, the Office of the CIO provides essential services spanning infrastructure, enterprise applications, identity and access management, information security and compliance, networking, and data-center services. Through strategic leadership and a service-oriented approach, Computing Services enables discovery, collaboration, and operational excellence across the CMU community.

Carnegie Mellon University

A member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), CMU is a global, research-intensive private university with more than 1,500 faculty, 17,000 students, and more than 117,000 alumni. In 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked CMU #21 among national universities, and Times Higher Education at #24 among world universities. CMU is home to top-ranked programs in artificial intelligence, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, software engineering, cybersecurity, business analytics, quantitative analytics, and more. It is also one of a small number of academic institutions in the nation with a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), and is home to the Manufacturing Futures Institute and the Advanced Robotics Manufacturing Institute. CMU's confluence of scholarly excellence, robust federal and industry partnerships, and heritage of innovation has consistently placed it among the world's most dynamic and impactful research institutions.

The University is known for its distinctive culture, which champions interdisciplinary inquiry and collaborative efforts in a technology-rich environment. With more than a dozen degree-granting locations, as well as a growing number of research partnerships around the world, CMU is truly a global institution, with campuses in Silicon Valley, Qatar, and Rwanda. Current and former faculty and alumni include 20 Nobel Laureates, 79 members of the National Academies, 12 Turing Awardees, 10 Academy Award winners, 116 Emmy Award winners, and 44 Tony Award winners. CMU's FY 2024 revenues surpassed $1.7 billion.

After a storied history dating to the early 1900s, in 1967 the Carnegie Institute of Technology merged with the Mellon Institute, a science research center founded by the Mellon family of Pittsburgh, to become Carnegie Mellon University. Today, CMU is a dynamic institution with exceptional impact in the world — a place of creativity, pragmatism, and ambition, with a tradition of strategically focusing its efforts and resources in areas where it can lead, then pursuing those areas with startling intensity. CMU is firmly committed to academic freedom and shared governance, providing a fertile environment for faculty success.

Joining the CMU team opens the door to an array of exceptional benefits.

Benefits eligible employees enjoy a wide array of benefits including comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance as well as a generous retirement savings program with employer contributions. Unlock your potential with tuition benefits, take well-deserved breaks with ample paid time off and observed holidays, and rest easy with life and accidental death and disability insurance. 

Additional perks include a free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass, access to our Family Concierge Team to help navigate childcare needs, fitness center access, and much more!

For a comprehensive overview of the benefits available, explore our Benefits page.

At Carnegie Mellon, we value the whole package when extending offers of employment. Beyond credentials, we evaluate the role and responsibilities, your valuable work experience, and the knowledge gained through education and training. We appreciate your unique skills and the perspective you bring. Your journey with us is about more than just a job; it’s about finding the perfect fit for your professional growth and personal aspirations.

Are you interested in an exciting opportunity with an exceptional organization?! Apply today!

Location

Pittsburgh, PA

Job Function

IT Management

Position Type

Staff – Regular

Full Time/Part time

Full time

Pay Basis

Salary

More Information: