Associate Director, AI and Automation

DUTIES

The Associate Director, AI & Automation leads the implementation of artificial intelligence and process automation adoption for Thompson Rivers University. Reporting to the CIO and serving as a key advisor, this role supports TRU's AI and automation portfolio: setting strategic direction and governance standards, adoption review, directing the Power Team initiative and future programs and building the team, partnerships, and institutional capability needed to scale responsible AI use across the university.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Leadership & Governance

• Support TRU's institution-wide AI and automation strategy, setting direction, priorities, and success metrics in alignment with the university's strategic plan.
• Adjudicating risk classification and review of proposed AI and automation use cases (e.g., under the Safe Start framework).
• Serve as a key advisor to the CIO on AI strategy, opportunity, and risk; hold a standing voice in ITS leadership team.
• Set institutional standards and policy guardrails for responsible AI and automation adoption.
• Direct and mentor a growing team in the design, governance, and deployment of AI and automation solutions.
• Maintain working command of MLOps principles (model versioning, monitoring, and deployment) to guide the team's technical practice.

Strategic Planning & Program Delivery

• Develop and execute the multi-year roadmap for integrating AI and RPA into administrative and academic-support workflows, with Power Team as the flagship program.
• Identify, prioritize, and business-case new automation and AI opportunities based on time, accuracy, consistency, and risk impact.
• Set and track program-level goals (time saved, error reduction, adoption, satisfaction) and report progress against a defined roadmap, not just individual pilots.
• Own budget planning and vendor/contract management for the AI and automation portfolio, including delegated authority for AI tool and automation procurement decisions.

Team Leadership & Resourcing

• Build, structure, and grow the AI & Automation team, with accountability for hiring, performance management, and career development.
• Define team structure and resourcing plans that scale with institutional demand, including a stated growth trajectory as the portfolio expands.

Training & Capability Building

• Direct the design and delivery of training and enablement programs for administrative leaders and support staff on AI and automation tools.
• Foster a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and responsible use across the institution.

Institutional & External Engagement

• Represent TRU externally on AI and automation practice, including engagement with the BC/national peer community, sector consultations, and conference or panel participation.
• Build and maintain relationships with administrative leaders, ITS teams, AI/automation vendors, and industry experts.
• Contributes to the institutional narrative around AI and automation, building stakeholder trust and sustained momentum through regular communication of progress and outcomes.

Feedback, Metrics & Continuous Improvement

• Establish a portfolio-level measurement framework and report efficiency gains, adoption rates, risk posture, and challenges to senior leadership on a regular cadence.
• Collect and act on feedback from training sessions and pilot/program implementations to refine strategy, tools, and governance.
• Hold the team accountable for outcomes, documenting both successes and lessons learned to inform the next phase of the roadmap.

REPORTS TO
Chief Information Officer (CIO)

QUALIFICATIONS

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS
Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field required; Master's degree in a related field strongly preferred and weighted favorably.
• At least five (5) years of leadership experience, ideally within a post-secondary or complex institutional setting, including experience building or scaling a team.
• At least three (3) years of hands-on experience in software development, scripting, or automation engineering, with a strong foundation in coding best practices.
• Demonstrated experience developing institutional policy, governance frameworks, or risk/adoption review processes — not solely technical delivery.
• Experience managing vendor relationships, contracts, and budget for a technology program or portfolio.
• Strong understanding of AI and RPA technologies and their institutional applications; prior experience building AI/ML platforms.
• Familiarity with cloud AI/ML platforms such as AWS SageMaker, Azure Machine Learning, or equivalent.
• Familiarity with organizational change management methodologies; experience leading change management and stakeholder engagement at an institutional level.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, including experience representing an organization externally (peer institutions, sector bodies, conferences).
• Ability to analyze data and feedback to drive continuous improvement across a program portfolio.

Full-time position with occasional travel for stakeholder meetings, sector engagements, and training sessions.

Collaborative work environment with a defined path for professional development and portfolio/team growth.