AI Applications Manager

AWC Career • Houston, TX

9d • Hybrid

About The Position

We’re seeking a driven, technically fluent AI leader who can help AWC multiply the expertise of our employee-owners through the thoughtful and effective use of artificial intelligence. Our team values curiosity, ownership, sound judgment, and a growth mindset, and we’re committed to applying those qualities to solutions that create meaningful value for our customers and our people. US manufacturing runs on hard-won expertise: codes, standards, decades of engineering judgment, and the people who carry it. As our AI leader you will guide us to multiply that expertise with care. A builder and a guardian who helps our teams use AI to work faster and smarter, while making sure we do that safely and effectively. Our teams have proven the opportunities exist, demonstrated value, and are eager to scale. This new technical leadership role will build that scale from the ground up, with authority and responsibility for results. This is not a policy-writing seat bolted onto someone else's compliance function. The AI Applications Manager will lead the company-wide adoption and governance of AI applications, partnering directly with business leaders to identify high-value opportunities, build repeatable solutions, and ensure AI is used safely, accurately, and effectively. This is a hands-on technical leadership role with broad responsibility and authority to scale AI capabilities across the organization. AWC's leadership operates on a simple standard: Trust = Intent and Competence. We expect straight talk over politics, ownership over excuses, and mutual respect even in disagreement. We commit to decisions once they're made, then PDCA: plan, do, check, adjust, and try again. You'll find that standard applied to how AI gets adopted here, too. Not “move fast and hope,” but measure, learn, and earn trust one application at a time. Reporting to the CIO, this role will work across every business line to strengthen AWC’s Go-to Expertise and Fast Response capabilities. The position is hybrid, with candidates located in Texas or Louisiana preferred.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Computer, Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or related engineering discipline)
• Demonstrated fluency with modern AI tools and practical experience applying them to real business workflows
• Strong technical foundation with an understanding of how data is stored, managed, versioned, and used within scalable applications
• Ability to distinguish between compelling AI demonstrations and solutions that are accurate, durable, secure, and ready for operational use
• Excellent communication, coaching, and teaching skills, with the ability to make complex technical concepts understandable to non-technical audiences
• Sound judgment regarding the capabilities and limitations of AI, including the confidence to recommend alternative approaches when AI is not the appropriate solution
• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills, including the ability to challenge well-sponsored initiatives constructively while remaining a trusted partner
• Ability to work effectively across business, technical, security, and legal stakeholders in a cross-functional environment
• Comfort working in an industrial, manufacturing, or engineering environment where technical accuracy and operational reliability have meaningful consequences, or demonstrated ability to quickly build credibility in that setting

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on experience building, deploying, or scaling AI applications across multiple business functions
• Experience establishing AI governance, review processes, or enterprise standards for responsible AI adoption
• Demonstrated ability to turn successful AI pilots into repeatable, scalable workflows or playbooks
• Experience partnering with senior business leaders to prioritize technology investments and measure business outcomes
• A strong bias for action, ownership, continuous improvement, and creating scalable value rather than maintaining the status quo
• Industrial, manufacturing, engineering, automation, or controls industry experience

Responsibilities

• Drive AI Adoption and Business Impact: Partner directly with business unit leaders to identify, evaluate, and prioritize AI applications that create measurable business value.
• Coach leaders and teams on how to achieve accurate, well-grounded results from modern AI tools, extending beyond basic prompting to effective application and workflow design.
• Translate successful pilots into repeatable playbooks that can be scaled across business lines so proven practices compound over time.
• Build and Govern Responsible AI: Develop and maintain AWC’s enterprise AI governance framework, including standards for data usage, reference materials, approvals, and production readiness.
• Lead a cross-functional review process with business owners, technical subject matter experts, IT/Security, and Legal.
• Exercise sound judgment and appropriate authority to pause or block AI applications that are not ready for deployment.
• Ensure AI knowledge sources remain current, accurate, and trustworthy so outputs do not become stale or unreliable.
• Build Scalable AI Capability: Begin as a hands-on individual contributor with direct accountability for outcomes, while building the business case and organizational structure needed as adoption grows.
• Create durable AI applications by applying sound practices for data structure, version management, testing, documentation, and long-term maintainability.
• Measure results, gather feedback, and continuously improve AI applications using a Plan-Do-Check-Adjust mindset.
• Serve as a trusted internal resource who helps teams determine where AI can add value and where it is not the right solution.

Benefits

• Base compensation expected in the $140,000 to $190,000 range, calibrated to experience
• Annual performance bonus opportunity
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• 401(K) Match
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Package
• Employer Paid Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off and Holiday Pay
• Career Development Opportunities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior