AI Operations Fellow

Innovation Associates, Inc.•Village of Johnson City, NY

8h•$22 - $30

About The Position

As an AI Operations Fellow at iA, a leader in pharmacy automation, you will be part of a founding pilot cohort helping shape how AI is applied to real business operations. Embedded within one primary business team, you will work on prioritized operational challenges identified by business leaders while also assessing workflows and uncovering additional opportunities where AI can improve efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making. This 6-month, part-time fellowship is designed for students and requires an expected commitment of approximately 15–20 hours per week, Monday through Friday. This is not a research or observation-based internship. Fellows will work on real business problems, moving from discovery and workflow assessment to solution design, testing, implementation, adoption support, and impact measurement. Each Fellow will be assigned to one primary department within Procurement, Finance, Solutions Design and Engineering, or Customer Support. As part of the founding pilot cohort, each Fellow will help establish how AI Operations support takes shape within their assigned department while building deeper context, partnering closely with the team, and delivering focused AI-enabled improvements. Fellows will use enterprise AI tools, including Claude, Claude Code, Microsoft Copilot, and other Microsoft AI capabilities, to develop practical solutions that reduce manual effort, improve quality, increase efficiency, and support better decision-making. Success in this role requires curiosity, adaptability, structured problem-solving, and the ability to move quickly from understanding a challenge to creating a practical solution.

Requirements

You are a student with a solid understanding of AI and demonstrated experience using AI tools such as Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or similar platforms to solve problems, improve processes, or create measurable impact.
Your experience may come from internships, coursework, personal or academic projects, workflow automation, process improvement, data/analytics, coding, or AI-assisted problem solving.
You may be pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in any field, provided you have a solid understanding of AI and demonstrated experience applying AI tools. Relevant fields may include Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, Business, Operations, Economics, Mathematics, Engineering, UX/HCI, or other analytical or technology-oriented disciplines.
A self-starter who can take an assigned business problem, work independently, ask thoughtful questions, and move the work forward without requiring step-by-step direction
Able to break down complex processes into clear, structured workflows
A strong communicator who can collaborate with both technical and non-technical teams
Proactive, resourceful, and comfortable taking ownership of ambiguous problems from discovery through practical solution development
Comfortable learning new tools quickly and experimenting with new approaches
Excited about using technology to improve how teams work
Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. Employer will not sponsor applicants for work visas.

Nice To Haves

Workflow automation or process improvement projects
Prompt engineering or AI-assisted problem solving
Experience or coursework using Excel, SQL, Power BI, or other analytics tools
Coding, scripting, or technical prototyping
Exposure to operations, consulting, analytics, or technology implementation through internships, projects, coursework, or work experience
Interest in enterprise AI adoption, healthcare technology, or digital transformation

Responsibilities

Partner with an assigned business team to evaluate prioritized opportunities and identify additional areas where AI can improve operational processes
Analyze workflows and identify opportunities to reduce manual effort, improve quality, and increase efficiency
Design, prototype, and implement AI-enabled workflows using enterprise AI tools
Translate business needs into structured AI solutions that teams can adopt
Build and test AI-assisted processes, automation concepts, and productivity improvements
Collaborate with stakeholders to gather feedback and continuously improve solutions
Create documentation, playbooks, and training resources to support AI adoption
Evaluate emerging AI capabilities and recommend practical applications
Track outcomes such as time savings, error reduction, improved throughput, and decision-quality improvements
Support broader AI adoption by helping teams understand how to effectively use new AI capabilities

Benefits

Hands-on experience applying AI to real operational challenges in a healthcare technology environment
The opportunity to deliver AI solutions that create measurable business impact
Exposure to enterprise AI adoption, workflow transformation, and digital transformation initiatives
Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams across operations, technology, finance, engineering, and customer-facing functions
A portfolio of applied AI projects demonstrating real-world outcomes
Practical experience with modern enterprise AI tools and implementation approaches
Experience connecting emerging AI capabilities to real business needs
Work at the forefront of AI adoption in pharmacy automation within a high-growth technology environment
Get hands-on experience applying AI tools to solve real business problems with measurable operational impact
Gain exposure to enterprise AI use cases across multiple business functions and teams
Join the initial cohort of a new AI Fellowship Program and directly influence how AI is applied across the organization