AI Operations Manager

International Rescue Committee • New York, NY

1d • $80,000 - $120,000

About The Position

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future. Job Overview/ Summary: The External Relations (ER) department is comprised of three main but complementary functional areas: Private fundraising, Communications, and Advocacy. The main objective of the department is to enable this organization of more than 15,000 staff to have the resources needed to continue serving 18 million people worldwide in places affected by war and disaster. The AI Operations Manager builds the organizational infrastructure and operational processes required to scale AI adoption across Mass Markets and enabling business units. This role translates strategic AI vision into repeatable, sustainable execution by establishing governance frameworks, coordinating cross-functional implementation, and enabling teams to deploy AI capabilities effectively. Reporting to the Director of Digital Transformation & AI Enablement, this role focuses on operationalizing AI strategy.

Requirements

• Demonstrated hands-on experience building with AI tools in the past 12 months, including multiple custom GPTs, automation workflows using tools like N8N, Make, or Zapier, or agents in platforms like Copilot Studio, LangGraph, or similar orchestration frameworks.
• Strong program management capabilities with experience coordinating complex cross-functional initiatives, managing stakeholder expectations, and running agile sprint cycles in ambiguous environments.
• Systems thinking approach to organizational change, understanding how to build infrastructure that scales beyond individual projects to sustainable organizational capabilities.
• Self-directed work style with demonstrated ability to figure things out independently in ambiguous situations, make pragmatic tradeoffs between ideal and viable, and drive progress without extensive coaching.
• Technical fluency sufficient to have credible conversations with engineers and data teams about architecture, integrations, and technical constraints, even if not writing production code yourself.
• Experience with or strong understanding of enterprise data workflows, API integrations, and how AI systems connect to existing technology stacks like CRMs, data warehouses, and business intelligence platforms.

Nice To Haves

• Experience implementing AI adoption programs or digital transformation initiatives in nonprofit, mission-driven, or similarly complex organizational environments.
• Background in product operations, technical program management, or similar roles that blend technical depth with organizational coordination.
• Familiarity with the nonprofit fundraising technology landscape including platforms like Salesforce NPSP, donor management systems, or digital marketing tools.

Responsibilities

• Design and run 2-week sprint cycles for AI implementation projects, coordinating execution across Mass Markets, Creative Studio, Digital Engagement, MarTech, and Analytics teams.
• Triage and remediate AI use case backlog, categorizing initiatives by feasibility (quick wins vs strategic vs not viable), designing pilot structures for low-risk proof points, and creating playbooks for common deployment patterns.
• Translate AI fluency training into operational reality by supporting teams through implementation, creating templates and frameworks for AI solution requests and deployment, and building the bridge between learning and doing.
• Develop repeatable processes and documentation so AI implementation is sustainable, including agent deployment playbooks, governance decision trees, and self-service tooling for common patterns.
• Work alongside AI engineers and technical specialists as they are brought onto projects, serving as the operational coordinator who ensures builds align with organizational needs and governance requirements.

Benefits

• We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $163 per month, dental starting at $6.50 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.
• IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees